Hard Rock’s Citi Field bid in Queens next to face the vote
The latest twists and turns in the race for one of three casino licences have seen Bally’s Corp’s proposal to develop a US$4bn casino in the Bronx pass the Community Advisory Committee whilst Thor Equities’ and the Chickasaw Nation’s US$3.4bn plans for Coney Island fell at the same hurdle.
With the advance from the committee, Bally’s plans for a casino at Ferry Point have become the third out of six to pass local community committees. Last week, the same committee approved blueprints from MGM Resorts and Genting Group.
Bally’s proposal remains somewhat controversial as it took a veto from New York City Mayor Eric Adams to override the New York City Council’s disapproval of the application to keep it alive.
US President Donald Trump’s family business has some involvement as they sold Bally’s the land for the project with some believing they will receive a US$115m payout if the project sees the light of day.
The project will include 500,000 square feet of gaming space, including 3,500 cutting-edge gaming
machines, 250 table games, poker, an array of dining and entertainment venues to celebrate the cuisine, art and music that the Bronx has always offered, a state of the art 2,000-person event center, fexible meeting space and parking for approximately 4,600 vehicles.
The community will benefit from $625m in community commitments, including LEED Gold-certified design and $100m in park and waterfront enhancements, $75m for transportation upgrades such as a new Lafayette Avenue overpass, widened roads, and enhanced public transit access, $10m for public safety to include upfront investment in the NYPD substations.
It will provide 15,000 union construction jobs and nearly 4,000 permanent union jobs with average full-time wages of $96,200 with $1.9bn in annual economic impact across New York State and $357m in annual tax revenue for local and state government. It will attract over 9 million annual visitors, 8.2 million of whom will come from outside the Bronx — driving new dollars directly into local businesses.
Assembly Member Michael Benedetto said: “I understand the arguments that people make against it, that there might be some more traffic, or there might be some environmental problems. I believe, in the end, give the Bronx a chance.”
The Coney Island proposal was voted out by a six-person committee by 4-2. Their plan had been to develop a casino resort in Brooklyn’s Coney Island with a 1.4 million-square-foot entertainment complex, a 500-room hotel; 20 distinctive restaurants totaling more than 50,000 square feet; a 2,400-seat, 25,000-square-foot entertainment venue; and 92,000 square feet of convention center meeting space.
State senator Jessica Scarcella-Spanton commented: “After taking part in two public hearings regarding this application, reading countless testimonies, and meeting with and hearing from my constituents about their thoughts, perspectives, and concerns regarding this application, I have decided to vote in opposition.”
Next up is the vote on Steve Cohen and Hard Rock’s bid for a casino located next to Citi Field in Queens.
The post Bally’s Bronx passes New York’s Community Advisory Committee, but Coney Island bid comes to an end appeared first on G3 Newswire.
Hard Rock’s Citi Field bid in Queens next to face the vote The latest twists and turns in the race for one of three casino licences have seen Bally’s Corp’s proposal to develop a US$4bn casino in the Bronx pass the Community Advisory Committee whilst Thor Equities’ and the Chickasaw Nation’s US$3.4bn plans for Coney…
The post Bally’s Bronx passes New York’s Community Advisory Committee, but Coney Island bid comes to an end appeared first on G3 Newswire.