The New York City Council overwhelmingly approved a series of zoning changes for Metropolitan Park, a proposed $8 billion casino and entertainment complex near Citi Field in Queens.
The 41-2 vote constituted the final step in the city’s Uniform Land Use Review Procedure process for the project. The proposal still faces hurdles in the state Legislature as part of a protracted casino license review process running through 2025.
The project, helmed by Mets owner Steve Cohen, is one of 11 vying to bring a casino to the metropolitan area. It would also include hotels, restaurants, entertainment venues and a 25-acre public park, and generate 23,000 jobs, according to project proponents.
“It’s time the world’s greatest borough gets the investment it deserves,” Cohen said in a statement.
He added the project would also bring “much-needed transit upgrades” to the area.
Councilmember Francisco Moya, a project supporter, said at a Council meeting on Wednesday that the venture would provide 100% union jobs for both construction and its eventual operation.
He added, “I’m ecstatic at the opportunity of finally turning huge swaths of often vacant pavement into usable recreational space.”
All six of the community boards that oversee the designated area also approved the project. At a four-hour public hearing organized by Queens Borough President Donovan Richards in December, most speakers voiced support for the project, although some community members raised concerns about environmental impacts and gambling addiction.
The project’s backers committed to provide addiction and mental health services in Flushing as part of $25 million in community health care investments in Queens. They also committed $163 million for nonprofit groups serving residents and communities in the borough through the creation of a Community Impact Fund.
Although the venture has obtained the necessary local approvals, the project has faced opposition from local state Sen. Jessica Ramos, a Democrat whose approval is needed to designate the parkland near Citi Field for commercial development.
Cohen spokesperson Karl Rickett said backers continued in their efforts to secure the needed designation, known as alienation.
Other projects competing for a casino license include one in Coney Island, which goes before the city planning commission next Wednesday.
Proposals to the state’s Gaming Facility Location Board, which oversees the casino siting process, are due in June, after which each project will be reviewed by a Community Advisory Committee comprising state and local officials.
The board is expected to award three licenses by the end of 2025.
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