New York Mets owner Steve Cohen looks on before the start of a baseball game between the New York Mets and the Cincinnati Reds, Sunday, Sept. 17, 2023, in New York. Photo: Mary Altaffer
Mets owner Steve Cohen hopes to construct a casino adjacent to Citi Field as a way to attract people to the area near the ballpark.
Cohen, who bought the Mets before the 2021 season, wants to create attractions near the stadium in Queens in the manner of other teams.
“There’s nothing going on. The only thing you can do at Citi Field is get your hubcap changed or maybe get back a catalytic converter,” he said Wednesday during the closing session of Sportico’s Invest in Sports conference. “The way I would describe it is 50 acres of cement.”
New York State this year authorized three casino licenses for New York City, Long Island and Westchester, and many groups have discussed proposals.
In addition, New York City Mayor Eric Adams announced plans last November to build a stadium adjacent to Citi Field for Major League Soccer’s New York City team, owned by the parent company of England’s Manchester City.
“The fans want something to do before the game, after the game,” Cohen said.
Cohen also is thinking about changes inside Citi Field.
“We’ve done some investing in ballparks and trying to create a fan experience people are excited about. I have tons of ideas I want to implement,” he said. “You can’t spend an unlimited amount of money, so you’ve got to budget. And also, dealing with the underinvestment that I had to deal with coming in. I call it the money pit.”
Cohen bought the team from the Wilpon and Katz families in a deal valued at $2.4 billion.
“I felt like this was like an unpolished gem and if I could turn this sucker around, it would be really cool,” he said.
Approached by reporters after his session, Cohen refused to discuss Billy Eppler’s surprise resignation as general manager last week.
New York finished fourth in the NL East at…
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