The planned Willets Point mall can add another ally to its list.
The City Council voted on Wednesday to support the development in the form of an amicus brief in the developers’ appeal of a lower court decision that halted the $3 billion project, the New York Daily News reported.
The decision is a break from the de Blasio administration, which opted out of supporting Related Companies and Sterling Equities earlier this year. At the time, the mayor said the plan — which includes a shopping mall, 23 acres of housing and a movie theater — didn’t create affordable housing quickly enough.
The council’s support follows another crucial victory for the project. Last month, the New York State Court of Appeals agreed to hear the developers’ appeal, even though many believed the loss of the mayor’s administration was a death knell for the mall. A New York state appellate court had stalled the project, ruling that the development site — a parking lot next to Citi Field — was designated for stadium use only. [NYDN] — Kathryn Brenzel