The quest for Steve Cohen to rezone land for his planned $8bn casino beside the New York Mets’ Citi Field rumbles on.
his jurisdiction doesn’t contain Citi Field
Despite the project getting pushback from some lawmakers, Senator John Liu revealed that he plans to introduce a bill that would allow the area to be designated for commercial usage instead of its current parkland status. While his jurisdiction doesn’t contain Citi Field, part of the planned Metropolitan Park project would fall within his area.
Cohen, who is partnering with Hard Rock International, intends to give back to the local community in return for support. This includes $100m to improve infrastructure in the area over the course of a decade if his plan doesn’t get over the line.
If Cohen gets one of three highly coveted downstate casino licenses, his team will develop a skypark to try bring locals together. The clock is ticking, with the New York State Gaming Commission set to make its final decisions by the end of 2025.