Coney Island Casino Developers Believe Resort Would Revitalize Brooklyn Seaside Community
Posted on: July 23, 2023, 12:40h.
Last updated on: July 24, 2023, 01:31h.
The team behind a $3 billion proposed casino resort for Coney Island believes their bid best satisfies the New York Gaming Location Board’s qualifying criteria that mandates applicants demonstrate how their projects would provide an economic jumpstart in the community where it’s built.
Paul Pippin, chief operating officer of Global Gaming Solutions, the gaming subsidiary of the Chickasaw Nation in Oklahoma, which owns and operates the world’s largest casino — the WinStar World Casino Hotel — and Sam Gerrity, CEO of Saratoga Casino Holdings, recently sat down with Casino.org to discuss their Coney Island bid. The Chickasaw Nation and Saratoga Casino Holdings are part of a consortium with New York real estate giant Thor Equities that additionally includes Legends Hospitality.
The group wants to build a casino in the Brooklyn seaside community. But early feedback suggests some in the neighborhood don’t want to bet on gambling to help turn around the region’s economy. A recent public engagement report detailed opinions from more than 200 area residents. Some voiced fears about a casino possibly bringing increased crime, drug use, addiction, and higher rents along with its slot machines and table games. Pippen and Gerrity say they hear the community’s concerns.
We look at this as part of the process,” said Pippin. “The community feedback is super important to us. We appreciate the comments and utilize the feedback to make our application stronger.”
“Community engagement and an open dialogue continue to be paramount for us,” added Gerrity.
Greatest Economic Opportunity
New York has three full-scale commercial casino licenses to issue for the downstate region. But two of those concessions are expected to go to MGM Resorts’ Empire City Casino in Yonkers and Genting’s Resorts World New York City in Queens. Both of those properties are currently “racinos” that offer electronic video lottery gaming machines — not Las Vegas-style slots and live dealer table games.
The Coney Island pitch is one of a dozen or so expected bids for what’s presumed to be a single license. That’s though there’s nothing set in stone that requires state officials to give two of the licenses to MGM and Genting. The Coney pitch comes from entities that might not have the same global name recognition as, say, Las Vegas Sands, Hard Rock, or Wynn Resorts. But the backers of the project believe they have an upper hand in knowing the New York market, and because they’re targeting a neighborhood that’s in desperate need of economic revival.
We’ve been in the state of New York for almost 20 years,” explained Gerrity. “Our strength is in our relationships that we’ve cultivated over that time.”
New York lawmakers approved up to seven commercial casinos in 2013, but mandated a 10-year moratorium on the three downstate properties to allow the four upstate venues to open without competition. The gaming bill requires that the New York Gaming Location Facility Board emphasize bids that help revitalize the neighborhoods where they’re built.
The board’s grading weights are “economic activity and business development” at 70%, and “local impact siting,” “workforce enhancement,” and “diversity framework” each at 10%.
Gerrity and Pippin say it’s hard to argue that their project doesn’t best meet that criteria. The goal, the developers said, is to restore Coney Island to its glory years, but with a project that isn’t seasonal, but year-round.
Coney Island just made sense for us. It’s one of the most iconic, historic neighborhood getaways in New York City,” said Pippin. “You look at all those old photographs of people on the beach and coming from all over. We can’t think of a site more important to drive year-round economic activity to that whole area and bring that back.”
Pippin explained that Coney Island remains seasonal, but a casino resort would make it a year-round destination.
“It’s so seasonal currently. What we could do to turn that around, we think makes the biggest impact of any site in the application process,” Pippin declared.
“We believe this entertainment district that we’re proposing is the missing piece for Coney Island,” Gerrity added, along with noting that the project would create thousands of “good-paying careers.”
PSA Undertaking
As for the early community feedback, which includes Community Board 13 Chair Lucy Mujica Diaz raising concerns that some locals could lose their public housing subsidies if they were to take a good-paying job at the casino, Pippin and Gerrity say they will continue to get out their message that the resort would be a community partner. That could include partnering with area businesses such as restaurants and other small businesses.
We’re continuing to go out to the community to understand their needs to generate community support,” Pippin explained. “Community support is the most important aspect in this whole process.”
“There’s no other site that has the economic development opportunity that we have,” he added. “And that’s supposed to be the biggest driver in the RFA.
Pressed to set odds on winning a New York casino license, Pippin said the group is “humbly confident.”
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Last Comments ( 7 )
People complain because we lack and complain when a Great opportunity like "The Coney" arises! Bring it on! Worrying about things that already exists here is no excuse not to bring it! You accept these big buildings, a rehab, a shelter and entities that don't give back? Because property taxes go up? Let's keep it 100 CI may be the way it is but it is prime real estate. Many more than you think are for it..they just don't make it known because of the backlash from people that think they own, run or speak for the neighborhood...truth be told! I say and many, many others say BRING IT ON! IT JUST MAKES SENSE! I'm curious to see how many of the naysayers are going to be the first ones to go to "THE CONEY" to gamble or be the first to enjoy the perks especially the free ones!
The ones who will also end up being affected are the elderly. Property Taxes will rise and those on fixed income will be run out of their homes!!! The businesses will be affected because the Casinos will ensure that their clients won’t have a reason to leave their establishment!!! Again. Mom and Pop businesses will be run out!!!
Why don't they set up somewhere else. I see disaster and of course if u work u will loose ur housing subsidies. So this new move might make people work or stay on their subsidy. Crazy. It will happen. I wish they'd leave Coney Island alone and get some money to clean it up and out. It's a mess. U can't fight city hall or developers.... Always wanting to make more $ at other people's expense. Their will be more welfare cases and filth and shady things going on. Ppl will loose all their money gambling and will find other ways to get that $ to gamble. I will never call it "The Coney". It will always be Coney island to me. Changes will come and one day we might not have Coney Island bc of these millionaires wanting to become trillionaires w/o considering the drawbacks of this operation.
So let’s discuss drugs, prostitution, muggings.robberies. Should I go on? I would probably say they would never hire anyone who lives in Coney Island. Not even to build any of this.
Jeff is correct. Pat you live in Brighton if you think it’s not going to affect you. You are not thinking straight. Everything Jeff mentioned is clear as day. All I hear is jobs. They own property here for years. Who have they hired? No one!!! Now they care. They care about making millions. At our expense. If people want to work they work anywhere. You don’t wait until it’s at your door.
I totally disagree with Pat Singer’s comment. Our community has many issues, homelessness, Environmental issues, gun violence and crime, parking issues, Illegal vendors, and on and on. Having a casino in CB13 will only exacerbate these and other problems. The only people that will benefit from the casino are the sponsors. They don’t live here and have to contend with our Quality of Life issues.
I believe in this project. It will bring in needed support for the community especially jobs. It's a large investment and it is a gamble, but it's potential for good is great. I just makes sense.!