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FEASIBILITY STUDY
Sunnyside Yard Feasibility Study
February 6, 2017
New York City is in the midst of a period of comprehensive and detailed assessment of the
unprecedented growth. Our population has technical, planning, and financial considerations
reached a record 8.5 million, and current of building atop Sunnyside Yard.
projections estimate that it will reach an
astonishing 9 million before 2040. That growth We thank the many community members, elected
has helped make the City an even more dynamic leaders, public agencies, and other stakeholders
place to work, learn, and play, but it has also who informed this study. We look forward to
placed new stress on the core infrastructure continuing our work together to explore an
serving the City and the region. opportunity with the potential to prepare New York
City for the next century.
At the same time, land has become increasingly
scarce. Opportunities to expand the
transportation infrastructure we need to move Sincerely,
our workforce and the housing stock necessary
to shelter our residents are few and far between.
The public sector must reach for new and
innovative solutions to meet our needs.
In Western Queens, there remains one of New
York City’s last great opportunities to solve many Alicia Glen
of these challenges in one place. Sunnyside
i
Chapter 1: Executive Summary
Table of Contents
A. Introduction.....................................................................3
B. The Study.........................................................................4
C. Context.............................................................................6
E. Development Feasibility.............................................12
F. Conclusion.....................................................................14
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Chapter 5:Summary
Executive Development Considerations
Sunnyside Yard Feasibility Study | Executive Summary
The Sunnyside Yard Feasibility Study identifies framework for a potential overbuild at Sunnyside An iterative process, which modified physical years and both Amtrak and the Metropolitan
key considerations and planning principles to Yard that could feasibly address engineering, and programmatic configurations in response Transportation Authority (MTA) plan to implement
inform future decision-making with regard to economic, urban design, and public policy to financial and engineering analysis, informed reconfigurations of tracks and rail operations. As
a Sunnyside Yard overbuild. For the purposes considerations. the development of these planning principles. these and other projects progress, they will need
3
Executive Summary
B. The Study • Economics - Market demand and Three test cases were developed to explore the • Create housing options for low- and
real estate development parameters: feasibility of different programs. All test cases moderate-income New Yorkers, new
The goal of this study is to identify a set of Development strategies that leverage value, include a significant proportion of residential use office space to support local and citywide
principles to guide feasible development from minimize costs, and generate economic and but vary in focus: employment growth, and venues for
the perspectives of engineering, economics, and public benefits for the City and surrounding • Test Case 1 (Residential) community and cultural uses;
urban design. For the purposes of this study, neighborhoods. • Serve local neighborhoods and help
• Test Case 2 (Live/Work/Play)
feasibility was defined as follows: • Urban Design – Surrounding communities accommodate ongoing growth;
and planning standards: A framework • Test Case 3 (Destination)
• Engineering - Rail operations and • Produce mixed-income, mixed-use
structural considerations: A conceptual that complements the existing adjacent While the three test cases varied in mix of uses, communities, including schools, libraries,
structural system for overbuild, above an neighborhoods, allows mixed-use districts to program and phasing, each were aligned with the police and fire stations, and other community
active and expanding railyard, capable of be phased over time, and meets policy goals following public policy objectives: amenities;
supporting development and minimizing across a fully developed project.
• Promote significant public parks, open
impact on rail operations.
spaces, recreational facilities, and a
connected network of green streets and
pedestrian routes; and
• Respect and respond to existing
neighborhood contexts and improve physical
connections between the neighborhoods of
Sunnyside Yard Feasibility Study | Executive Summary
western Queens.
4
A summary of the test case programs is illustrated
in Figure 1.3. Given the preliminary nature of the
program definition, all program assumptions are
expressed as ranges.
The evaluation of the three distinct test cases
provides the analytical framework to test
strategies for minimizing impacts on railroad
operations, improving financial feasibility,
supporting integrated mixed-used urban design,
and achieving public policy objectives. The
collective analysis of the three test cases resulted
in certain conclusions, considerations, and
principles such as:
• Potential locations for columns and walls
that support an overbuild with a full range of
structures and uses without impacting rail
yard activity;
• Overbuild coverage area, building typologies,
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Executive Summary
C. Context
Assessing the feasibility of an overbuild at typically exist in dense residential neighborhoods.
