
Hard Rock Queens Casino Has ‘Good Shot’ at Approval, Says State Senator
There is a real possibility that Hard Rock International and Steven Cohen's proposal to build a casino hotel in Queens will be successful in obtaining one of the three downstate casino licenses that are available in New York.
State Senator Brad Hoylman-Sigal (D) expressed this opinion in an interview with CBS News New York's "The Point with Marcia Kramer" on Sunday. Cohen, the owner of the New York Mets, is supporting the Queens casino project, which he said has "a very good shot" of getting a license.
Metropolitan Park, the $8 billion concept, would be a vast entertainment complex including food options, entertainment spaces, green space, and a gambling arena if it were permitted. In addition to a $163 million community impact fund, the Cohen/Hard Rock proposal asks for 25 acres of parks for public use, which includes five acres of sports fields, restaurants, a live music venue, improved bike access, and roadways.
Since the legislator is against gambling growth in New York on the grounds that such establishments might create more harm than good in the communities where they are located, Hoylman-Sigal's comments on the Queens casino idea aren't quite a resounding endorsement.
The Manhattan Casino is still opposed by Hoylman-Sigal
Hoylman-Sigal's strong opposition to the construction of a gaming facility in Manhattan, the borough where he is the Democratic contender for borough president, is one reason why he seems to be somewhat supportive of the Cohen/Hard Rock Queens casino initiative.
"If you want a casino in Manhattan, don’t vote for Brad Hoylman-Sigal,” he said in the CBS interview. “If you want to exacerbate the problem of quality of life in a neighborhood, drop a casino in the middle of that. Crime, traffic, addiction. Casinos feed on all of those societal problems.”
That is consistent with the politician's earlier remarks. No one he has met on the Manhattan campaign road wants a casino there, he has stated in previous interviews. He went on to say in the CBS interview that casinos are "shortsighted" methods for cash-strapped New York to make money.
“Again, the problems that casinos bring to neighborhoods are well documented. Those cost the public purse a lot of money too,” he said. “That said, if a community strongly embraces a casino in another borough, more power to them. I think the one at Citi Field has a very good shot after we amended a statute in Albany to allow that casino to go forward.”
There may be tailwinds at Queens Casino
Eight bidders submitted proposals for the three downstate licenses, and given the opposition to gaming establishments in Manhattan, there is increasing speculation that the Hard Rock plan may be one of the three chosen, which would mean that Queens may see two gaming establishments.
Resorts World New York in Queens and MGM Resorts International's Empire City Casino in Yonkers are reportedly the front-runners for two of the licenses, suggesting that the remaining six applicants are effectively fighting for a single permit.
By the end of this year, New York officials are anticipated to grant the downstate licenses.