Queens residents had the opportunity to voice their opinions on a significant new development as Mets owner Steve Cohen’s casino and entertainment complex proposal is making strides through the community approval process. The project, Metropolitan Park, is planned to be adjacent to Citi Field and promises to draw billions in private investment and thousands of union jobs.
Queens Borough President Donovan Richards, a supporter of the project, led a public hearing on Thursday, where locals added their input to the debate. According to Gothamist, the hearing offered a platform for advocates like Tom Grech of the Queens Chamber of Commerce to express support for what he described as a "once-in-a-generation" chance for economic development. However, skepticism remains, rooted mostly around the casino component of the plan, with State Senator Jessica Ramos vocalizing concerns about the project's purported economic benefits.
The Metropolitan Park undertaking has won favor across all but one of the five relevant Queens community boards, an essential step in New York City's Uniform Land Use Review Procedure. It represents one of 11 projects contending for approval from state officials, as detailed by Queens Daily Eagle. The support comes with a clear-eyed focus on the proposed $1 billion in community benefits and the creation of 23,000 union jobs, spokesperson Karl Rickett underscored the community boards’ unanimous decisions, framing them as a transparent show of enthusiasm for the project.
On the one hand, the new complex has the potential to significantly shift the economic landscape of Queens post-pandemic; on the other, it raises questions debated by community members about how a casino will truly impact local commerce and lifestyle. Reflected in the stark divide in community board votes, with some as decisive as 36 to 4 in favor, a sense of endorsement flows contrasting against a backdrop of continued deliberation over potential disadvantages, as highlighted in the public hearings covered by the Queens Daily Eagle.
The proposal's journey is far from over. After the local opinion tide, it will move to higher authorities, requiring a series of nods from the Queens borough president, the City Planning Commission, the City Council, and finally, the Mayor. Most critical perhaps will be the decision from the state's Gaming Commission, which is set to distribute three casino licenses for downstate New York bidders by the end of 2025. Without such licensure, the full vision of Metropolitan Park, with its myriad entertainment, civic, and infrastructural promises, would presumably falter, despite the affirmation from community consultations.
Meanwhile, Senator Ramos has maintained her stance in opposition to the casino aspect, citing numerous community engagements and polling indicating widespread disapproval. She intends not to introduce parkland alienation legislation necessary for the project's progress. Faced with this hurdle, advocates for Metropolitan Park might need to look for alternative legislative pathways to bring the vast project to fruition in Queens.
