He’s still in the game!
The Mets may have crapped out this year, but Steve Cohen’s $8 billion casino plan won a vote of confidence Tuesday.
A state local siting board voted 6-0 to allow the proposal, from the Mets’ billionaire owner and Hard Rock, to move forward for further consideration.
“While the Mets didn’t make the playoffs, I consider this a home run,” said Queens Borough President Donovan Richards, who served on the casino community advisory committee.
The proposal — to build a casino dubbed “Metropolitan Park” near Citi Field — now will be reviewed by the state gaming facility location board.
New Year’s Gaming Commission is then set to award up to three covered state licenses by year’s end.
The Cohen-Hard Rock bid is now one of four contenders vying for the gaming licenses — along with Bally’s at President Trump’s former golf course property in The Bronx, and the two race track slots parlors at Aqueduct and Yonkers. Community opposition scuttled a handful of casino bids in Manhattan.
The Cohen-Hard Rock plan includes a music concert, a hotel and other amenities and Richards noted a new soccer stadium is being built nearby.
“The world’s borough is the talk of the town. We’re the heartbeat of the city,” he said.
The Metropolitan Park team applauded the support.
“The Community Advisory Committee’s unanimous approval underscores the deep and broad community support behind Metropolitan Park. We are grateful for the opportunity to move forward in this process and be one step closer to making Metropolitan Park’s community-first vision a reality,” said Metropolitan Park spokesman Karl Rickett.
The local state senator, Jessica Ramos, had long opposed the casino project.
But in the end, even her appointee on the siting board vote “aye” Tuesday.
State tax revenue from casino revenues will help finance the MTA.
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