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By: Ilana Siyance
Billionaire Mets Owner, Steve Cohen, is working to garner support for his bid to build a casino at Willets Point adjacent Citi Field.
As reported by the NY Post, on Monday hundreds of civic leaders, small business owners and residents rallied in Queens to support the $8 billion “Metropolitan Park” plan.
The 66-year-old founder of Point72 Asset Management has been eager to submit a casino bid, having teamed up with gaming giant Hard Rock International. Cohen owns the land and would like to turn the vacant lot at Willets Point into a year-round, all-weather entertainment haven. Cohen’s $8 billion casino plan, however, needs to be approved for land-use changes, allowing commercial development there, before it can be considered. Before he can even submit his bid, he needs state Senators and Gov. Kathy Hochul to move legislation in Albany to re-designate the parking lots and other property around the Mets ballpark from parkland to commercial use.
For over a year now, he has been working to woo support for the project. Queens officials including Councilman Francisco Moya and Assemblyman Jeffry Aubry, who represents the neighborhoods around Citi Field, have pledged their support, as well as Queens Borough President Donovan Richards. There are now only a few weeks left in the 2024 legislative session, however, and state Sen. Jessica Ramos, who also represents the area, is still resistant to support the project. “Why would you want to lose $8 billion inside your backyard? It’s ridiculous,” one Queens political insider told the Post, requesting anonymity.
Ramos commented in a text statement saying, “Steve Cohen is doing his job trying to win support for his casino bid, and I’m doing mine in Albany representing my constituents.”
Per the Post, Monday’s rally supporting the Queens casino was organized by the Coalition for Queens Advancement, and was held in Diversity Park in Jackson Heights near Ramos’ district office. Supporters at the rally included parishioners of First Baptist Church of Corona, who said the project would generate job opportunities and provide entertainment for local Queens residents. Cohen has said the project would generate some 15,000 permanent and construction jobs in the coming years.
The plans for “Metropolitan Park”, unveiled last November, include a sprawling gaming center, hotel, and music venue near the Mets ball park. The proposed entertainment complex, which will be operated with Cohen by Hard Rock International, has promised community perks such as 20 acres of green space and access to Flushing Bay. The green space includes new park space and 5 acres of community athletic fields, bike paths, playgrounds, and climate-ready infrastructure including solar, green roofs, and flood mitigation. “It’s time the world’s greatest city got the sports and entertainment park it deserves,” said Cohen. “When I bought this team, fans and the community kept saying we needed to do better. Metropolitan Park delivers on the promise of a shared space that people will not only want to come to and enjoy but can be truly proud of.” Cohen also has plans to build a soccer stadium for New York City FC on the Willets Point property.
The Willets Point Casino bid faces stiff competition, including other bids from Related Companies and Wynn Resorts for a casino in Hudson Yards, Bally’s at Ferry Point in The Bronx, Silverstein Properties in Hell’s Kitchen, Thor Equity on the Coney Island boardwalk and the Sands casino at the Nassau Coliseum hub in Uniondale.
