Debates for New York Mets owner Steve Cohen’s proposed Metropolitan Park Casino have continued to heat up, with community members clashing with Community Advisory Committee (CAC) officials at the casino’s final hearing on Tuesday, according to Queens Daily Eagle.
Key Takeaways
- A final hearing for the Metropolitan Park Casino ended early after activists had to be removed
- The $8 billion casino project is a joint proposal between Mets owner Steve Cohen and Hard Rock International
- Critics argued that the casino would only fuel addiction and not benefit the community
Metropolitan Park is one of eight bidders vying for one of three downstate casino licenses up for grabs. The casino, which is a joint venture between Cohen and Hard Rock International, is estimated to cost up to $8 billion to build and would be located next to Citi Field Stadium.
Developers also promise that the project will create 23,000 jobs. Of that, 16,300 would be temporary construction jobs and 6,700 would be permanent.
At the final hearing, opponents to the casino project argued that their concerns had been “easily dismissed” and said that the development would harm local communities by fueling gambling addictions. They also stressed concern that Cohen would not follow through with an alleged $1 billion promised in community benefits.
Towards the end of the hearing, CAC chair and Queens Assemblymember Larinda Hooks adjourned the meeting early with 50 speakers yet to talk on the project. Before this, Hooks had kicked out one member of the community who called a proponent of the development a “sellout,” while a handful of activists were also removed for placing petitions on the stage in front of Hooks.
After the meeting ended, Hooks remained adamant that the hearing had remained fair, despite critics of the plan saying otherwise. A Metropolitan Park spokesperson also added that at least 85% of people speaking at the hearing were in favor of the casino.
The respective CAC votes are due by Sept. 30, and three casino licenses are set to be granted by Dec. 1.
Citi Field casino has “very good shot” according to Senator
Despite its final CAC hearing coming to an abrupt halt, one lawmaker has expressed that Cohen’s Metorpolitan Park Casino may have an “upper hand” compared to the seven other applicants. In an interview with CBS News, New York State Senator Brad Hoylman-Sigal said that the casino has a “very good shot” at being approved.
The Senator, who is opposed to any casino being built in New York, especially Manhattan, argued that building a casino would only fuel crime, traffic, and gambling addictions, but admitted that if any new casino should be built, it would be Citi Field.
"That said, if a community strongly embraces a casino in another borough, more power to them. I think the one at Citi Field has a very good shot after we amended a statute in Albany to allow that casino to go forward," Hoylman-Sigal said.
He also acknowledged that new casinos would help generate any lost revenue in New York, but remained adamant that the state could consider other avenues, like taxing digital revenue, instead of relying on casinos.
