Opinion: Steve Cohen is putting community first

The parking lot at Citi Field. Eagle file photo by Jacob Kaye

By John Park

For almost 40 years, I have been commuting to my store in Jackson Heights, either on the 7 train or driving on the Grand Central Parkway. When I pass Citi Field and see nothing but 50 acres of asphalt parking lot, I often think, “What a waste.” Which is why I was so happy to learn that Mets owner Steve Cohen was seeking input from the community about how we can build something great in the area.

Over the past several months, I‘ve been blown away by the level of genuine community engagement that Steve Cohen and his team have done. I was invited to a meeting with other community leaders at Citi Field last year, and then I attended one of the several community visioning sessions that Cohen and his team hosted earlier this year. Throughout my years on Community Board 7, I’ve seen countless plans from developers, who come in and try to impose their demands on us without any community input, expecting us to just be a rubber stamp. This is the first time I’ve seen the community truly have a seat at the table this early on.

Throughout these conversations and visioning sessions there has been a focus on hearing the input, desires and concerns of each and every local community. This level of engagement has set a new standard for inclusiveness with presentations in multiple languages and a focus on understanding every community and unique needs and priorities. And when I spoke with Cohen and his team, we agreed that a community advisory council should continue providing input even after the project is built.

Specifically, I have been heartened that Cohen and his team have sought to make the Asian American community part of the process from the very beginning, and to address concerns some have voiced with building a casino so close to Flushing.

As a Korean-American and resident of Flushing, I understand the devastating impact gambling addiction can have on our community, whether it be the buses to out of state casinos or illegal gambling dens in the area.

No matter what, three new casinos are coming to New York City. And with sports betting apps always just a click away, it is clear that we need to find ways to address gambling addiction in not just our community but across the board. Cohen and his team have directly engaged with us, and made it clear that they want to be our partners in finding solutions, which is more than can be said for any of the other proposed projects.

The vision being laid out for the area around Citi Field will also provide many other benefits for local neighborhoods like ours that we will never get to enjoy should it remain empty asphalt parking lots. This is an opportunity to bring new dedicated green space, waterfront access, more local restaurants and community space to the area. It’s also an opportunity to improve traffic flow on game days, and provide better transit options to area residents. At the community visioning session, I also recommended that the project include space for community groups and local artists, and was assured it would be part of the plan. And most of all, a hotel-casino with entertainment will bring thousands of new, good-paying jobs to the community.

I look forward to continuing to participate in the discussion and the planning process, and eventually seeing something great built in the area.

John Park is a Member of Community Board 7. He lives in Flushing and a small business owner in Jackson Heights.