It’s been a grim period for New York casino hopefuls, after all three Manhattan proposals – Caesars Times Square, Avenir and Freedom Plaza – were eliminated from contention in a week’s time. The community advisory committees (CACs) for all three voted 2-4 on each, with little debate.
Unfortunately for stakeholders, Brooklyn appears to be next on the chopping block.
Two members of the CAC evaluating The Coney – the Coney Island bid from Thor Equities and other partners – announced on Monday that they both intend to vote against the project. No official vote has been scheduled as of writing, although the deadline is 30 September.
Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso and state Senator Jessica Scarcella-Spanton, both of whom appointed themselves to The Coney CAC, told the Brooklyn Eagle they will be voting against the project once the vote is held. They join opposition previously stated by a third member.
“The Coney has failed to prove itself as a public good,” Reynoso told the outlet. “The proposal is deeply unimpressive and unresponsive to the needs, desires and rich history of the Coney Island community. Quite simply, it will not improve conditions for the Brooklynites who call Coney Island home.”
Scarcella-Spanton added that the project “would not be suitable for the proposed location”. The bid is one of five that remains for the three available downstate casino licences that will be awarded by year’s end. The Coney and the four others can advance for state consideration, however, only if their local CACs approve them.
Passage seemed unlikely after rowdy hearings
Thor and the Chickasaw Nation, Saratoga Casino Holdings and Legends Hospitality have pitched The Coney as a $3.4 billion transformative development that would revive Coney Island into a year-round destination instead of a seasonal specialty.
Plans call for a theme park-esque mixed-use complex with a casino, hotel, entertainment venue and more. Yet even before the officials’ rejections, The Coney faced long odds of approval.
Each CAC is tasked with holding a vote based on its project’s level of public support. This was to be evaluated through two public hearings and an online comment submission portal. Of the eight proposals to reach the CAC stage, The Coney easily had the worst public reception.
Both its first and second hearings were extremely rowdy and the vitriol from residents was obvious. The shouting matches, police interventions and overall objections would have made even the most supportive committee hesitant to approve the bid. A fully independent board would have found it all but impossible.
Three ‘no’ votes count more than $3 billion
Unfortunately for The Coney, its CAC seemed far from neutral. While Reynoso and Scarcella-Spanton’s votes might have swung only recently, another committee member’s opposition was clear from the outset.
Marissa Solomon, a Coney Island local who had long advocated against the proposal, was appointed to the CAC by Assemblymember Alec Brook-Krasny, another huge opponent. Solomon was sharply critical of The Coney in its first presentation and local residents pleaded with the rest of the CAC to join her opposition.
In a statement posted to X Monday, after the reports surfaced of the two additional members opposed, Brook-Krasny alluded to the negative outcome expected, since four votes in favour from the six members would be required for The Coney to advance.
“Today’s news indicates three ‘NO’ determinations on the proposed Coney Island casino development,” he said. “From the outset, my office maintained that this project was not a fit for our neighborhood.”
Racinos head to vote amid rapid denials
With The Coney now presumed out, Thursday will become a huge day in the CAC process. Both of the “racino” proposals, MGM Empire City and Resorts World NYC, are slated for votes, with MGM first at 10am followed by Resorts World at 3pm.
The two projects have been considered the biggest frontrunners from the start. This is due to their immense speed-to-market advantages over greenfield projects, their extensive tax contributions and their established community relationships. The projects’ stakeholders will now learn their fates within hours of each other.
Despite the string of rejections thus far, Resorts World still has reason to feel confident. Its two hearings were unanimously supportive, and its plans call for a July 2026 casino launch, a full year before MGM’s own projection.
MGM also has cause for optimism, although its hearings did feature some opposition from Yonkers locals. As the only bid outside of New York City, MGM’s CAC is just five members but passage still requires four in support, meaning it cannot have two votes in opposition. Notably, the company has warned that the property could be forced to close if it is denied a full casino licence. It could not compete, MGM has said, with three other commercial licensees nearby.
After three Manhattan casino proposals were rejected, the lone Brooklyn candidate might give new meaning to “dead on arrival”.