A big push to rework the parking tons adjoining to Citi Area right into a sprawling leisure and on line casino advanced has gained traction as Queens State Sen. John Liu introduces a invoice that would pave the way in which for billionaire Mets proprietor Steve Cohen’s bold $8 billion Metropolitan Park mission. Nevertheless, opposition from a key legislator raises questions in regards to the proposal’s future.
Liu’s laws, launched Sunday, goals to redesignate the roughly 50-acre parking tons surrounding the Mets stadium from parkland to business property. The transfer is a prerequisite for Cohen’s bid to safe a coveted downstate on line casino license, permitting his partnership with Laborious Rock Worldwide to maneuver ahead with creating a on line casino, lodge, and leisure district.
“As a result of the parking zone is legally parkland, they require state laws that will permit a gaming facility to be constructed on that parkland in an effort to proceed with their utility to the state gaming,” Liu defined on the invoice’s introduction. based on New York Submit.
Cohen has been advocating for a on line casino close to Citi Area since 2023, leveraging the chance offered by New York State’s plan to subject three downstate on line casino licenses. His imaginative and prescient contains not solely the on line casino but additionally funding for infrastructure enhancements within the space, such because the Flushing Skypark mission.
Flushing Skypark and Neighborhood Funding
A key ingredient of Cohen’s proposal is the event of the Flushing Skypark—a pedestrian and bicycle bridge impressed by Manhattan’s Excessive Line. The construction would span Flushing Creek, connecting downtown Flushing with Willets Level, offering each leisure and transportation advantages.
Liu acknowledged the challenges of executing the Skypark mission, describing it as “a tricky mission from financing to regulatory approvals.” Nevertheless, he emphasised Cohen and Laborious Rock’s dedication, stating that even when the bridge plan falls by, the builders have pledged $100 million towards neighborhood enhancements in Flushing Meadows Corona Park.
Cohen, affirming his dedication to neighborhood improvement, acknowledged, “Metropolitan Park is dedicated to working to make Flushing Skypark a actuality.”
Queens Borough President Donovan Richards praised the initiative, calling it a “grand slam for Northwest Queens,” with the potential to generate roughly 23,000 union jobs and stimulate funding in traditionally underserved areas.
Native Opposition Presents a Problem
Regardless of rising help, the plan faces opposition from State Sen. Jessica Ramos, whose district encompasses the proposed on line casino website. Ramos has remained firmly towards the mission, stating, “My place has not modified. I can not help a on line casino in Corona and am a definitive no on any alienation invoice that goes towards my neighbors’ needs.”
Ramos beforehand declined to advance comparable laws in previous classes, and the state Senate historically defers to native legislators on tasks inside their districts. This might create a big roadblock for Cohen’s proposal.
The Aggressive On line casino License Race
Cohen and Laborious Rock are amongst a number of bidders vying for the restricted variety of on line casino licenses within the New York Metropolis space. Different contenders embrace:
Wynn NYC-Associated Corporations’ Hudson Yards mission
Las Vegas Sands’ proposal at Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum
SL Inexperienced, Caesars Leisure, and Jay-Z’s Roc Nation’s Instances Sq. plan
Stefan Soloviev and Mohegan Solar’s East River mission
Silverstein Properties’ and Greenwood Gaming’s bid close to the Jacob Javits Heart
Moreover, two present racinos—Genting Resorts World at Aqueduct Racetrack and MGM Empire Metropolis in Yonkers—are in search of licenses to supply full-scale on line casino operations.
Subsequent Steps for the Undertaking
Cohen’s mission stays contingent on state approval. His workforce should first safe legislative backing for the rezoning effort earlier than submitting a on line casino utility to native siting boards. Purposes are due by June 27, with the New York State Gaming Fee anticipated to award the three out there licenses by the top of December.
Whereas the proposal has the endorsement of a number of key figures—together with Borough President Richards, Assemblywoman Larinda Hooks, and Councilman Francisco Moya—the Senate’s resolution stays unsure. Whether or not lawmakers will override Ramos’ opposition or adhere to legislative custom stays to be seen, however the destiny of Cohen’s on line casino mission hangs within the stability.
