Western Queens casino plans approved by community boards

The $8bn proposal is being orchestrated by New York Mets owner, Steve Cohen.

Plans to introduce an $8bn casino entertainment complex to Western Queens, brought to the area’s community boards by Mets owner Steve Cohen, have been approved unanimously.  

Details of the proposal were originally revealed by Cohen and Hard Rock back in November 2023, soon after Cohen had attempted to acquire an NYC casino license earlier in the year. 

The would-be casino and entertainment complex is set to be entitled Metropolitan Park and located in the Citi Field (Mets Stadium) parking lot – a plot of land spanning 50-acres which is currently a designated parkland. Cohen has partnered with Hard Rock for the proposed development of this project, which is currently heading to the Queens borough president’s desk for its next review process. 

Approval from the borough is reportedly likely, although a handful of additional and increasingly vital approvals, including state legislature to pass a parkland alienation bill, will be required before the project can get off the ground. However, in May, Senator Ramos confirmed her intentions to disapprove this bill.

Good to know: New York State reported the highest-ever monthly state sports wagering handle for October 2024, taking $2.3bn in bets during the month 

Cohen’s proposal also hangs approval from the city to upzone the current parking lot allocation to a new zoning destination to make space for the casino complex – a process which will involve further approval to de-map multiple streets in the neighbourhood. 

Additionally, the acquisition of a New York State Gaming Commission (NYSGC) license will, of course, be a vital requirement for the complex, which is designed to include a hotel, live music venue, food hall, community facility and local infrastructural improvements.

Currently, the NYSGC is running almost a year behind schedule with the license granting process for its three new downstate casinos and is set to hand out the licenses at the end of 2025. 

Will Underwood

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