The busiest week to date in the New York casino process continued on Tuesday with two more public hearings, the second for both Metropolitan Park in Queens and MGM Empire City in Yonkers.
With two hearings completed, each project’s appointed community advisory committee (CAC) is free to hold a binding vote anytime before the 30 September deadline. The votes are to reflect each project’s public support, through both written and oral comments. A two-thirds majority approval from the local committee is needed to be considered by the state for one of three licences to be awarded by year’s end.
For Metropolitan Park and the other six bids inside New York City proper, that means four of six votes in favour are required. MGM is the only one of the eight total bidders with a five-member CAC, but it still needs four yes votes to advance.
Both projects have been seen as strong candidates for licensure for very different reasons. Empire City, the former Yonkers Raceway, has operated as a video lottery terminal facility since 2006 and was bought by MGM in 2019. Because of this history, the property has paid billions in taxes and had years to establish community relations. As an existing gaming site, it also has a significant speed-to-market advantage over ground-up projects.
Meanwhile, Metropolitan Park has enormous funds and political influence behind it thanks to billionaire Mets owner Steve Cohen. Its location on parking lots near Citi Field would have less construction and housing impact than the projects proposed in more central areas like Manhattan.
The project also survived opposition from its local representative, Senator Jessica Ramos. Her pushback led Cohen to enlist Senator John Liu, whose district encompasses a much smaller portion of the project than Ramos’. Liu championed the necessary rezoning legislation for Metropolitan Park, one of the most public examples of political manoeuvring in the New York process.
Early start, abrupt ending for Metropolitan Park hearing
The second hearing for Metropolitan Park was unusually early and quick compared to others. With a 10am local start time, the meeting ran for less than two hours. It also ended strangely, abruptly cutting off in the middle of a speaker’s comment.
The New York State Gaming Commission did not respond to a request for clarification on the ending.
In any case, supporters showed up to speak in favour of the $8 billion mixed-use project, which includes a range of amenities from a casino and hotel to an entertainment venue, 25 acres of park space and more. Cohen’s vision is to transform Citi Field into a “walkable village” of sorts. Queens cultural elements, like a local food hall and music museum, are prevalent throughout the proposal.
“This isn’t about a new sports and entertainment district. It’s about building wealth in communities that too often have been left out,” testified Bill Thompson, former NYC comptroller. “It’s about giving local businesses the capital and contracts they need to succeed and ensuring that equity is more than a slogan, it’s part of the foundation of this project.”
A dominant theme from supporters has been a desire to replace existing parking lots, which serve limited purpose. Unlike other sites that could be developed in other ways, Citi Field is unlikely to encounter an opportunity like Metropolitan Park anytime soon. As such, business groups have been among the biggest proponents.
“Thank you for the opportunity to be here today on behalf of the Queens Chamber of Commerce and to voice our strong support for Metropolitan Park,” said a spokeswoman for the group. “We would like to take a moment to thank Metropolitan Park for its strong support of small businesses.”
Dissent among Asian-Americans, Mets fans
Opposition to the proposal came on strong at the tail end of the hearing. Many of the last 10 or so speakers before the meeting ended were unaffiliated residents strongly opposed.
“If you want real community input, ask people who can’t take time off to be here,” said a resident named Sandy. “Not the people who are on Steve Cohen’s payroll in box seats with him at Citi Field, not the nonprofits who got money from him, and community members who have ‘hire me’ on their website.”
Sandy identified herself as a Chinese immigrant, which is notable. The Asian-American population is about 26% in Queens, the highest of any ethnic group. Many residents or representatives from Asian groups spoke in support of Metropolitan Park, and the majority of the loudest opponents were also of Asian descent. Organisers asked those holding opposition signs in Mandarin and other languages to take them down. This cultural split was also notable at the last hearing.
Some detractors, however, were self-proclaimed fans of the Mets who still opposed the project.
“I’ve been a Mets fan all my life, through highs and lows,” said resident Pat Barrett, in full Mets gear. “I have seen how Steve Cohen has improved the Mets, the fan experience. And yet I strongly oppose his proposal to build a casino next to the stadium. This is something that preys on addicts.”
No vote date for the project has been posted as of writing.
MGM supporters make last pitch for Yonkers proposal
To the north, about 75 speakers came to the MGM hearing on Tuesday night at the Yonkers Montessori Academy. If approved, Empire City would embark on a $2.3 billion renovation and expansion of the VLT facility, with a launch date of July 2027. Plans include a remodelled casino, a new porte cochere and a 5,100-seat entertainment venue.
But at the same time, MGM has said in its application that it would likely close if it is passed up for a New York casino licence. The VLT venue could not survive, stakeholders say, if three other fully operating casinos are nearby.
“We all know that if we don’t get this licence, that Yonkers couldn’t possibly compete with the other casinos as just a racino,” testified Yonkers Mayor Mike Spano. “In which case, if we don’t get this licence, our track would probably close.”
This theme was carried by droves of Empire City employees in attendance. Some testified about their experience with MGM while others stressed to the CAC the potential impact its decision would have on their jobs.
Vote for full New York casino licence now looms
While the facility’s long history in the community can help in some ways, it is a point of concern for others. Residents from the immediate areas alluded to the previous iterations of the property, when it was purely a racetrack, to a VLT, to now.
The same promises being made today, many said, are recycled from those previous iterations and still haven’t been addressed. Some also noted that the $2.3 billion investment proposed for the project is the lowest among the eight applicants for licences.
Instead of casino-related issues, most concerns expressed by opponents related to traffic, flooding and water diversion, and negative impacts from the entertainment venue. Of the eight proposed New York casino sites, Yonkers is arguably the most residential.
“We need a clear plan and a rock solid commitment that the casino expansion does not worsen these conditions, but rather contributes to long-overdue improvements,” said resident Jerry Longarzo.
At the conclusion of the hearing, CAC Chair James Cavanaugh announced the committee will meet for a vote next Thursday, 25 September.
Two more New York casino proposals are ready for a committee vote that will determine whether they advance for state consideration.