Mets owner Steve Cohen has seen his team lose eight out of their last 10 games, dropping them 10 games below .500, all while he faces challenges in his effort to bring a casino to Citi Field.
On Tuesday, New York state Senator Jessica Ramos announced she would not introduce the necessary legislation for the project, which is in her district. Cohen now plans to find an alternative route.
“Seventy-five percent of my constituents have expressed that they do not wish to have a casino in our backyard,” Ramos said during a news conference on Tuesday. “I would be very surprised, and frankly offended, if someone would try to go around me and the wishes of the people in my district. We are clearly stating that we do not want a casino near our homes, and I don’t think anyone should override that.”
Cohen needs Ramos to approve legislation that would allow him to use Citi Field’s parking lots for commercial purposes. This fits into a growing trend of turning areas around ballparks into entertainment districts, with the Cardinals’ Ballpark Village being one of the first in 2014. However, Cohen, baseball’s wealthiest owner, is aiming for more than just bars and restaurants; he wants New York City’s first full-service casino, a potentially lucrative venture given the city’s population and status. To achieve this, he has partnered with Hard Rock to secure one of three available gaming licenses in downstate New York.
Cohen has named the project “Metropolitan Park,” and his ability to obtain a gaming license is beyond Ramos’s influence. New York’s gaming commission announced in March that licenses won’t be awarded until the end of 2025, and bids cannot be submitted until next March. However, obtaining the license is futile without the ability to develop the parking lots. The legislative session continues through next month, and Cohen intends to persist in his efforts during this time.
