When New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani met with President Donald Trump in Washington last month, the pair apparently spent much of their time talking about housing. 

After all, Trump is a businessman and a developer. So why not appeal to his builder instincts?

Mamdani spotlighted Sunnyside Yards, an Amtrak-owned railyard in Queens which also accommodates Long Island Rail Road trains. The area comes up often when someone is dreaming big dreams for new housing in the region. Mamdani's idea isn't new: Build a platform over the tracks and construct 12,000 units of housing, parks, schools and more on top.

If only it were that simple. Every previous attempt to develop Sunnyside Yards has failed, due to cost, the objections of local elected officials, pushback from neighbors or a lack of will from city leaders.

Mamdani is seeking a staggering $21 billion in federal grants for the necessary deck.

A........

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