New York: Citi Field casino bid gains momentum as senator warns against Manhattan projects

The race to secure one of New York’s three coveted downstate casino licenses is intensifying, with Mets owner Steve Cohen’s proposed $8 billion Metropolitan Park project in Queens emerging as a frontrunner. State Senator Brad Hoylman-Sigal, who is running for Manhattan borough president, said the Citi Field development has “a very good shot” of moving forward, while reiterating his opposition to any casino in Manhattan.

New York law permits three new licenses in the downstate region, and eight applicants are in the running. These include three in Manhattan, one in the Bronx, one in Coney Island, one in Yonkers, and two in Queens.

Many analysts consider MGM’s Empire City in Yonkers and Genting’s Resorts World New York City in Queens to be leading contenders, as both already operate racinos that contribute tax revenue and would require minimal upgrades to transition into full casinos.

Genting Group’s Resorts World in Queens

Still, New York State Gaming Commission Chairman Brian O’Dwyer has said the process will remain competitive, noting that the regulators could weigh compliance issues faced by both companies in other jurisdictions.

Hoylman-Sigal, who chairs the Senate Judiciary Committee, made his views clear during an appearance on CBS News New York’s “The Point with Marcia Kramer.” “If you want a casino in Manhattan, don’t vote for Brad Hoylman-Sigal,” he said. “If you want to exacerbate the problem of quality of life in a neighborhood, drop a casino in the middle of that. Crime, traffic, addiction. Casinos feed on all of those societal problems.”

Rendering for the proposed expansion of MGM Empire City 

The Senator described casinos as a “short-sighted way to raise revenue,” pointing to what he called well-documented social costs. He has been especially vocal against the Times Square bid backed by Caesars Entertainment and SL Green, which faces opposition from Broadway theaters and local groups.

The other two Manhattan proposals, The Avenir by Silverstein Properties and Freedom Plaza by the Soloviev Group, have also met resistance. Hoylman-Sigal stressed his stance by appointing retired Assemblymember Richard Gottfried, a longtime opponent of gambling expansion, to the Community Advisory Committee for The Avenir, a move that could complicate its path to approval.

By contrast, Hoylman-Sigal acknowledged that Cohen’s Metropolitan Park proposal, developed in partnership with Hard Rock International, has momentum. The project would redevelop Citi Field’s parking lot into a mixed-use complex featuring a casino, hotel, entertainment venues, restaurants, athletic fields, and green space.

Developers have pledged $1 billion in community investments, including a 25-acre park, five acres of sports fields, and a $163 million community fund. Hard Rock projects that the development could create more than 23,000 jobs.

Citi Field, New York

The bid was bolstered when lawmakers amended state statutes to reclassify the parking lot from parkland to commercial use. “If a community strongly embraces a casino in another borough, more power to them. I think the one at Citi Field has a very good shot after we amended a statute in Albany to allow that casino to go forward,” Hoylman-Sigal said.

At present, all applicants are presenting their proposals to Community Advisory Committees, a required step before moving forward. Each proposal must hold at least two public hearings and secure at least four out of six committee votes by September 30 to advance. The Gaming Facility Location Board will then review the bids and is expected to award the three licenses before the end of the year.

Metropolitan Park and the Coney Island bid are the only two projects yet to schedule public hearings, but both remain in the running. If approved, the Citi Field casino would sit across from Etihad Park, the New York City Football Club’s under-construction stadium, further transforming the Flushing Meadows area into a major entertainment hub.