Feistiness Abounds At First Metropolitan Park Casino Hearing

It was a lively first Community Advisory Committee (CAC) public hearing Tuesday to discuss the $8 billion Metropolitan Park casino proposal fronted by New York Mets owner Steve Cohen and Hard Rock International.

The CAC chaired by New York Assemblymember Larinda Hooks was the last to have its first of two mandated public hearings. The three-hour session at Queens Borough Hall saw a majority of residents support the idea of a casino and entertainment venue being built adjacent to Citi Field, but the final hour saw a notable amount of speakers opposed to the project.

Metropolitan Park is one of two Queens-based proposals along with Resorts World and one of eight overall vying for up to three $500 million licenses that could be awarded by the New York State Gaming Commission. The two casino proposals are separated by less than nine miles, though Resorts World is considered a frontrunner for a license due to incumbency as a pre-existing casino and widespread community support.

The CAC requires a two-thirds majority — four votes — to advance the applicant to the New York Gaming Facility Board by Sept. 30. Should it fail to hold a vote by that date, the applicant is deemed rejected. The board would then make its selections for the licenses Dec. 1, which would be followed by the commission license consideration before the end of the year.

Plenty of chatter, plenty of cheers early

While not the raucous atmosphere of the first public hearing held by The Coney CAC, people who came to Queens Borough Hall loudly cheered and jeered speakers respectfully based on their opinions. A group of opponents that carried posters to that effect positioned themselves in the background of the camera angle for the livestream provided by the NYSGC.

The first half-hour of the hearing was a top-line presentation from Metropolitan Park and Hard Rock officials, led by Michael “Sully” Sullivan, Cohen’s chief of staff. That included a repeat of the pledge of more than 23,000 union-based jobs, broken out to 6,100 permanent casino jobs and roughly 17,100 construction-based positions. That was met with hearty cheers from the union members in attendance.

Sean Caffery, Hard Rock International president of casino development and chief of staff, projected a $92,000 median annual wage and $140,000 annual compensation package when including health benefits and other components.

The group also had answers for three suggestions from the Aug. 4 meeting. The proposed bike and pedestrian access that would be an overpass toward the venue grounds would not contain bollards due to bike safety concerns.

A proposal to have a soapbox derby track would not be built because it would require building a 40-foot pitch, and Metropolitan Park officials had made previous commitments to the community board. It did, however, suggest to have that built via the $163 million community fund that would come with the license.

There was also a plan for a local food vendor plaza that would serve breakfast and lunch for construction workers in an area dubbed “Pork Chop Hill.” Sullivan said that area had the potential to grow from five vendors in January to as many as 25 when construction is in full gear.

One new disclosure was detailing the scope of the child care center. Officials said it would be a 17,000-square foot facility with a potential capacity for 268 children.

Ex-pols and civic leaders among backers

Among the early speakers supporting Metropolitan Park were former New York City Councilperson Daniel Dromm and Ken Cohen, president of the Northeast Queens NAACP Branch.

Dromm spoke highly of the current elected officials connected to the CAC, which included Hooks and fellow self-appointees Queens Borough President Donovan Richards Jr. and Councilmember Francisco Moya. Richards did not attend Tuesday’s hearing and was represented by staffer Tariqua Morrison.

Dromm, a life-long Queens resident, said the borough has “never had an opportunity like this before. … That area around Citi Field has been barren, been underused, and has been in desperate need of improvement. And this finally is our opportunity to do that.”

Cohen was more pragmatic than Dromm, but called Metropolitan Park “Queens’ future.” He added the “dollars will be spent wisely because they have given the community the opportunity to be a part of this project.”

In between Dromm and Cohen were a notable amount of Asian small business owners throwing their weight behind the project. Queens has New York City’s largest Asian population and accounts for 25% of the borough’s populace. Supporters also talked optimistically of a revamped subway stop for the 7 Line that would be able to handle the increased traffic that would include both Mets games and NYC FC soccer matches in addition to casino-goers.

But the tide turns in the final hour

Union support was constant throughout the three-hour hearing, but it was not until the final hour when opponents began to outnumber proponents. One woman called Cohen’s $15 million contribution to the Queens Chamber of Commerce in 2021 a “down payment for your support” to CAC members.

“When you are worth $23 billion with a ‘B,’ that’s about the equivalent of me buying you a slice of pizza,” she added. “It’s a drop in his gold-plated bucket.”

The woman was also among those who questioned why a casino was needed to activate 25 acres of parkland as part of the proposal given Cohen’s vast personal wealth. Two local business owners claiming they represented an estimated 25 such stores also spoke out against the project.

But the most dramatic moment came at the end from an unlikely source. The last speaker was a 16-year-old girl and second-generation American, fighting her way through tears to speak in opposition.

“It’s nothing but common sense to say no to the casino,” she said in an elevated voice. “You can’t possibly imagine the devastation it would cause to my community. … No beautiful green venue can disguise a disgusting business model that hacks our psychology to leech off our wallets.

“My home is not a destination for tourists to see a fleeting thrill while generations are ravaged right next door. … You’re providing jobs for us to construct our own demise. A casino is the antonym to safety no matter how pretty you package it.”