Summary:
- Queens state Senator Jessica Ramos has been urged by elected officials to back a state bill that would allow a casino hub.
- Ramos has been holding up the legislation that would give the green light for Metropolitan Park for months.
- The casino hub would be built near Citi Field as proposed by Mets owner Steve Cohen.
Queens State Senator Jessica Ramos is facing more pressure to ease the way for the Metropolitan Park project.
The latter is Mets owner Steve Cohen’s proposed casino and entertainment hub that would be built next to Citi Field.
The need for the new hub came as a result of the fierce competition to offer a casino to the people of New York City.
Elected Officials Implore Ramos to Support the Bill
Earlier in the week, a few elected officials urged Senator Ramos to support the legislation that would turn the parking lot around the stadium, which she has been delaying for months.
Among them, are casino hub project supporters Queens Borough President Donovan Richards, local Councilman Francisco Moya, and Assemblyman Jeffrion Aubry.
On Monday, the trio sent a letter to Ramos in which they implored her to back up the measure that would put an end to the bureaucratic red tape surrounding the project.
“The community wants Metropolitan Park”, said the letter.
The elected officials expressed their appreciation for the Senator’s “deliberative and thoughtful approach to weighing the benefits of this project”, adding they hope she will keep evaluating “its support among your constituents”
In the past few months, Ramos obtained local feedback at a few different town halls where she expressed her skepticism regarding the project.
Fresh community polls showcased different levels of support for the casino hub.
Ramos, Curious About the “Deliberative Process”
The Senator commented on the letter she received, saying she was “curious” about the “deliberative process” that its authors “think they have taken”, adding she had not seen them attend her town hall meetings or host one of their own.
The Senator will decide on the bill supporting the $8 billion proposal by the end of May.
If approved, the proposal would turn the 50 acres of asphalt around Citi Field into a brand new entertainment hub featuring a New York casino, concert venue, hotel, food hall, and a public park.
Since the parking lot around Citi Field is technically parkland, it first needs to be “alienated” by the state before any new construction can take place.
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