Committee hears Queens’ thoughts on Cohen’s casino
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The Community Advisory Committee for Steve Cohen’s casino plan dubbed Metropolitan Park heard heated testimony at Queens Borough Hall on Tuesday.Rendering via Metropolitan Park
By Ryan Schwach
The committee tasked with making a recommendation on the fate of Steve Cohen’s Metropolitan Park casino plan to the state’s Gaming Commission held its first public hearing on Tuesday, as the downstate casino bidding process reaches the home stretch.
The Community Advisory Committee for Metropolitan Park, the massive $8 billion plan to build a casino and entertainment complex adjacent to Citi Field, heard heated testimony from both sides of the debate at Queens Borough Hall on Tuesday night. Despite the passion behind the testimony given by both those in support and in opposition, many of the arguments heard on Tuesday had long been made in the public debate over the plan.
Nonetheless, the hearing marked a major step in the casino bidding process – the recommendation of the CAC could either make or break the project.
The committee, made up of Queens Assemblymember Larinda Hooks, the chairperson of the committee, Queens Borough President Donovan Richards, Councilmember Francisco Moya and representatives appointed by State Senator Jessica Ramos, Mayor Eric Adams and Governor Kathy Hochul, will issue a recommendation to the state by Sept. 30.
The state Gaming Commission will then review the recommendations made by each of the CACs created for the eight developers bidding for a license, and make a determination by the end of the year.
Tuesday’s passionate – and, at times, raucous – hearing at the atrium at Borough Hall was what has come to be expected at hearings and meetings about Metropolitan Park.
Going back nearly three years, locals have been attending meetings to testify and weigh in on Cohen’s plan.
The majority of those who showed up to testify on Tuesday spoke in support of the Metropolitan Park, and said they believe in the promise of jobs and community benefits made by Cohen and his partner, Hard Rock.
If he’s granted the license, the Mets owner has promised to pour $1 billion into the area in community benefits, including improvements to the local 7 train station that would bring Metropolitan Park-goers to and from the complex.
The opposition to the project, mostly made up of young people and environmentalists from Corona and Flushing, say they don’t want the casino and don’t trust that Cohen will follow through on his promises to locals. They also believe the casino will fuel local gambling addiction and price locals out of the neighborhood altogether.
Of the 79 speakers who testified at the Tuesday hearing, 53 spoke in support of the project.
“Last night’s overwhelming community support reflects Metropolitan Park’s years of community engagement and input,” said Karl Rickett, a spokesperson for Metropolitan Park. “Union leaders, local businesses, and community leaders have made it clear: they want Metropolitan Park."
Those community leaders, small business owners and union members made their positive feelings on the project known on Tuesday.
“If we're not making the investments in our infrastructure that this park plan is going to do, we are going to miss an opportunity,” said former City Councilmember Costa Constantinides, who has been touting the project across the borough for several years.
Many of those in favor of the project are not just excited about the amenities, but also the hope that the complex brings more tourists and economic development to the area.
“We're second only to Manhattan in our share of the city's tourism economy, and approximately 12 percent of our workforce is employed directly or indirectly in tourism,” said Ben Gutman, the executive director of The Queens Economic Development Corporation. “The Metropolitan Park proposal will further accelerate both of these trends, which are vital to ensuring Queens economic future.”
But while the casino will no doubt generate billions of dollars in revenue, opponents say not enough of that money will make its way back to its neighbors.
“We've been told that this casino will come with community benefits, but we know through experience that developer-promised benefits are a myth,” said Annie Lowe, an attorney with the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund.
Lowe, and others against the project worry that the community benefits tied to the project are unenforceable, and that Cohen doesn’t have to follow through.
“No community benefits agreement could offset the harm of this luxury complex, which will compound the rampant speculation that is already displacing communities of color in Queens,” said Lowe. “How will an unenforceable letter of intent for a vague housing project, a gentrifier food hall and measly donations to local organizations help the small businesses that are forced to shutter and the families forced to move out?”
At times on Tuesday, the fight over the casino became a fight between Queens residents. One community member said that he saw “millionaires who stand to make billions” and “the rest of us here begging.”
Some took offense to the comments.
“Our community wants this project, and we will not be denied by folks who view us as beggars,” said local Larry Gallegos. “Y'all can keep coming and making noise, because we aren't going anywhere. We want Metropolitan Park, and we will continue to fight like hell for it.”
Metropolitan Park is one of eight proposals vying for one of three casino licenses from the state.
Among their competitors is Resorts World New York City, the racino in South Queens hoping to expand their operation into a full-blown casino. Resorts World’s efforts haven’t seen the same type of organized pushback seen with Metropolitan Park.
In addition to the casino, the Metropolitan Park proposal includes plans to build a hotel, several parking garages, a convention center, a live music venue and a food hall. It also would include 25 acres of open space interspersed within the complex.
According to Cohen, the project would create around 23,000 union jobs – around 16,300 would be temporary, construction jobs, while the remaining 6,700 would be permanent jobs.
In their application to the Gaming Commission submitted in July, Metropolitan Park’s developers said that they expect to bring in $3.9 billion annually after the complex’s third year of operation.
The complex likely would not be completed until 2030.
The committee is scheduled to hold another hearing at the same location on Sept. 16, just two weeks before they are required to give their recommendation.