Sunnyside Yard requires consideration of The need for schools is increasing, as is the
both offsite influences and onsite constraints. community’s desire for parks, public space, and
The offsite contextual considerations include retail amenities.
adjacent neighborhoods, transportation and utility
infrastructure, and market conditions. The onsite Transportation and Utility Infrastructure
constraints consider ownership and railroad
operations, including the Amtrak Master Plan. A combination of subways, commuter rail, and
transit buses are available close to all sections of
Adjacent Neighborhoods Sunnyside Yard, with the greatest access provided
at the western half of Sunnyside Yard. Key
infrastructure elements include:
Sunnyside Yard is located at the confluence of
four distinct neighborhoods. (Figure 1.4) A wide • Eight MTA subway lines serving approximately
range of land use patterns and neighborhood 13 subway stations or complexes are located
characteristics comprise the “Study Area,” defined within the study area and walking distance to
as a one-mile radius from Sunnyside Yard. These the project site.
characteristics include:
• Many MTA bus routes either stop within or
Sunnyside Yard Feasibility Study | Executive Summary
6
Market Conditions Size and Ownership
The Study Area is home to approximately 5% The Sunnyside Yard Feasibility Study focuses
of Queens’ residential population, the largest on the identified Study Area, which includes MTA Owned:
Total Acreage: 31.2 acres
employment hub in western Queens, and approximately 180 acres of Sunnyside Yard Terra Firma: 0%
an anchor of the City’s industrial economy. located to the east of 47th Avenue. Key features Spans: >15 - <100 ft.
Submarkets to the west of Sunnyside Yard of the Yard:
are experiencing significant new residential • Sunnyside Yard is more than six times the
development, while elsewhere in the Study Area, size of Hudson Yards, twice the size of the
little new residential real estate development has Battery Park City, and 30 acres larger than
taken place. For commercial properties, increased Roosevelt Island.
job growth is spread across a range of industries
and building types, including newly-constructed • The Amtrak Northeast Corridor and the
Class A office space and adaptively reused space. Long Island Railroad (“LIRR”) Main Line
Key factors driving the development of the Study run through the spine of the Yard and are
Area include: operational at all times.
Amtrak Owned: Privately Owned:
• Much of the population surrounding • Yard ownership is spilt among four parties: Total Acreage: 142.2 acres Total Acreage: 7.4 acres
Terra Firma: 6.6% Terra Firma: 93.1%
Sunnyside Yard is concentrated in principally Amtrak, which owns most of Sunnyside Spans: >15 - <150 ft. Spans: Terra Firma
residential submarkets to the east of Yard, MTA which owns the northern and
western parcels, the City which owns the
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Executive Summary
morning and evening rush hours. project could be influenced by several onsite minimizing disruptions to railroad operations. Residential Tower
• The Amtrak Yard Expansion project, and offsite factors. A project of this nature faces • Whenever possible, overbuild construction
as detailed in its Master Plan, would risks due to shifting political priorities, as well should be performed concurrently with
enable Sunnyside Yard to accommodate as changes in expected revenue and/or cost other planned construction of railroad
approximately double the number of trains assumptions. Modifications of density or the infrastructure.
that it does today. planned program could alter feasibility, as well as
impact existing transportation networks and other • Overhead wires that supply electrical
• Amtrak is planning to rehabilitate East River offsite considerations. Multiple railroads, complex power for trains will need to be lowered and
Tunnels damaged during Hurricane Sandy. infrastructure, and the sheer scale of such an supported under the deck. Other overhead 5 Story Podium
• Amtrak is planning to complete ongoing overbuild project would require exceptional wires may need to be rerouted or buried.
state-of-good repair work (maintenance coordination and a long-term perspective from all • Required railroad clearances above the tracks Mega Transfer Truss
and equipment upgrades) as well as other involved parties. affect the height of the deck, limiting the Podium
miscellaneous projects around Sunnyside vehicular access to only the existing roads Mega Transfer Truss
Yard. With these caveats, the following considerations and bridges and inflating building heights.
