Queens Casino Plan Boosted by New York Assembly Vote

• New York State Assembly votes to allow casino near Citi Field
• Gaming venue is part of $8 billion Metropolitan Park project pitched by Steve Cohen and Hard Rock International

New York Mets owner Steve Cohen’s effort to bring a casino hotel to the area near Citi Field received another boost Tuesday when the New York State Assembly voted in favor of the proposal.

By a vote of 138-7, the legislative body signed off on a bill proposed by Assemblywoman Larinda Hooks (D-Queens) “to discontinue the use as parkland and alienate certain land within Flushing Meadows Corona Park.”

The parkland status of the area on which Cohen and Hard Rock International want to build Metropolitan Park has long been one of the biggest question marks facing the $8 billion project.

Last month, the Mets owner and Hard Rock announced they’re partnering with Slate Property Group, LLC to bring 450 new residential units to an area a couple of miles away from the proposed site of Metropolitan Park. The addition of affordable housing to the proposal could be viewed in a favorable light by New York gaming regulators and politicians.

Hooks Consistent in Support of Metropolitan Park

Unlike some Queens politicians, Hooks has been consistent in her support of Metropolitan Park.

This is our moment. We have a chance to take a stagnant, underutilized space and transform it into something extraordinary,” she wrote in a March op-ed for City & State New York. “Metropolitan Park is a game-changer, a vision that honors Queens’ past while boldly stepping into its future.”

One interesting footnote about her piece is that the words “casino” and “gaming” aren’t found in it, but she is bullish on making use of underutilized land and the job creation potential of Metropolitan Park.

“Picture a new hub for arts, culture and sports, bringing year-round activity to an area that too often sits idle outside of baseball season,” the lawmaker added in the op-ed. “Think about the thousands of union jobs this project will create — good-paying, career-building jobs that keep Queens strong.”

For Metropolitan Park, Drama Could Await

With the Willets Point parkland designation bill now clear of the state assembly, it heads off to the New York State Senate and that’s where the real “fun” could start from a legislative perspective.

In late March, State Sen. John Liu (D-Bayside) introduced a bill that is essentially the senate companion to the Hooks legislation, which is where things get interesting.

Ramos, who is a mayoral candidate, hasn’t discussed the extent to which she’ll attempt to fight the Liu bill, but she recently acknowledged it could pass despite her objections.