After months of intense negotiation and public pushback, New York State Senator Jessica Ramos went public by saying she is nearing a decision about whether or not to endorse a new casino and resort at Citi Field’s complex in Queens. Citi Field is home to the New York Mets. Steve Cohen owns the Mets.
This past Wednesday was the third and most pivotal of the new Queens Casino project, otherwise billed as the Metropolitan Park measure. Cohen officially bid and pitched to the City Council about the benefits the estimated $8 billion Queens Casino complex could bring. If approved, the casino would be constructed on the designated parkland owned by New York City.
Hearing the formal pitch is one thing, but making the Queens Casino a reality is a different matter. If State Senator Ramos goes forward, she would have to put forth a bill before the state legislature in Albany. The main hurdle would be undoing the restrictions on the designated city-owned land.
If that is successful, Steve Cohen must procure one of three upcoming casino gaming licenses controlled by New York’s Gaming Commission. These New York gaming licenses are expected to receive bids in the next year and a half. New York’s gaming licenses are among the most expensive in the nation, ranging between $20 to $50 million.
The push to build a new Queens Casino isn’t the first attempt. Last year, New York Assemblyman Jeff Aubry authored a similar measure, but it ultimately fell flat. If Ramos gives the green light, she and Aubry will have to work with haste because any legislation approved this year must be entered into the dockets before the legislature commences in June.
The Metropolitan Park project is being marketed as a job creator, which is estimating roughly more than 10,000 construction jobs alone. Furthermore, New York’s labor unions continue getting full-throat support behind the Queens Casino.
It is reported that the Queens Casino would occupy 20 acres and include a new hotel resort with a…
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