Key Takeaways
- • $8 billion redevelopment project: Mets owner Steve Cohen is pursuing a major casino and mixed-use development on the 50-acre parking lot at Citi Field, branded as "Metropolitan Park," with support from Hard Rock International.
- • Legislative pathway initiated: Assemblymember Jeffrion Aubry (D-Queens) introduced legislation in late March 2023 to reclassify the parking lot from public parkland to allow casino, retail, hotel, and entertainment development—currently the site is legally off-limits for new construction.
- • Significant lobbying and political engagement: Cohen has conducted "visioning sessions" and spent hundreds of thousands of dollars lobbying state and city officials to advance the project, which requires legislative action to change the property's designated use.
- • Community resistance emerging: Long-time tailgaters and fans are publicly opposing the development, citing concern that the project will eliminate or drastically alter the parking lot culture that has existed for decades, with direct quotes of opposition captured during opening day.
- • Parking infrastructure included: The redevelopment plan includes three multi-story parking garages providing 13,750 total spaces (6,327 additional spaces beyond the current 7,423), alongside restaurants, a vertical structure, and connections to the 7-train station and World's Fair Marina; the casino itself would feature 5,000 slot machines, 375 table games, and 30 poker tables.
Summary
Steve Cohen, the billionaire hedge fund manager and owner of the New York Mets, is pursuing an ambitious $8 billion redevelopment of the 50-acre parking lot at Citi Field in Queens. The project, formally titled "Metropolitan Park" and backed by Hard Rock International, would replace the current asphalt expanse with a casino, restaurants, retail and entertainment venues, a hotel, convention facilities, and community spaces. The proposal also includes three multi-story parking garages designed to provide 13,750 parking spaces overall—6,327 more than the current 7,423 available spaces.
The primary obstacle is legal: the parking lot is currently designated as public parkland, prohibiting new commercial development without legislative action. To circumvent this restriction, Assemblymember Jeffrion Aubry (D-Queens) introduced legislation in late March that would allow Cohen to develop and operate "a gaming facility and, in conjunction with such facility, commercial, retail, entertainment, recreational, hotel, convention, and or community facility uses" on the site. According to Aubry's conversations with Cohen's team, the development plan would also include vertical parking structures and an above-ground park connecting the 7-train station to the World's Fair Marina.
Cohen has invested significant political capital in the effort, conducting "visioning sessions" and spending hundreds of thousands of dollars lobbying state and city officials. However, the project has encountered grassroots opposition from longtime fans and tailgaters who gather at the parking lot on game days. Fans interviewed outside Citi Field on opening day expressed concern that the redevelopment would eliminate the time-honored tradition of tailgating—families cooking hot dogs and burgers on portable grills, playing cornhole, and gathering around vehicles before games. Some fans directly rejected the proposal, with one respondent stating "hell no" when asked about the casino development. One 58-year-old fan noted the personal significance of the tradition, explaining that he and his family have attended opening day nearly every year for decades.
The legislation represents the formal mechanism by which Cohen seeks to reclassify the property and move the project forward, though final approval from state and city officials remains uncertain. The casino component alone would include 5,000 slot machines, 375 table games, and 30 poker tables, positioning it as a substantial gaming venue within the New York market.
The primary obstacle is legal: the parking lot is currently designated as public parkland, prohibiting new commercial development without legislative action. To circumvent this restriction, Assemblymember Jeffrion Aubry (D-Queens) introduced legislation in late March that would allow Cohen to develop and operate "a gaming facility and, in conjunction with such facility, commercial, retail, entertainment, recreational, hotel, convention, and or community facility uses" on the site. According to Aubry's conversations with Cohen's team, the development plan would also include vertical parking structures and an above-ground park connecting the 7-train station to the World's Fair Marina.
Cohen has invested significant political capital in the effort, conducting "visioning sessions" and spending hundreds of thousands of dollars lobbying state and city officials. However, the project has encountered grassroots opposition from longtime fans and tailgaters who gather at the parking lot on game days. Fans interviewed outside Citi Field on opening day expressed concern that the redevelopment would eliminate the time-honored tradition of tailgating—families cooking hot dogs and burgers on portable grills, playing cornhole, and gathering around vehicles before games. Some fans directly rejected the proposal, with one respondent stating "hell no" when asked about the casino development. One 58-year-old fan noted the personal significance of the tradition, explaining that he and his family have attended opening day nearly every year for decades.
The legislation represents the formal mechanism by which Cohen seeks to reclassify the property and move the project forward, though final approval from state and city officials remains uncertain. The casino component alone would include 5,000 slot machines, 375 table games, and 30 poker tables, positioning it as a substantial gaming venue within the New York market.
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