Steve Cohen, the New York Mets owner and billionaire hedge fund investor, and his partner, Hard Rock International, unveiled renderings and more detailed plans for Metropolitan Park, the $8 billion, mixed-use casino resort bid they have in mind to transform some 50 acres of asphalt around the Citi Field baseball stadium in Queens.
The project involves creating 20 acres of new public park space and 5 acres of community athletic fields and playgrounds, which the partnership said is bigger than Manhattan’s Bryant Park, the High Line elevated park and Union Square Park combined. The 25-acre space was designed by the local team of SHoP Architects, behind the waterfront Domino Park in Brooklyn’s Williamsburg, and Field Operations, designer of the High Line and also Domino Park, the partnership said.
The plans came after collecting input from 15 community workshops, hundreds of meetings with local leaders and over 20,000 door-to-door conversations with residents, according to the partnership. The design pays homage to the area's iconic World's Fair history and architecture, and the history of the Mets.
The development also includes improved public transportation, a solar roof and other “climate infrastructure,” space for live music and a food hall, the partnership said. Hard Rock International is planning a Hard Rock Hotel and Casino with bars, restaurants and a sportsbook.
Cohen bought the Mets for a reported $2.4 billion in 2020.
The area around Citi Field is where New York’s first professional soccer-specific stadium is being built as part of a megadevelopment set to transform the traditionally industrial neighborhood.
Various developers and casino operators are jostling for a shot at up to three gaming licenses New York state is expected to issue in or near New York City. For instance, developer Thor Equities, along with its partners, has proposed building a 500-room hotel and 2,500-seat concert venue as part of its $3 billion entertainment and gaming development in Brooklyn’s Coney Island.
In other casino proposals, Related Cos. and Wynn Resorts have proposed a Hudson Yards casino resort on the far west side of Manhattan. SL Green Realty, Manhattan’s largest office landlord, and Caesars Entertainment, have partnered in their Times Square casino bid.
Silverstein Properties plans to develop the Avenir, a hotel, casino, entertainment and residential complex spanning 1.8 million square feet near Hudson Yards.
The Soloviev Group, known for projects such as New York’s iconic Nine W. 57th St. office tower overlooking Central Park, has partnered with casino operator Mohegan in proposing a mixed-use casino resort south of the United Nations headquarters.
Meanwhile, Resorts World New York City, billed as the city’s first and only casino-hotel at Aqueduct Racetrack in Queens, has upped its game with a $5 billion expansion plan.
The New York State Gaming Facility Location Board said in June that casino application licenses will be due by June 27, 2025, with decisions on the winning bids expected to be determined by the end of next year.