Footprint
and planning principles are identified to inform Some variances should be required from
• The MTA has at least six known projects that future decision making in regards to a Sunnyside
are either under construction, planned, or standard track clearances to locally reduce
Yard overbuild. deck height.
envisioned over the next 15 years and beyond
that will impact the Yard. • It is assumed that the existing bridges cannot Deck Surface
Engineering be replaced.
Sunnyside Yard Feasibility Study | Executive Summary
and economic conditions will impact overbuild The existing and future railroad operations will • Certain areas of the Yard, particularly above
development at Sunnyside Yard. While these impose significant constraints for overbuild the Main Line tracks, are exceptionally Concrete structural
development conditions are challenging and feasibility. Assumptions involving Amtrak’s encumbered by heavy rail traffic and physical walls/columns
continuously evolving, they frame a set of Sunnyside Yard Master Plan are predicated on infrastructure. These areas were determined
principles that can be used to guide development its 2014 vision of its 2030 operations. As the to be infeasible for decking as they exist
of a future overbuild. Master Plan implementation progresses over time, today.
assumptions may need to be reconsidered and
D. Key Considerations and Planning the plan for the overbuild adjusted accordingly.
Key considerations and planning principles with
Principles respect to rail operations include:
Existing and future conditions were used to • Detailed cooperation will be necessary at all
evaluate the three test cases and to inform a set levels between the railroad companies, the
of planning principles. Given the complexity and City, any development entity, and developers.
scale of this project, the findings of this study
• Track outages, work hours, and construction
are subject to inherent risks that are beyond the Tracks
work zones should be streamlined to
control of any single entity. The success of this
maximize contiguity and continuity, while
FIGURE 1.6: TOWER AND TRACK STRUCTURE RELATIONSHIP
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• Overbuild poses some safety considerations -Need to be oriented with their long axis -Must span three to four lines of columns -Require a substantial steel truss (a “mega
such as adequate exhaust of heat and diesel perpendicular to the direction of the tracks, (depending on tower length/height). (Figure transfer truss”) in the building podium to
fumes generated by stored trains, fire and life with support walls running between tracks, 1.7) transfer the loads to support walls. The size
safety ventilation, standpipes, and egress. in order to provide adequate resistance to of the transfer truss varies depending on
wind loads. span and tower height.
Structural systems will need to accommodate the
constraints imposed by railroad operations, the
restrictions dictated by yard geometry, and the
structural requirements for a substantial overbuild.
(Figure 1.6) Key considerations and planning
principles with respect to structural constraints
include:
• Structural steel construction is preferred for
the deck, as it is lighter than precast concrete
and therefore easier to maneuver and install
in congested areas.
• Structural support walls or columns must
be located outside of required railroad track
clearances.
Urban Design • Each development phase should strive to • A system of connected parks and open spaces
create complete neighborhoods with a balance with a variety of scales and uses should be
Urban design considerations aim to create of uses to meet a broad range of needs. integrated with new development.
balanced, vibrant, and well-connected urban
neighborhoods within operational, structural, • New development should respond to the
and financial constraints. (Figure 1.8) Key surrounding context. Transitions and buffers
considerations and planning principles with should be used to negotiate differences in
respect to urban design include: scale, elevation, and use.
• A strong but flexible vision for development
is necessary for a successful long-term and SELF-CONTAINED
phased buildout. PORTION OF THE YARD
10
Economics
An overbuild development at Sunnyside Yard
depends on the strategic placement and phasing
of different building typologies to mitigate
construction costs and provide for the economic
capacity to support critical public infrastructure,
including open space, schools, and roads. Key
considerations and planning principles with
respect to economics include:
• Buildings should be located where they are
most structurally feasible and cost-effective,
with heights, footprint size, and overall site
density maximized where appropriate.
• Parks, roads, and open space should be
located where overbuild is more structurally
complex and/or costly.
