In addition to the casino, the proposed project, dubbed Metropolitan Park, includes plans to build a hotel, 20 acres of new park space, a live music venue, a food hall and several parking garages in the immediate area surrounding the baseball stadium. Regardless, Cohen and his newly-announced business partners, Hard Rock International, joined around a dozen other developers on Tuesday when they formally announced their intention to pursue one of three downstate casino licenses expected to be handed out by the state’s Gaming Commission in the coming year. Nearly a year after Steve Cohen first began asking Queens residents what they want to see built on the 50-acre parking lot surrounding Citi Field, the Mets owner on Tuesday unveiled his long-expected $8 billion proposal to bring a casino and entertainment complex to the far corner of Northwest Queens.Ĭohen’s desire for a casino next to the Mets’ stadium has long been known, but whether or not the state and city will allow him to build one there remains a mystery.
