Queens Politicians Influence Ramos to Consider Casino Laws
Politiicians from Queens and the Community Advisory Committee (CAC) are urging State Senator Jessica Ramos (D-Queens) to create legislation that would allow the $8 billion Metropolitan Park plan to be eligible in the New York casino competition.
Assemblyman Jeff Aubry (D-Queens), one of the three signatories on a letter to Ramos, introduced a similar bill in the New York Assembly last year, but it needs a counterpart bill to proceed. The Willets Point area, which is across from Citi Field and the desired location for Metropolitan Park and the Queens casino, is currently classified as parkland, and this classification must be changed through legislation. Failing to support that effort could lead to the demise of the Queens casino plan.
In their letter to Ramos, Aubry, Queens Councilman Francisco Moya (D-21st Council District), and borough president Donovan Richards (D) state, "Advancing permitted use legislation will not be the final word on this project. It is only the first step in the open and transparent review process our community deserves..." They add, "Our constituents deserve the right to see all the details of the Metropolitan Park project that will be made public when the RFA is submitted so that our constituents can judge for themselves the merits of the project and directly weigh in through public hearings in the CAC."
The New York Mets owner Steve Cohen is partnering with Hard Rock International to open a new gaming venue in Queens.
Time Is Running Out for Ramos to Support the Queens Casino
This is the most recent effort by supporters of the Queens casino project to convince Ramos to join their cause. Last week, business owners, community leaders, and residents held a rally at her office, exhorting the lawmaker to give Queens a fair chance in the New York casino race.
Ramos, who has previously stated that surveys show many Queens residents are not in favor of a new gaming venue, is reportedly considering whether or not to introduce the permitted use legislation. With only eight days left on New York's 2024 legislative calendar after Wednesday, she may need to make a speedy decision.
If Ramos does not support the legal change, the Queens casino plan could be in jeopardy. If legislation sped up the New York casino bidding process passes, which seems likely, it might not be easy to advance the Queens casino proposal if the parkland designation of Willets Point is still intact at that time. This could mean that the area remains vacant and underutilized for decades.
"We appreciate that, like us, you have taken a careful and thoughtful approach to assessing the merits of this project, and that you will continue to evaluate its support among your constituents," according to the letter to Ramos. "We have also heard from our shared constituency. The community wants Metropolitan Park."
Metropolitan Park Could Benefit from Ramos' Support
Should the legislation to speed up the bidding process become law, it is expected that casinos like MGM Resorts International's Empire City Casino in Yonkers and Genting's Resorts World New York in Queens would be the primary beneficiaries, as they are established venues. There's also speculation that Las Vegas Sands, which wants to establish a casino hotel at Nassau Hub in Uniondale, could be another winner in this scenario. These factors may be contributing to the pressure on Ramos to back a bill that supports the Metropolitan Park project.
The letter continues, "We believe that Metropolitan Park is an opportunity to transform the neglected parking lots around Citi Field into a revolutionizing sports and entertainment park with vast publicly accessible open space. This would encourage neighborhood connectivity and access, improve the fan experience, stimulate economic development and tourism, and create thousands of well-paying union jobs for local residents."
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Source: www.casino.org