Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
Mets fans will have plenty of new experiences at Citi Field in 2023. On the diamond, Justin Verlander, David Robertson, and Kodai Senga (among others) will be on display.
Around the stadium, there will be new food options, a gigantic scoreboard, and new banners. Looking beyond the 2023 season, however, fans may have additional entertainment options available on the grounds of what is now the Citi Field parking lot. Those options may include a casino.
In an article by Kate Honan, published in The City, the author details the vision that Mets’ owners Steve and Alex Cohen have to develop the area surrounding Citi Field. According to the article, plans include “a gaming facility and, in conjunction with such facility, commercial, retail, entertainment, recreational, hotel, convention, and or community facility uses.”
The Cohens have already had “visionary sessions” with politicians and people from the community to pressure test their plans. The process to be able to use the current lot to achieve the Cohens’ vision has begun, but there are several hurdles to overcome. One such challenge is that the area around Citi Field has been designated as parkland since 1939. In order to change the classification from parkland to land available for development, the city will need to find the same amount of land (20 acres) to designate as parkland, and the cost of the re-classification must be made by the developer. We have seen that spending money does not deter the Cohens, so this may not be a huge problem.
Another challenge awaiting the Cohens is on the political side. A six-person advisory board will have to approve of the development proposal. So far, Assemblyman Jeffrion Aubry (D-Queens) is on board, as he has introduced state legislation to allow for the project to move forward. State Senator Jessica Ramos will have to approve as well (in the article, she says she was surprised by Aubry’s bill), as will City Council member Fernando Moya. They each will nominate someone to form the six-member advisory board. Queens Borough President Donovan Richards, the mayor, and the governor will also have to sign-off.
The article provides information on political contributions the Cohens have made.
Cohen and his team have spent hundreds of thousands of dollars lobbying local politicians for the development plan. He, his family and their associates have also doled out mounds of cash to several key elected officials’ election campaigns.
His wife, Alexandra Cohen, gave $117,300 to the state’s Democratic Committee last year, and the in-house lobbyist of New Green Willets and a top aide, Michael Sullivan, gave nearly $35,000 to local elected officials. That includes $9,400 to Aubry, and $5,000 to Ramos and State Senate Deputy Majority Leader Mike Gianaris (D-Astoria).
Former Mets owners, Fred and Jeff Wilpon along with Saul Katz, attempted to do something similar in the Citi Field parking lot and were unsuccessful, with the final rejection of their proposal coming in 2017.
Development of a casino and other entertainment offerings in the Citi Field parking lot is a double-edged sword. On the one hand, unlike many other cities such as Chicago, San Diego, Boston, Pittsburgh, and Baltimore, there are no options for pre and post-game activities in the immediate area of the ballpark. Restaurants and bars could turn Mets games into more of an event, as people could arrive early and stay late, taking advantage of the new options. On the other hand, parking is already at a premium for Mets games (see Old Timers Day, Opening Day, etc.), and traffic in and out of the ballpark can be very difficult (Buck Showalter even referenced this last year). Imagine bringing in non-game traffic.
The casino point has been debated over and over. Whether the proximity of casinos to sporting venues is seen as problematic or not, there are now betting facilities in ballparks, and the NFL and NHL have franchises in Las Vegas. Major League Baseball will likely have one there too, as the Oakland Athletics have been rumored to be headed to Las Vegas for years.
Right now, the area around Citi Field is not a draw for fans. Having additional options, including some that are family-oriented, would likely enhance the fan experience from going going to a Mets game. If the politics work out, please make the next focal point providing adequate parking facilities (garages have been mentioned) and improved traffic patterns.
