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New Yorkers might be singing take me out to the on line casino if a Queens pol has his approach!
Assemblyman Jeffrion Aubry launched laws Wednesday that may enable Mets proprietor Steve Cohen to redevelop the overflow parking heaps across the baseball staff’s Citi Discipline right into a on line casino and leisure advanced.
The heaps and different property round Citi Discipline in Willets Level are deemed parkland — designated as a part of Flushing Meadows-Corona Park again in 1939.
A change in state legislation is required to permit for different makes use of.
So Aubry, who represents Corona and components of Flushing — is swinging the zoning bat and rolling the cube for Cohen and his improvement agency New Inexperienced Willets LLC.
“The town of New York is allowed to discontinue the use as parkland and alienate via the getting into of leases or different agreements with New Inexperienced Willets, LLC … for the needs of growing, setting up, sustaining, working, utilizing, or occupying such lands with a gaming facility,” the textual content of the invoice says.
The professional-casino improvement invoice was first reported by The Metropolis.
The state is contemplating issuing as much as three $500 million downstate on line casino licenses, which might embrace New York Metropolis and surrounding suburban counties.
Cohen’s improvement staff has held quite a few group classes to solicit enter on potential makes use of for the heaps and different property round Citi Discipline.
“The area people and Mets followers have instructed us emphatically that they need extra from the 50 acres of asphalt round Citi Discipline.
Cohen and his staff are dedicated to delivering a imaginative and prescient with devoted inexperienced house, year-round leisure and good-paying native jobs,” mentioned Cohen spokeswoman Maria Comella.
“We're supportive of efforts to create a course of that does this the correct approach and makes it attainable to increase use of the realm past simply parking heaps.”
Aubry instructed The Publish that he needed to present Cohen’s staff a shot at profitable the on line casino bid.
“They might not be capable to compete with out the laws. They need to have a possibility to compete,” Aubry mentioned.
“I’m additionally within the jobs and alternatives that may be offered to the native communities.”
Simply as vital, Aubrey mentioned, is that a public park and path would run connecting the Willets Level No. 7 station to the Flushing Marina as a part of the redevelopment.
Public entry to Flushing Bay is now restricted, he mentioned.
State Sen. Jessica Ramos, who additionally represents the realm that features the Cohen property, Flushing Meadows-Corona Park and surrounding neighborhoods, had no fast remark.
Queens Borough President Donovan Richards, who will sit on a siting board that may have the facility to approve or veto any on line casino proposal within the borough, mentioned he was “inspired to see this legislative course of” start with Aubrey’s invoice however took no agency place.
Cohen, a billionaire hedge fund honcho, is placing his monetary muscle behind the bid to open a on line casino and or leisure advanced on the grounds surrounding the Mets stadium.
His New Inexperienced Willets firm paid $436,665 to seven completely different lobbyists final 12 months.
He additionally pumped $1.5 million right into a Tremendous Pac that backed Mayor Eric Adams’ profitable bid for Metropolis Corridor in 2021.
His spouse, Alexandra Cohen, donated $117,300 to the state’s Democratic Committee final 12 months.
The homeowners of the present slots parlors on the Aqueduct race monitor in Ozone Park, Queens and Yonkers race monitor — Genting/ Resorts World and MGM’s Empire Metropolis — are anticipated to submit bids to increase their choices to incorporate desk video games.
Resorts World at Aqueduct and the Willets Level/Citi Discipline advanced are lower than 10 miles aside.
State gaming officers will weigh different on line casino license functions within the New York Metropolis area — together with Instances Sq., Hudson Yards, the Trump Golf Course at Ferry Level within the Bronx and Coney Island in Brooklyn — after a prolonged overview that features group advisory boards comprised of the mayor, and representatives from the council, the state Meeting and Senate.
Gaming large Bally’s is betting on the Bronx — just lately discussing a plan to construct a on line casino on what's now the Trump Group’s public golf course at Ferry Level.
A consortium just lately unveiled renderings for a blinding new “Coney” on line casino and resort that could be erected simply steps from the storied Brooklyn boardwalk and seashore, situated smack between the enduring Cyclone and Surprise Wheel, the renderings present.
The consortium contains Thor Equities, gaming operators Saratoga On line casino Holdings and The Chickasaw Nation and Legends, the sports activities and leisure agency co-owned by the Yankees.
Others planning bids to function a on line casino embrace the Steve Ross-Associated Firms/Wynn Resorts partnership for Hudson Yards, and the owner SL Inexperienced/Caesars Leisure staff in Instances Sq..
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