Cohen’s casino receives crucial vote
Cohen’s casino vote ended 6-0 in favor of letting the project go for a final review before potentially receiving an operator’s license.
“While the Mets didn’t make the playoffs, I consider this a home run,” said Queens Borough President Donovan Richards, who was part of the casino’s CAC.
The project, known as Metropolitan Park, includes plans to redevelop 50 acres of parking lot space near the Mets’ home stadium, Citi Field. The $8 billion project would create 23,000 union jobs and 25 new acres of public park space, a concert hall, a hotel, and more amenities.
The casino bid had long been opposed by local Senator Jessica Ramos, who represents parts of Queens. She raised concerns over the social and economic impacts that a casino would have on nearby working-class communities and did not show support for the project during previous meetings regarding zoning approval and parkland alienation.
However, even Ramos’ appointee, George Dixon, ended up voting “aye” for the casino.
“The Community Advisory Committee's unanimous approval underscores the deep and broad community support behind Metropolitan Park,” a spokesperson for the project, Karl Rickett, said. “We are grateful for the opportunity to move forward in this process and be one step closer to making Metropolitan Park's community-first vision a reality.”
Where is the New York casino race?
The years-long casino bidding process is now at the final stage. The Gaming Facility Location Board will choose three projects before the end of the year, greenlighting them to begin their development and eventually open the doors to their new casinos.
Eight projects were eligible to receive votes from their CACs. Along with the four that were approved, there were:
- Caesars - Times Square
- Mohegan - Freedom Plaza
- Saratoga Casino Holdings LLC - Coney Island
- Rush Street Gaming - Hudson Yards
Cohen and his gaming partner, Hard Rock, are expected to receive one of three licenses once the decisions are reached.
MGM Empire City and Resorts World NYC have long been considered favorites for licenses due to their existing downstate racinos, which gave them a history of operating and connecting with their communities.
Cohen’s Queens project has been viewed as third in line and ahead of Bally’s, which barely made it this far in the process. New York City Mayor Eric Adams vetoed a previous decision to block the casino from progressing, and Bally’s Chair Soo Kim claimed that his company’s project had been unfairly denied progress due to its ties to President Donald Trump.
An analysis by Spectrum Gaming Group found that a Queens casino could generate $1.9 billion in annual revenue.
