Queens State Sen. John Liu will back a plan that brings billionaire Mets owner Steve Cohen’s proposal for a casino near Citi Field closer to reality.
Liu announced Sunday he’d introduce state Senate legislation to reclassify the 50 acres of asphalt parking lots around the Mets ballpark as commercial property instead of parkland – a move that would allow for developments like Metropolitan Park, Cohen’s $8 billion proposal for a sprawling casino and entertainment complex.
In turn, Cohen and his partner, Hard Rock International, have pledged to build the Flushing Skypark – a High Line-inspired pedestrian and bicycle bridge that would span Flushing Creek, connecting downtown Flushing and Willets Point.
“I understand that Flushing Skypark will not be easy to achieve, but if anyone can do it, it would be the Metropolitan Park team,” Liu said at a press conference.
Cohen and Hard Rock have agreed to secure all the necessary public and private funding and obtain regulatory approvals to build the Skypark. Under a legally binding contract with the nonprofit Waterfront Alliance, if the project doesn’t move forward, the developers must instead pay $100 million for infrastructure improvements to Flushing Meadows Corona Park — delivered in $10 million annual installments over a decade, officials said.
“As an organization based in Willets Point, we shared the community’s concerns around connectivity, and recognized that the Skypark would be a great way to bring Queens together,” Cohen said in a statement. “Metropolitan Park is committed to working to make Flushing Skypark a reality.”
Queens Borough President Donovan Richards also backed the plan on Sunday, calling it a “grand slam for Northwest Queens” that would bring 23,000 union jobs and long-overdue investment to historically underserved neighborhoods like Corona and Flushing.
While Liu’s support is a key political milestone for the Citi Field casino plan, the proposal still faces notable opposition.
Liu’s Senate district borders Citi Field, but does not include it. State Sen. Jessica Ramos – who is running for New York City mayor and whose district includes the ballpark – has voiced opposition to the plan. For close to a year, the lawmaker’s unwillingness to sponsor legislation that would allow for the parkland to be developed commercially meant that the ambitious project was stuck in limbo.
A spokesperson for Ramos did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Cohen and Hard Rock International are just one of several groups vying to build a casino near New York City. Other hopefuls include plans for casinos in Coney Island, Hudson Yards, and Times Square, among others.
The state Gaming Facility Location Board, which oversees the casino siting process, will award three downstate licenses by the end of 2025.
Arun Venugopal contributed reporting.
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