Steve Cohen, the owner of the New York Mets, and community leaders in Queens unveiled plans Tuesday for a sports, casino and entertainment space around Citi Field.
Cohen's proposal for a green space called Metropolitan Park would transform the 50 acres of asphalt around the baseball stadium into parkland, public parking, a music venue, dining options and more.
The plan would create 20 acres of public park space and five acres of community athletic fields and playgrounds. It will have an investment of $8 billion and create 15,000 construction jobs.
"It's time the world's greatest city got the sports and entertainment park it deserves," Cohen said in a statement. "When I bought this team, fans and the community kept saying we needed to do better. Metropolitan Park delivers on the promise of a shared space that people will not only want to come to and enjoy, but can be truly proud of."
But the casino and sportsbook that are included in the plan can only be built if Cohen is granted one of the coveted casino licenses in the state.
Some opponents, including the group Save Flushing-Meadows Corona Park, are not happy with the plan.
"Public parkland is not an opportunity to construct multi-story parking garages or casinos that yield billions to greedy businessmen - and no such proposal would ever be considered for Manhattan's Central Park or Brooklyn's Prospect Park," Save Flushing-Meadows Corona Park said on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Public parkland is not an opportunity to construct multi-story parking garages or casinos that yield billions to greedy businessmen - and no such proposal would ever be considered for Manhattan’s Central Park or Brooklyn’s Prospect Park. https://t.co/HYJIJgNv45
— Save FlushingMeadows (@SaveFMCP) November 7, 2023