Cohen, Hard Rock Unveil Renderings for Queens Casino

Steve Cohen and Hard Rock International recently unveiled renderings of the proposed “Metropolitan Park” project, which includes plans for a casino hotel near Citi Field in Queens, NY.

The release of the sketches for Metropolitan Park arrived about five months after the plan suffered a serious blow when State Sen. Jessica Ramos (D-Queens) said she wouldn’t endorse legislation to alter the parkland status of Willets Point, a necessary step in the effort to convert the “asphalt jungle” near the New York Mets stadium into a gaming venue.

“For the past three years, New York Mets owner Steve Cohen and his partners have been listening to their neighbors. After 16 community workshops, and meeting with thousands of local residents, the two most frequently mentioned community needs are jobs and green space. It’s time 50 acres of asphalt at Citi Field turn green,” according to Hard Rock.

The Cohen/Hard Rock plan calls for 25 acres of parkland for public use, including five acres of athletic fields, dining options, a live music venue, enhanced cycle access and roads as well as a $163 million community impact fund. The casino resort operated by Hard Rock would be the focal point of Metropolitan Park.

Big Promises Accompany Queens Casino Plan

For decades, Willets Point has been no more than a parking lot, and multiple efforts to develop the land have failed, but that’s not preventing Cohen from offering up some bold proposals.

“The 25-acre park’s design, by the local team of SHoP Architects (Domino Park) and Field Ops (The High Line, Domino Park), integrates input, ideas, and feedback collected from 15 community workshops, hundreds of meetings with local leaders, and over 20,000 door-to-door conversations with our neighbors,” according to the Metropolitan Park website. “At the same time, it pays homage to Flushing Meadows-Corona Park’s iconic World’s Fair history and architecture, and the storied history of the Mets, Shea Stadium, and Citi Field.”

In addition to the pledge for green space, improved infrastructure is part of the Metropolitan Park plan. That includes renovating the Mets-Willets Point 7 train station.

As is par for the course with all of the downstate casino proposals, there’s a significant jobs pledge accompanying Metropolitan Park, with the project’s backers promising 23K permanent and temporary roles.

Queens Casino Politics

The aforementioned decision by Ramos to not support parkland alteration legislation is a headwind to the Queens casino effort, but not necessarily a death knell.

State Rep. Jeff Aubry (D-Queens) introduced a related bill in the New York Assembly last year, but companion legislation is needed to advance the bill.