Key Takeaways
- • The city's nine-member Public Design Commission unanimously voted to table approval of the design for the $8 billion Cohen-Hard Rock Metropolitan Park casino at Citi Field after objections from residents, including Democratic Socialists of America members, flooded the meeting.
- • The commission said its review is limited to design elements, not whether the casino should proceed, since the project already holds full state approval from the New York State Gaming Commission.
- • The project is expected to open in 2030 and is projected to generate 23,000 union jobs and 25 acres of green space, according to the casino's backers.
- • Commission members pressed for facade changes, wider corridors and staircases, and flood mitigation plans for the structures under review.
- • Cohen-Hard Rock said construction is well underway and that it has already made design changes in response to PDC feedback.
Summary
An obscure city panel tabled approval of the design for the Cohen-Hard Rock Metropolitan Park casino at Citi Field on Tuesday after angry residents, including members of the Democratic Socialists of America, filled a meeting with objections. The nine-member Public Design Commission (PDC) was tasked only with reviewing how the casino and its grounds would look and serve the public, but critics attacked the project, which is backed by Mets owner Steve Cohen, over objections to gambling and its effects on the area. Although such complaints were not meant to be entertained because the casino already has full state approval, the commission unanimously voted to table action on the designs, potentially delaying the project. It is not clear how long the delay will last, though casino representatives downplayed its effect.
The New York State Gaming Commission awarded the Metropolitan Park bid a license last December to operate a casino in Flushing Meadows/Willets Point. The $8 billion project, which is expected to open in 2030, also includes a hotel and music venue and will improve pedestrian access to the Flushing Bay waterfront. The state legislature passed a law repurposing lots around the Mets ballpark, designated parkland for the World's Fair, for commercial use, and six local Queens community boards overwhelmingly backed the project. Opponents, including Alexis Kaloyanides, a member of Community Education Council 30 and an NYC-DSA member, cited societal harms, while the Guardians of Flushing Bay raised flooding concerns.
PDC members told opponents their role was limited to design rather than whether the project should proceed, while thanking them for legitimate concerns. Commissioner Kenseth Armstead argued the project's gambling operation was the central issue and said he would not take a child to a park next to a casino. PDC President Deborah Marton said the commission needed to understand site-wide flood conditions before deciding. Queens Borough President Donovan Richards, a casino supporter, criticized the postponement, saying it could hold up thousands of jobs.
The Metropolitan Park team said it made several changes after PDC feedback, including doubling the width and space of the outdoor colonnade and public seating, adding a new overlook of the 25-acre park, adding transparent glass sections to the facade, and installing an additional escalator at the main park-side entrance. A spokesperson said construction is well underway and that the master plan approved in 2025 reflects years of community engagement. The project is projected to generate 23,000 union jobs, 25 acres of green space, and an upgraded 7-line train station. The Gaming Commission has also awarded two other city casino licenses: Genting Group's Resorts World New York, which added table games next to Aqueduct Racetrack in April, and a Bally's proposal at Ferry Point, a project that could net the Trump Organization $115 million.
The New York State Gaming Commission awarded the Metropolitan Park bid a license last December to operate a casino in Flushing Meadows/Willets Point. The $8 billion project, which is expected to open in 2030, also includes a hotel and music venue and will improve pedestrian access to the Flushing Bay waterfront. The state legislature passed a law repurposing lots around the Mets ballpark, designated parkland for the World's Fair, for commercial use, and six local Queens community boards overwhelmingly backed the project. Opponents, including Alexis Kaloyanides, a member of Community Education Council 30 and an NYC-DSA member, cited societal harms, while the Guardians of Flushing Bay raised flooding concerns.
PDC members told opponents their role was limited to design rather than whether the project should proceed, while thanking them for legitimate concerns. Commissioner Kenseth Armstead argued the project's gambling operation was the central issue and said he would not take a child to a park next to a casino. PDC President Deborah Marton said the commission needed to understand site-wide flood conditions before deciding. Queens Borough President Donovan Richards, a casino supporter, criticized the postponement, saying it could hold up thousands of jobs.
The Metropolitan Park team said it made several changes after PDC feedback, including doubling the width and space of the outdoor colonnade and public seating, adding a new overlook of the 25-acre park, adding transparent glass sections to the facade, and installing an additional escalator at the main park-side entrance. A spokesperson said construction is well underway and that the master plan approved in 2025 reflects years of community engagement. The project is projected to generate 23,000 union jobs, 25 acres of green space, and an upgraded 7-line train station. The Gaming Commission has also awarded two other city casino licenses: Genting Group's Resorts World New York, which added table games next to Aqueduct Racetrack in April, and a Bally's proposal at Ferry Point, a project that could net the Trump Organization $115 million.
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