An influential city planning director is a contender to land a top stop in Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani’s administration as a potential deputy mayor for housing and economic development, sources told The Post.
City Planning Director Dan Garodnick can become a holdover for Mamdani after he has been involved in some of Mayor Eric Adams’ administration’s most important initiatives, including zoning changes such as the “City of Yes” to accelerate housing construction, and approval of 14,700 new units in Long Island City.
The Mamdani campaign specifically declined to comment on Garodnick, who is also chairman of the Planning Commission and a member of the MTA Board.
“When we have personnel announcements to make, we will announce them,” transition spokesperson Dora Pekec said.
A Garodnick appointment has been rumored for weeks and was the rage within the real estate and development community in recent days, sources said.
“Dan’s been very productive. He’s certainly one of the stars of the Adams administration,” one source said.
He was asked whether he would join the incoming Mamdani administration during a Crain’s New York Business real estate event last week.
Garodnick told Crain’s he had “no news” to share.
“I’m very excited about the incoming mayor. He’s obviously got a lot of passion, and is somebody who is determined to do a good job,” he told the outlet. “I think we should give him some space to make his decisions.”
The potential appointee didn’t immediately return a call seeking comment.
Garodnick served on the City Council for 12 years. He became president and CEO of the Riverside Park Conservancy on Manhattan’s West Side before joining the Adams administration.
Mamdani has had his differences with outgoing Mayor Adams, but has been willing to retain some of the personnel in the current administration.
Most notably, he has agreed to keep Jessica Tisch as police commissioner.
“I think history will be very kind to Mayor Adams and his legacy. Crime is down to record levels. That’s why his police commissioner got reappointed,” First Deputy Mayor Randy Mastro said Sunday on 77 WABC’s “The Cats Roundtable” radio show.
“Jobs are up to record highs. Let’s see if the socialist administration can keep that up. Affordable housing, which the incoming mayor ran on, has been produced at unprecedented record levels by this administration. Let’s see if the socialist mayor can keep that up,” Mastro told host John Catsimatidis.
