Pursuing Public-Private Partnerships in the Mamdani Administration

Public–private partnerships (P3s) typically originate at the community level, making engagement with local government essential. As with any government (especially a new one), understanding policy priorities and political dynamics is key to P3 success.

In New York City, the good news is that Mayor Zohran Mamdani has expressed an openness to P3s and hired a talented group of deputy mayors and commissioners. While some important positions remain to be filled, this group has experience and knowledge of how to make smart P3 decisions that allow our economy to grow and deliver significant public value.

Having helped guide public–private partnerships to approval for more than 25 years, here are strategic recommendations for presenting a P3 proposal to the Mamdani administration.

It will be important to establish credibility and highlight not only your track record of success, but also any history of community-based initiatives and public benefits that have resulted from your projects. Do not just rely on relationships, and make sure you bring data, as leadership in the new administration will focus on substantive outcomes.

Align the substance of your proposal with the mayor’s goal of making the city more affordable. “Affordability” is the key buzzword on everything from social services to technology to economic development. Framing your project in this context is strategically important in how you speak to the press and in pitching your project to government leaders and other stakeholders.

Understand both the political landscape and the technical processes your project will require, and hire the right experts to guide you. Entitlement and procurement processes, for example, are governed by established rules, regulations and oversight regardless of who is in office.

Determining whether your project requires City Council or Community Board review could bring in a different set of politics requiring a customized engagement strategy to ensure a smooth approval process.

You should understand the growth trajectory of New York City, as your project may be able to piggyback on past approvals. To their credit, the economic development team in the administration of Mayor Eric Adams made smart decisions through rezonings — including an expedited land-use review for affordable housing, which the Mamdani administration has already started using — and investments in workforce development programs, public realm, growth industries like AI and life sciences, and locally based economic hubs both in and out of the Manhattan core.  

As Andrew Kimball, then the president of the city’s Economic Development Corporation, said last year that city development officials think in years and decades, not just today. A perfect example is the impressive work done with the community to develop the Brooklyn Marine Terminal. These will have important payoffs to the city, state and country in the coming years, as well as provide confidence to businesses entering or expanding in our metro market.

Finally, understand how federal and state policies, and the broader political environment, may impact your proposal. While the Trump–Mamdani relationship appears to be off to a positive start, it could shift quickly given their stark differences on policy and politics. The Trump administration has made clear that it is willing to challenge jurisdictions and leaders who oppose its agenda, and New York City will likely remain a focal point of that dynamic. The recent conflict over the Gateway rail tunnel project is a clear example of the political complexities.

New York City has long operated within complex geopolitical tensions and has consistently emerged stronger. With the midterm elections approaching, the coming months may be politically turbulent. However, if Democrats regain control of the U.S. House — and potentially the Senate — the federal government may become more receptive to investing in and supporting New York and opening additional P3 opportunities.

As the financial, media, cultural and international affairs capital of the world, New York plays an outsize role in the national economy. Policies that undermine the city inevitably reverberate far beyond the five boroughs, affecting communities and economies across the country. For that reason, it is important that we continue reminding the nation (and the world) of New York’s critical importance by advancing thoughtful public–private partnerships and executing them in ways that strengthen both businesses and communities.

Travis Terry is the founder and CEO of consultancy Immortal Strategies.