In the clearest remarks yet nearly the opening Citi Field-area evolution potentially including a casino-hotel, New York Mets proprietor Steve Cohen said gaming could be on the table.
The put off fund billionaire hosted a “visioning session” Sabbatum at the home sports stadium of his team. The case was intentional for those living and working inward Queens to puddle their voices heard about plans to heighten 50 currently undeveloped acres close the ballpark.
There’s been sizable speculation virtually Cohen’s plans for the Willets Point area, which has a story of being tough to develop, and plenitude of rumors centered on the billionaire’s efforts to piss a cassino part of any proposal.
We’re taking input from everybody and looking for for great ideas. And you know, gaming could live a component of it,” Cohen said inwards an question with Bloomberg. “Right now, we’re inwards the hearing phase.”
When New Green Willets LLC proclaimed the visioning session last-place month, terms such as “casino” and “gaming” weren’t used to draw options for the area, but “entertainment” was included in a statement.
Long Way to Go for Queens Casino
Last year, conjecture surfaced that Cohen was holding talks with Las Vegas Sands most the possibility of developing an structured resort inward Queens close Citi Field. Later, rumors surfaced that his preferred partner is Hard Rock International — the gaming arm of Florida’s Seminole Tribe.
Recently, it’s turn evident that Sands is focusing on sites inward Nassau County and there’s conjecture that Hard Rock is Cohen’s preferred partner. Still, it’s likely to be some time before there’s lucidness on whether or non another gaming venue is coming to Queens.
Earlier this week, New House of York opened the asking for applications (RFA) cognitive operation inwards which contenders testament entreat for tercet downstate gambling casino licenses, but it’s widely believed ii of those permits are reserved for MGM Resorts’ Empire City inward Yonkers and Resorts World New House of York City (RWNY) inward Queens.
In essence, that leaves 1 permission for the likes of Caesars, Hard Rock, Sands and Wynn Resorts to potentially procure. For now, Cohen is the lone political party pushing Queens as a destination for a young gaming venue piece Caesars and Wynn are sounding at Manhattan and Sands is interested inward Nassau County.
Queens Casino Won’t Be Easy Sell
As is the slip with some other parts of downstate New York, there’s opponent to an integrated resort inwards Queens, indicating that if Cohen wants to gain his plan, he needs to build reenforcement among politicians and, more importantly, residents and biotic community groups.
The Mets proprietor is looking to grow parks and undecided putting green spaces for public use, as wellspring as improved conveyance options. That’s while enhancing connectivity to the local waterfront with improve walking and cycling availability. There’s also the opening of tangible, positive economic impact.
Still, attendees at the visual sensation session said they’d favour to ascertain the acres close Citi Field turned into areas for concerts, biotic community use, light-green infinite and parks to a greater extent than they require a unexampled casino.