The developers said Wednesday that they remained committed to the redevelopment of Willets Point and were confident that their appeal would be successful.

“We support the administration’s efforts on affordable housing and are committed to significantly accelerating the housing portion of this plan,” Phil Singer, a spokesman for the developers, said. “But those efforts need to be backed by a financially viable model. We look forward to working with the administration over the next few months.”

Deputy Mayor Alicia Glen, however, said the city needed more promised for its investment of nearly a half-billion dollars than a shopping mall before it would have agreed to an appeal.

“The deal as it stood did not actually mandate any affordable housing actually be built,” Ms. Glen said. “We really wanted to see significant improvements that would mean that the public would also see a healthy mix of affordable and market-rate housing, delivered on a real time frame. We hope that this team will continue to work toward that goal with us.”

Related and Sterling Equities were not opposed to accelerating the construction of affordable housing. The developers recently proposed allowing a professional soccer club — New York City F.C. — that has been looking for a permanent home to build a soccer stadium next to Citi Field in return for a housing fund.

Housing prices in the area, the developers said, would not generate enough profit to subsidize the affordable housing.

City Councilwoman Julissa Ferreras-Copeland, a Democrat who has supported the project from the beginning, still hoped that the two sides would come together.