Cohen-Backed Casino Receives Great News, Advances to State Level
Steve Cohen’s $1.75B Queens casino bid at Citi Field has cleared a key hurdle, winning unanimous local approval as it heads to the state level.
With the Major League Baseball season winding down, New York Mets owner Steve Cohen has received some positive news unrelated to the sport: his Metropolitan Park proposal, a casino to be built in the parking lot of the Mets’ home stadium, Citi Field, was approved unanimously in Queens.
Next, it moves to the state level.
Before heading to the state for approval, the proposal was voted on in Queens.
While the Mets may not make the playoffs, I think we could consider this a home run for Queens. Projects like this are proof that there is no ceiling for the world’s borough. We are the heartbeat of the city now. Not Manhattan, not Brooklyn, not any other borough.
The casino has faced some pushback, though. Some are worried about crime, and others are more concerned about the need for more housing as the area and city have become quite congested.
Cohen’s proposal received a unanimous six votes, with Queens borough president Donovan Richards Jr. among those in favor. It marks the fourth of eight casino bids to advance, alongside Resorts World (Queens), MGM Empire City (Yonkers), and Bally’s (Bronx).
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What to Expect from the Casino and Cohen
To make this casino possible, Cohen has partnered with Hard Rock. Together, they’ve pledged $1.75 billion to pay for local improvements and 25 acres of additional space.
In April, Cohen also announced that 450 units of income-restricted and subsidized housing would be coming to Corona, a neighborhood in Queens.
Should the casino be approved at the state level, attendees will find a luxury hotel, convention center, restaurants, entertainment areas, a 300,000-square-foot gaming floor, and over 5,300 games. This will also create about 20,000 union jobs.
“The Community Advisory Committee’s unanimous approval underscores the deep and broad community support behind Metropolitan Park”, said Karl Rickett, a spokesperson for the project.
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