With Mamdani the (likely) Democratic Mayoral nominee, what might that mean for Atlantic Yards? Will construction unions back Adams, or Cuomo? Or switch?

The surprising (but, in retrospect, maybe not) Democratic mayoral primary victory of insurgent Queens Assemblymember Zohran Mamdani--a  democratic socialist who inspired legions of volunteers, talked to anyone, formed alliances, expressed love for the city, and had a simple (if somewhat questionable) set of affordability priorities--over dreary establishment candidate Andrew Cuomo has set up a very interesting situation.

Mamdani was closing in on Cuomo in the polls, and one said he'd beat the former Governor after ranked-choice voting concluded, but he beat him decisively, with 43.5% of first-place votes to Cuomo’s 36.4%, and likely will take more when ranked-choice votes are counted, given, for example, his cross-endorsement with Comptroller Brad Lander, who got 11.3%.

So for now, it's an apparent victory, likely to be solidified, though Democrats have only offered "tentative support," in the words of City & State.

Chess match

What next? Cuomo, who had enormous establishment support and was supported by oodles of outside spending, has yet to decide whether to run as an independent.

Tarnished incumbent Eric Adams has launched his re-election bid, as an independent.

And radio host Curtis Sliwa, a perennial candidate, is on the Republican line. Some suggest Sliwa get a job in the Trump administration, turning over the ballot line to Adams. Sliwa, attacking Adams, seems all-in.

A poll from a pollster with a record sympathetic to Cuomo suggests that he would run even with Mamdani in the general election, with Adams and Sliwa (and independent Jim Walden included), but Mamdani would beat Adams.

And what about Atlantic Yards?

As I wrote, very little has been said about the vexed Atlantic Yards project, unlike in some previous campaigns. Maybe because the project is confounding. Mamdani came to the Vanderbilt Yard to promote his housing plan, but didn't say anything about the project.

Maybe it's time for him to step up. Assuming he works with Lander--a possible Deputy Mayor?--Mamdani has a path to understanding, at least, the BrooklynSpeaks position. 

Cuomo, along with Adams, likely supports an emerging plan for the remainder of the Atlantic Yards site led by Cirrus Real Estate Partners, which has an agreement with construction unions. Not that Cuomo could find the railyard.

(Note that Atlantic Yards is a state project, and the governor ultimately controls any new deal to re-start the project. The mayor, though, can offer financial and other assistance.)

Will the construction unions stick with Cuomo? Move to Adams? Or feel out Mamdani? He's certainly not against building, or union labor. But that doesn't mean the union-Cirrus plan deserves deference.

I hope all candidates would recognize that the project poses not simply an issue of "build, baby, build," but rather questions of governmental oversight, developer responsibility, and the interplay between governmental accommodation, financial viability, and community impacts.

Here are some other housing policy ideas Mamdani might borrow from rival candidates.