A Queens casino project moved one step closer to being realized on Wednesday, as the City Council voted 41-2 in favor of modifying zoning regulations for the Metropolitan Park development. The proposal would convert a 50-acre parking lot (legally designated as parkland) next to Citi Field, which would instead become home to a sprawling casino and hotel complex, including restaurants and shops, a live music venue, and 25 acres of public park space, five of which are devoted to a playground and athletic fields. The project also proposes redeveloping the Mets-Willets Point subway station, as well as changes to public streets and bike paths (“demapping,” in city planning parlance) to accommodate the new structures and their activities.
The $8 billion Metropolitan Park project is helmed by Hard Rock Entertainment and hedge fund magnate Steve Cohen, who have mounted an extensive political influence campaign to secure the various approvals required for the site, spending $1.3 million across 14 firms in 2024 through an LLC, Queens Future. According to a recently-published report by the Office of the City Clerk, that means Queens Future was the top lobbyist client in the city last year, both by money spent and firms retained. Cohen also owns the Mets baseball team, which plays at Citi Field stadium, which sits right next to the proposed site for Metropolitan Park.
The City Council vote was the last hurdle in city government for the project, after it had already been approved in similarly one-sided votes by the five community boards covering the area. Councilman Francisco Moya, whose district includes the area sought for Metropolitan Park, has been a strong proponent of the project. “I’m proud to support this transformative project and help make it a reality for our district, for Queens, and for the entire city,” he said in a statement. Moya also lauded the project’s promise of “100% union jobs,” which a spokesman for the Metropolitan Park projected could be as many as 23,000 between construction and running the complex.
The project is still opposed by the local state senator, Jessica Ramos, whose approval is needed to designate the area for commercial development, although representatives from Metropolitan Park claim they can get around this through a legal process known as “alienation.” Community members speaking at public hearings have also expressed concerns about the environmental impact and gambling addiction.
Metropolitan Park is one of eleven projects competing for three downstate casino licenses that the state’s gaming commission is set to approve by December 1st, with applications due by June 27.
