At a packed West Side forum Wednesday night, the four leading candidates vying to replace Councilmember Erik Bottcher lined up on one big-ticket issue: they want Mayor Zohran Mamdani to take a hard second look at the public financing package tied to Hudson Yards West. The plan relies on a PILOT-style structure to support roughly $2 billion in platform and related infrastructure over the Western Rail Yards, turning what is usually a dry budget line into a rare point of consensus in the April 28 special election. Voters filled Hartley House as candidates rolled out competing visions for housing, transit and neighborhood protections on the far West Side.
About 70 West Siders showed up in person and roughly 30 tuned in online. According to W42ST, all four candidates signaled they would press the new mayor to revisit the PILOT-backed deal. Forum organizers framed the night around one central question: is the public commitment the right tradeoff for new housing and public space by the Hudson River, or is the neighborhood being asked to sign a blank check?
The field at the forum included Leslie Boghosian Murphy, Layla Law-Gisiko, Carl Wilson and Lindsey Boylan. Carl Wilson, Bottcher’s longtime chief of staff, formally launched his campaign earlier this year, as reported by amNewYork, while City & State New York has tracked petitioning and ballot logistics in the race. On Hudson Yards, candidates described the financing structure as both a potential windfall and a looming risk for nearby residents.
What the $2 billion plan would actually do
The agreement struck last year between the city and Related Companies would extend development over the Western Rail Yards and lean on future tax revenues to help pay for a deck and other infrastructure. The Adams administration promoted the approach as a way to deliver thousands of homes and new public space without writing an immediate multibillion-dollar check. The City Council advanced land use measures to enable the plan in June 2025, according to The Real Deal, and the mayor’s office, in a June 2025 statement, cast the package as a major step toward building housing and a new school at Hudson Yards West.
Why candidates and critics are slamming the brakes
Opponents have zeroed in on shifting cost estimates and unanswered fiscal questions. City documents and reporting show the platform’s projected construction cost has climbed to about $2 billion, and the Comptroller’s office warned that the budget figures “exposed unrealistic cost assumptions,” according to the NYC Comptroller. Advocates and some local officials have also pointed out that the Hudson Yards Infrastructure Corporation has not yet released a public analysis demonstrating that future tax revenues would reliably cover potential city-backed debt, leaving a conspicuous hole in the numbers.
What’s next for the deal and the District 3 race
With the District 3 special election set for April 28 and the seat open after Erik Bottcher won a state Senate contest, candidates said they plan to keep the Hudson Yards financing package front and center as Mayor Mamdani’s administration weighs final approvals. City & State New York has been tracking the fast-moving petition and election timeline, while the forum coverage of candidate pledges is detailed by W42ST. The project still needs sign-offs from multiple city authorities and a final green light from the mayor, leaving the incoming administration with real leverage if it decides the terms need to be rewritten.
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