Cohen’s Citi Field Renaissance: Billionaire Owner’s Ambitious Vision for a Revitalized Stadium Area Takes a Giant Leap Forward, Promising to Transform the Fan Experience and Community Landscape
The New York Mets have one of the most popular ballparks in the country, as Citi Field has drawn rave reviews for its food and unique baseball atmosphere.
But the area around Citi Field, as anyone who has taken the journey to Flushing in recent years can attest, leaves plenty to be desired.
Mets’ owner Steve Cohen has been championing a revitalization of the area around Citi Field, which was infamously surrounded by chop shops for years, into more of a mixed-used development in a similar manner to The Battery around Atlanta’s Truist Park. That vision moved one step closer to reality over the weekend thanks to a key approval from the New York City council.
The Metropolitan Park project received approvals for its zoning by a vote of 41-2 from the city council, an important step in the development process. In addition to a casino, Cohen’s proposed complex would feature multiple bars and restaurants, a hotel, and a public park.
While the near-unanimous vote is a good sign for the chances of shovels going into the dirt, the project still faces some opposition from environmentalists and activists worried about gambling addictions from the attached casino.
Cohen is hoping to be awarded one of three casino licenses New York State is planning to hand out by the end of the year. There are concerns about the presence of a casino in the heart of New York City leading to an increase in gambling addictions, but the proposal does include an earmarked $25 million towards addiction and mental health services.
The majority of the project would be built upon Citi Field’s existing parking lots and surrounding land that would be bought up, which would include new parking garages to accommodate fans who drive to the games. While available spaces for cars would be reduced, the working theory would see less of a rush to leave the lots after the game with more entertainment options available for fans to enjoy.
