New York Awards Casino License to $8.1B Metropolitan Park Project

The New York State Gaming Commission voted on Monday, December 15, 2025, to award a gaming license to Metropolitan Park, clearing a major hurdle for an $8.1 billion redevelopment project planned for land surrounding Citi Field in Queens.

The proposal, led by Hard Rock International and New York Mets owner Steve Cohen, will transform roughly 50 acres of existing asphalt parking lots into a large-scale sports and entertainment district. The project is expected to reshape the Willets Point area and anchor year-round activity beyond baseball season.

Plans for Metropolitan Park include a casino and sportsbook, a Hard Rock-branded hotel, restaurants, retail space, meeting and event facilities, and a 5,650-seat indoor entertainment venue. Developers say the project will be integrated with nearby attractions, including Citi Field, the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, and ongoing development at Willets Point.

Beyond entertainment, the project includes significant public investment. Developers have committed to creating 25 acres of publicly accessible parkland, alongside transportation upgrades, pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure, and full ADA accessibility improvements at the Mets–Willets Point subway station.

State officials estimate the project will generate 23,000 union jobs, both during construction and through permanent operations, while producing billions of dollars in long-term tax revenue. Additional commitments include funding for community programs and support for an all-affordable housing development elsewhere in Queens.

Construction timelines are expected to be announced following final permitting and site preparation approvals.

Lease agreement

The city and New York Mets owner Steve Cohen signed a lease agreement on November 17, 2025, clearing the way for Cohen and Hard Rock International to develop an $8.1 billion casino and entertainment complex at Citi Field’s parking lot. The agreement, confirmed by both the city and the developers, resolves the legal dispute with the United States Tennis Association (USTA), which owns the tennis center across the street and had previously sued to halt lease negotiations. With the lawsuit settled and the lease in place, Metropolitan Park has now secured one of the three downstate casino licenses from the state, allowing construction and development planning to move forward.

The new agreement between the city and Metropolitan Park, which includes the previously contested “superiority clause”, appears to have resolved the legal dispute with the USTA. Both the city and Metropolitan Park confirmed that the tennis association was not involved in negotiating the terms. With the lawsuit effectively settled, the project no longer faced obstacles that could have threatened its approval, paving the way for the Gaming Commission to award one of the three downstate casino licenses to Metropolitan Park in December 2025.

First proposed in September 2024 during the competition for New York’s limited downstate casino licenses, the $8.1 billion Metropolitan Park project evolved from a closely watched bid into an approved development, gaining early community backing before securing state approval.

A new landscape for a long-standing proposal

The Metropolitan Park project, first unveiled on September 25, 2024, has always been defined by its ambitious scope and promise of comprehensive redevelopment. Beyond the casino and hotel, the development will include live music venues, retail shops, convention and event space, and a 25-acre public park featuring athletic fields and playgrounds. The project also incorporates major infrastructure upgrades, including significant improvements to the Mets–Willets Point subway station, enhancing access and ADA compliance. Supporters, including Queens Borough President Donovan Richards Jr., view the project as a transformative economic opportunity that will turn a long-underutilized parking lot into a vibrant, year-round destination.

Final Approval Secured

Metropolitan Park reached its pivotal milestone on December 15, 2025, when the New York State Gaming Commission awarded the casino license, following prior approvals from the local Community Advisory Committee and other city and state review bodies. With the license now secured, the project has moved into planning and development stages, with construction timelines and permitting processes underway.

The unexpected turn of events

The competition for a downstate casino license had intensified in mid-October 2025. On October 14, MGM Resorts abruptly withdrew its Yonkers bid, citing a shorter-than-expected 15-year license term and rising competition. The following day, Resorts World New York City submitted a supplemental $7.5 billion bid, building on its existing operation at Aqueduct Racetrack and positioning itself as a “shovel-ready” option with a promised 2026 opening. Despite the crowded field, Metropolitan Park ultimately secured one of the three licenses, marking a major win for Steve Cohen and Hard Rock International.

The sequence of events leading up to the Gaming Commission’s decision shaped the Metropolitan Park project’s trajectory. MGM Resorts’ withdrawal removed a major competitor, while Resorts World New York City’s expanded bid had intensified the pressure on remaining applicants. Ultimately, Metropolitan Park emerged successful, demonstrating to the state board that it could deliver economic benefits and jobs efficiently, key considerations in the licensing decision.

The enduring debate

The enduring debate over the project, however, continues. Critics highlight that the casino sits on what is technically state-owned parkland, raising questions about public land use despite prior legislation allowing for its alienation. Opponents also cite potential social risks, including gambling’s impact on nearby immigrant and working-class communities in Flushing and Corona, as well as environmental concerns in the flood-prone area along Flushing Bay. These discussions reflect the ongoing philosophical divide: whether Metropolitan Park will serve as a true community asset or primarily as a profit-driven development with risks to local neighborhoods.

What’s Next for Metropolitan Park?

With the New York State Gaming Commission’s approval on December 15, 2025, Metropolitan Park has moved from proposal to reality, shifting the focus from whether the project will happen to how and when it will be built. The decision concludes years of debate and positions the development as one of the most significant land-use transformations in Queens in decades.

The project will redevelop 50 acres of surface parking lots surrounding Citi Field, home of the New York Mets since 2009, into a large-scale sports and entertainment district anchored by a casino. Mets owner Steve Cohen, who acquired a majority stake in the team in 2020, began pursuing the development shortly after taking control of the franchise, framing the project as a long-term investment in the surrounding community.

Cohen has repeatedly described the redevelopment as a rare opportunity to reimagine land long dominated by asphalt. Following the approval, developers confirmed the project is expected to generate 23,000 union construction and permanent jobs, alongside major public-space and infrastructure improvements.

Hard Rock International Chairman Jim Allen said the development is designed to deliver lasting economic impact while creating a year-round destination for entertainment in Queens.

With the license secured, the project now advances to final permitting, infrastructure coordination, and construction planning. While debates over scale and land use shaped the proposal’s early years, Metropolitan Park’s legacy will now be defined by execution — and by whether it delivers on promises to transform the Mets’ parking lots into a shared civic destination for one of New York City’s most diverse boroughs.