Metropolitan Park Earns City Planning Commission Support for Queens Casino

^{Queens Borough President Donovan Richards is a strong supporter of a casino license for the area adjacent to the New York Mets’ Citi Field. (Image: Ron Adar / Zuma Press Wire)}

The New York City Planning Commission overwhelmingly voted Wednesday to modify zoning regulations in order to allow New York Mets owner Steve Cohen to develop the Metropolitan Park casino complex in the parking lots adjacent to Citi Field.

The Commission voted 9-1 in favor of the changes, with one member abstaining. 

Community Boards, Borough President Support Metropolitan Park

The decision, which is a binding vote as a part of New York City’s Uniform Land Use Review Procedure (ULURP), follows similar support which has come from local community groups and Queens Borough President Donovan Richards – a stark contrast to the opposition seen locally to some other contenders for the three downstate casino licenses available in New York.

In November, five Queens community boards that were asked to review the $8 billion Metropolitan Park development – being developed by Cohen and Hard Rock Entertainment – all signed off on the plan, with only one more adjacent community board still waiting to vote on the proposal. However, those votes – as well as the approval from Richards – were only advisory, while the City Planning Commission vote was a necessary hurdle to overcome before the zoning changes could go before the City Council.

“This vote reflects the overwhelming community support and input Steve Cohen and Hard Rock have collected over the past three years,” Metropolitan Park spokesperson Karl Rickett said in a statement. “We look forward to presenting our community-first vision to Council Member Moya and the City Council.”

The proposal includes not only a casino, but also a 25-acre public park, as well as many shops and restaurants. The developers have also promised to renovate the Mets-Willets Point subway station, and additionally to improve local roads and bike paths. 

Parkland Alienation Bill Remains as Casino Roadblock

Commission Chair Dan Garonick noted that the commission’s vote was not a vote on the casino itself, or a measure of support for the proposal, but simply a land use action. For Metropolitan Park to become a reality, it would need to secure one of three downstate casino licenses that the New York State Gaming Facility Location Board will decide upon in late 2025. 

Aside from the fierce competition – there are nearly a dozen projects that are seriously pursuing casino licenses in New York City, Long Island, and Westchester – there’s at least one other major hurdle standing in the way of Metropolitan Park.

The lands that Cohen plans to build on are designated as parkland, which means that the project would require a parkland alienation bill from the New York State legislature. Such legislation virtually always comes from the legislators that represent the district where the alienation is set to take place. And while Cohen has secured the support of State Assemblyman Jeff Aubry (D-Corona), he faces trouble in the New York Senate, as State Sen. Jessica Ramos (D-Queens) has officially come out against the plan.