New York Mets owner Steve Cohen and Hard Rock have joined forces, seeking to win approval for construction of a casino in the area surrounding Citi Field. New York City will approve three casinos to be built on city land, and there are over a dozen entities in competition.
To sweeten their offer, Cohen and Hard Rock, through Cohen’s asset management company Point72, are proposing an $8 billion investment in the area that would be highlighted by “Metropolitan Park” and other community investments. MMO’s Mike Mayer posted details on X about the Mets’ owner’s plans and the associated community benefits:
Info on Metropolitan Park, an $8 billion commitment by Mets owner Steve Cohen & Hard Rock International.
Here is the plan for $1 billion in specific community benefits as part of the plan to transform 50 acres of asphalt around Citi Field into a sports and entertainment park. pic.twitter.com/y8SalXCIrN
— Mike Mayer (@mikemayer22) February 7, 2024
Of course, everyone is not on board with the plan. From Spectrum NYNews1:
“They can invest in many other ways, but not a casino, though,” said Corona resident Javier Otalora. “A casino brings along, it may bring jobs along, but it also brings along other things that we’re not ready for.”
In total, 15,000 new jobs is the estimate if the plan goes forward. It would not be easy to walk away from that type of opportunity for New York City and specifically, the borough of Queens. State Senator Jessica Ramos agrees that the decision on whether or not to approve the proposal will require much contemplation.
“This is a really important decision,” said Ramos, a Queens Democrat. “I still think not enough community members know about either proposal or that there is this possibility of a casino coming, and our community does deserve to know.”
Mike Sullivan of Point72 says that the developers are willing to work with community leaders:
“The way this is going to work, the community benefit fund is going to have members of our local community in Queens, so they can advise us on what the important priorities of the community are,” said Michael Sullivan, of Steve Cohen’s Point72 Asset Management. “I think those priorities shift over time.”
Here are a few of the key points of the proposal from Cohen and Hard Rock, in addition to the possibility of fifteen thousand jobs.
- 20 acres of park space
- Five acres of athletic fields on Citi Field’s parking lots
- Improved accessibility to Willets Point station
- Taste of Queens food hall
- Community investment in things like legal aid for immigration, health care and youth and senior programming
- Mental health and addiction services
The timing of this proposal hasn’t landed well for some Mets fans, coming at time when the team has restrained spending for the first time under Cohen’s ownership. Here are a couple of comments on X:
“I’m getting the feeling that buying the Mets was just a side bet to this, he’s playing the long game and we fans fell for it”
“Obviously buying the Mets wasn’t the number one goal. Every multi billionaire wants either a casino or a bank. Just hope the Mets are not forgotten in all this.”
The fact remains that the Mets have the highest payroll in baseball. The results of the investment in team have fallen far short of expectations, but it’s safe to assume that Steve and Alex Cohen, Mets fans themselves, do not see a sustainable, competitive team and the opportunity to develop an area as mutually-exclusive goals.
The Mets can put an end to the talk of where their owners are focused by going out and playing winning baseball. They will begin their quest to do so in just a couple of days when spring training begins in Port St. Lucie, Florida. Casino or no casino, those words alone should re-focus the discussion to what happens on the diamond.
