Bronx Science Alum Zohran Mamdani Proposes Plan to Convert Stuy into a Government-Owned Mixed-Use Building

Due to the city’s housing and affordability crisis, NYC Democratic Mayoral Primary winner Zohran Mamdani has proposed a plan to convert Stuyvesant High School into a mixed-use property, saying, “Desperate times call for desperate measures.” To solve the problem, Mamdani proposes that the city government should take control of useless buildings and empty lots.

Mamdani graduated from The Bronx High School of Science (Stuyvesant’s greatest rival) in 2010, and in the past, he has expressed anti-Stuyvesant sentiment. He believes Stuyvesant and what it represents should be eliminated due to its dividing the top students in the city between the rival schools.

In a tweet from his junior year of high school, Mamdani referred to Stuyvesant as “a dump for students unfit for science.” Since his tweet was rediscovered in July 2025, he has repeatedly renounced it, claiming in a statement on his social media. “That’s not who I am anymore, and that was just a stupid mistake.” 

However, he reaffirmed his stance on the elimination of Stuyvesant High School in a press conference held outside Battery Park City, stating, “It is still a waste of good space that could be repurposed for the betterment of our community.”

On social media, there has been a large wave of commentary regarding Mamdani’s beliefs. Stuyvesant students are calling his plan a spiteful move. In the words of Instagram user @LAVVENDr_Z3bra39, “He’s hurting our education because of a personal vendetta.” Meanwhile, others consider his decision an act of progress. 

Recently, a new club at Stuyvesant, “Youth for Fixing The City,” sponsored by Andrew Cuomo’s super PAC, Fix The City, drafted a petition opposing Mamdani’s proposed actions. The club’s leader has organized protests for the cause. She emphasizes the intellectual contributions that Stuyvesant makes that would be lost with its elimination. In a recent post, she said, “Stuyvesant has produced Nobel Prize winners, astronauts, and extremely overworked hedge fund millionaires, and he has the audacity to call us useless! #MoronMamdani #CuomoIsn’tAPredator.”

As outlined on his campaign website, Mamdani plans to convert Stuyvesant High School into a government-owned mixed-use building. Stuyvesant’s pool and many gyms will continue to serve as part of the community center. However, members will now have access to all facilities within the school. The auditorium will become a government-owned movie theater that will even show critically acclaimed foreign films such as Equality of the People, a North Korean classic produced by the Kim Regime. The cafeteria will become a city-owned grocery store, with prices cheaper than many nearby establishments, and each classroom will serve as one housing unit. Classrooms with consistent temperature regulation (approximately five percent of classrooms) will be premium units for double the rent, and the hallway lockers will become micro-apartments, for half the fixed rent cost of a regular classroom. Laboratories will become restaurants, and the sophomore and senior bars will become actual bars. The band rooms will be part of the new public music center called “Nani’s,” a reference to Mamdani’s single “Nani” from his short-lived rap career. The pool locker rooms will become public restrooms, not that that changes much. The unused fifth-floor balcony will become a playground, and the escalators will finally be fixed.

Dr. Yu sent out an email concerning the plan. In it, he stated that the best course of action for Stuyvesant is “to donate to Mamdani’s campaign and beg for forgiveness.” Some students are pushing for Stuyvesant to move buildings once again, while others are considering a merger with Brooklyn Tech.

If Mamdani does win the election and he is able to execute his proposed actions, the scenario that ensures survival involves Stuyvesant merging with the Borough of Manhattan Community College (BMCC) across the West Side Highway. This is the most controversial option, but also the most practical. Dr. Yu has met with BMCC president Anthony Munroe to discuss a possible building transfer. This would result in the number of students being lowered to about 400 students per grade to accommodate building space. The students (and teachers) who remain will be decided by a high-stakes game of Rock, Paper, Scissors.

This would likely result in Stuyvesant losing much of its talent. However, it is the fairest way to decide who stays. As for now, the results of the election and the fate of Stuyvesant High School remain uncertain.