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Sunnyside Yard planning process to launch this summer

The de Blasio administration and Amtrak will begin crafting a development plan for Sunnyside Yard in Queens this summer, city and Amtrak officials will announce today.

The master planning team will be led by Vishaan Chakrabarti's architecture firm, Practice for Architecture and Urbanism, which was first reported by Crain's in March.

"This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity for civic groups, public officials and residents to create a vision for their borough," Alicia Glen, Housing and Urban Development deputy mayor, said in a statement.

The city has carved out a position within the Economic Development Corp. to oversee the process and announced a steering committee composed of roughly two dozen local and citywide stakeholders to provide input. Last year a city study found that about 80% of the 180-acre yard could be decked over and covered with 24,000 apartments, along with schools, parks and other infrastructure, at a cost of $19 billion. The master planning process is expected to take around two years and will come up with a more specific blueprint of what could be constructed.

The city and Amtrak have signed a letter of intent to formalize their collaboration, a key step because the federal rail operator controls most of the yard and is making a number of upgrades to its infrastructure that could otherwise conflict with the city's aims. While the accord decreases the chances of major obstacles, it does not guarantee a smooth planning process.

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http://www.crainsnewyork.com/article...ch-this-summer