The state of New York is looking to improve the current casino industry in the state, and lawmakers are hoping to get something done by the end of 2024. There are currently no casinos in the downstate part of New York, but there will be three new licenses that are available.
One of those licenses is expected to go to a property on Coney Island, while Queens could see another property. New York Mets owner Steve Cohen is hoping to land a bid, and he wants to put that property near Citi Field.
A lawmaker has recently come forward pushing back on the plans from Cohen, and he claims that she is representing the people in that area. Jessica Ramos is not opposed to a new casino by Cohen in Queens, but not in the location that he has chosen.
Ramos recently made a presentation to other lawmakers in New York, and she has come up with an alternative site for a new casino property. Cohen had planned to use a current park as part of his casino site, and that is one of the biggest areas of concern for Ramos.
A New Plan
Cohen is working with Hard Rock in order to create this new casino plan, and this will be a massive blow to his chances of landing a license. The Cohen Group need to secure support from lawmakers like Ramos, but her new plan is going to be radically different from what they prefer.
Ramos has continued to urge Cohen to work with her to create a plan that works for everyone, and the ball is now in the court of him and the Hard Rock executives. The best step forward would be for Cohen to come up with a new design that does not touch the current Metropolitan Park.
Cohen and his group could still move forward with his plan, as there would be some lawmakers that support his preferred destination. Since Ramos is representing the people from that part of the state, her opinions will likely impact the decision more.
Another option would be to give up on the new casino plan, and that might end up being what happens with this new update. While Cohen has made it clear that he wants to get into the casino industry, Hard Rock executives might not want to get in on the fight.
Tough Decision to Make
Not only will Cohen have a tough decision to make, but it’s going to be hard for the lawmakers in this state to determine where the bids will be given out. All three new properties have to be in downstate New York, but that does leave some great options.
All five of the New York City boroughs are included in downstate New York, and there are other options as well. Queens has always felt like a good location for a casino, but there is limited space to state a new construction project.
Other lawmakers are pushing to have all bids in by July 31, and that will speed things up as well.