• Areas that are most difficult to build over
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Executive Summary
12
Core Yard development cost is approximately $10 billion million. A negative residual land value indicates is comparable to other major infrastructure
in 2017 dollars. Using the mid-point of a refined that public investment will be required in the investments and large scale developments led by
Based on an understanding of the technical Core Yard program, the project could generate project. The financial feasibility of the project was the City. Moreover, the Core Yard could generate
constraints and the lessons learned by optimizing approximately $2.84 billion in gross land proceeds. evaluated by analyzing the public goods and tax significant tax proceeds. The real property taxes
feasibility for the three test case scenarios, the After accounting for approximately $1.81 billion in proceeds that would be generated by this potential alone (approximately $934 million over 40 years)
Core Yard, defined as Zones D, C, and B-South overbuild premium and approximately $1.84 billion investment. The Core Yard could deliver housing, could exceed the total cost of investment.
covering approximately 70 acres, has been in onsite and offsite horizontal costs, the Core Yard substantial public benefits in the form of affordable
identified as an area most viable for development, can have an estimated residual land value of -$798 open space, and public facilities at a cost that
and would be a likely early phase of the total
overbuild project.
Based on railroad operations and the future
track layout, the Core Yard could support a high
density of residential uses. The majority of the
area is under Amtrak ownership and overlaps
with elements of the Amtrak Master Plan requiring
immediate coordination. Development in the
Core Yard would encourage consistent block
and street grid formation and the creation of a
central east-west boulevard to facilitate future
.
of factors, the Core Yard is financially feasible.
St
st
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Northern Blvd.
F. Conclusion
This Feasibility Study describes engineering,
urban design, and economic parameters for a
feasible overbuild approach at Sunnyside Yard.
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Some key issues that influence feasibility are
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beyond the scope of this study, including potential
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39th St.
modifications to Amtrak’s Master Plan and the
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related incremental construction costs, offsite
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improvements to transportation infrastructure,
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and the specific financing, contractual, and/or
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governing structures that would be created to
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support development. (Figure 1.12, Figure 1.13) n Av
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Sunnyside Yard is an active railyard situated
vd
Sunnyside Yard Feasibility Study | Executive Summary
.
within a dynamic urban environment. As e. Tho
mps
Av on A
Amtrak progresses on its Master Plan, and as so n ve.
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the economic and urban environment evolves, Ja
variations from the studied test cases may
be warranted, resulting in changes to specific
feasibility findings. Should the project move on to ILLUSTRATIVE PURPOSES ONLY
a next stage of planning, more detailed study and 47th Ave
.
design development should be undertaken, with
a focus on a more discrete section of Sunnyside 0’ 50’ 100’ 500’ 1,000’
Yard—the Core Yard. A comprehensive program
of public outreach and engagement would be
FIGURE 1.12: POTENTIAL SITE PLAN BASED ON TECHNICAL FINDINGS
integrated with additional planning. In tandem,
significant coordination between multiple land
and air rights owners, careful sequencing of A future overbuild development plan would also of an overbuild will include large up-front alter the key considerations and planning
investments, and development of thoughtful value have to respond to significant uncertainties. A expenditures that may not see returns for many principles of this study and impact project
creation strategies each need to occur to support project of this scale would span several political decades. Changes to the development program, feasibility. This feasibility study is only the first
a feasible project. administrations, multiple economic cycles, and density, open space, value creation, ownership stage in a multi-step, multi-year design process
changes to the City’s employment base. Cost- coordination, technology advancements, railroad needed to realize a project of this scale and
effective and operationally-efficient construction requirements, and adjacent development may complexity.
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Sunnyside Yard Feasibility Study | Executive Summary
FIGURE 1.13: SECTION RENDERING: AMTRAK HIGH SPEED RAIL SHOP AND STORAGE
‘All renderings, illustrations, and plans in this study are intended for illustrative purposes only.
There are a variety of potential design solutions and these renderings, illustrations, and plans
shall not be construed to be a representation of an intended design solution’
KEY PLAN
Section Cut 15