Citi Field casino plan advances
As the month of September came to an end, the competition for the three downstate New York casino licenses came into focus. With the New York State Gaming Commission (NYSGC) expected to decide on the winners before the end of the year, all proposals have been voted upon by their local Community Advisory Committees (CAC), and four have advanced to be evaluated by the NYSGC.
None of the four were much of a surprise, though the latest to make it through a CAC vote, New York Mets owner Steve Cohen’s Citi Field project with Hard Rock International, did receive strong opposition from State Senator Jessica Ramos. Ramos, who represents the district where the $6.4 billion casino resort would be, blocked rezoning of the parkland, hindering the plan. But Senator John Liu was able to overcome that with rezoning legislation of his own.
The CAC voted unanimously in favor of the Citi Field proposal, including a thumbs-up from Ramos’ representative.
Bally’s moves forward
Prior to Cohen’s project, Bally’s Ferry Point in the Bronx received approval from its CAC by a 5-1 vote. While there is a degree of politics to any multi-billion-dollar development plan that has to get through miles of approvals and red tape, this one does have a bit of stink to it.
The site for the proposed $4 billion casino resort is on Bally’s Golf Links at Ferry Point, formerly Trump Golf Links at Ferry Point, which Bally’s bought from the Trump Organization for $60 million in 2023. A clause in the purchase agreement promises Trump $115 million should Bally’s win one of the three casino licenses up for grabs.
That potential payout is even more interesting considering New York City Mayor Eric Adams’ role in the approval process. In April, the City Council voted to deny land use changes for the Bally’s location, but Adams came in with a veto, keeping the proposal alive and allowing it to get to this point.
Though he was elected as a Democrat, Mayor Adams has found an ally in President Donald Trump. The Trump administration got federal corruption and fraud (among others) charges against Adams dropped in exchange for immigration concessions.
Manhattan left out in the cold
The other two casino proposals that have advanced to the Gaming Commission are Resorts World NYC and Empire City Casino by MGM Resorts. Both have long been considered front-runners, as they are already slot parlors that can be expanded into full-fledged casinos.
Among the proposals rejected by their respective CACs were all three Manhattan plans – the Avenir on the West Side, a casino at Freedom Plaza, and a Jay-Z and Caesars-backed casino in Times Square – and the Coney in Brooklyn.
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