The proposal for Metropolitan Park, New York Mets owner Steve Cohen’s $8 billion (£6.36 billion/€7.62 billion) plan to transform 50 acres of the current parking lot at the Mets’ Citi Field ballpark into a casino, hotel and entertainment complex surrounded by green space, has gained the approval of all five Queens borough community boards charged with reviewing the proposal.
Cohen has partnered with Hard Rock International on the proposal. They are seeking one of three downstate casino licences, with a Hard Rock casino as a centrepiece of the new development.
Under New York’s casino approval process, five community boards were required to vote on the process. This is because the project falls within the boundaries of the designated communities that are part of the current Flushing Meadows Corona Park, part of the land designated for Metropolitan Park.
Michael Sullivan, Cohen’s chief of staff, made presentations before each community board. Prominent residents, including former councilmembers, also spoke at board meetings in favour of Metropolitan Park. Guardians of Flushing Bay, an environmental nonprofit, spoke in opposition of the project at several board meetings.
All five community boards have now voted overwhelmingly to support the project, per the Queens Daily Eagle.
Long road ahead for Metropolitan Park
While the approvals are a positive development for Cohen’s plan, Metropolitan Park still has a long way to go. The proposal needs approval from Queens borough president Donovan Richards, who has publicly supported the project. It also needs approval From New York’s city planning commission and city council. Next year, a Queens local community advisory committee will need to approve it.
Perhaps the most daunting challenge is passage of a parkland alienation bill to build on an area that is still designated as parkland. State senator Jessica Ramos, whose district includes Citi Field, has refused to introduce a bill. Cohen has thus far failed to get the bill introduced by another lawmaker. Passage of a bill to use current parkland for a commercial project is a state requirement.
Finally, the proposal must be approved over 10 other projects vying for the three available licences. The state’s gaming facility location board is expected to make its decision on the licences by the end of 2025.
The project would include a Hard Rock casino, a hotel and a music venue, plus 25 acres of green space, athletic fields, bike paths and access to Flushing Bay. The project also would include a “Taste of Queens Food Hall”, a concert venue and improvement of nearby transit facilities.
Cohen has said he will offer a community benefits package with the project, with support for responsible gaming and improvement of youth and senior services, including $10 million for a health clinic in East Elmhurst, $10 million for a youth and senior centre in Corona and $5 million for addiction and mental health services in Flushing. In all, the Mets owner has pledged $1 billion in community support should the project be approved.
