Two recent polls show Mets owner Steve Cohen's plan to build Metropolitan Park, a casino gambling and entertainment complex, in the parking lot west of Citi Field, where Shea Stadium once stood. , showing very different results.
QNS file photo
Amid the coronavirus pandemic, New York Mets owner Steve Cohen's proposed $8 billion casino and entertainment complex was built on top of a public park that once housed Shea Stadium, before plans were in full swing. New laws would be needed to allow construction.
State Sen. Jessica Ramos, who represents the district, has not yet decided whether to pass the bill in Albany.
Recent polls commissioned by both sides gauging support from local residents for the billionaire's Metropolitan Park plan yielded diametrically opposed results.
A poll Mr. Cohen and Hard Rock International carded last Tuesday showed strong support across Queens for the Metropolitan Park complex, which would be built in the parking lot west of Citi Field.
After sharing details of the project and announcing more than $1 billion in community benefits, a Queen's Future survey showed support of more than 80% across the borough, leading to a new Hard Rock venue with live music venue and casino gaming. When asked about hotels, 76% supported the district. -wide.
A Metropolitan Park spokesperson said: “For more than three years, we have worked closely with local leaders and the community to seek input to create a shared vision for the Metropolitan Park.” . “This project represents the feedback we received through hundreds of meetings and thousands of conversations, and the more people who live and work in Queens see and hear about Metropolitan Park, the more support it will garner. is for this reason.”
The proposal is conditional on the approval of one of the three County Down casino licenses the state is expected to award at the end of 2025, and requires Mr Ramos to introduce a park alienation law in Albany. become. The Queen's Future survey was conducted by pollster Doug Schoen from March 15 to March 23 and interviewed 600 registered voters in Queens, including 250 registered voters in Ramos' 13th Senate District.
It was found that 75% of SD-13 voters supported the project, with 62% approving a Hard Rock Hotel with a live music venue and casino gaming as part of the project. When it comes to jobs, parks, and entertainment, 62% of SD-13 voters say there is a lack of entertainment options, 58% say there is a lack of public parks, and 77% say there is a lack of well-paying jobs. The answer is yes. .
The survey also found that 31% of SD-13 voters said they were less likely to vote for Ramos if he opposed the project, compared to 31% who said they were more likely to vote for Ramos. It was only 14%.
Meanwhile, Ramos dismissed the Metropolitan Park poll and released his own findings. City Among them, 61% said they didn't want to see a full casino anywhere in Queens, and 75% said they didn't want a casino in their neighborhood. The poll was conducted by consulting firm Slingshot Strategies and paid for at a cost of $27,500 by a donor that Ramos declined to disclose to both QNS and Citi. Ramos has also launched an email survey with voters to consider when deciding whether to introduce park alienation legislation.
“At my third town hall in February, I promised my neighbors that we would make a decision by the end of the year. [the legislative] session,” Ramos told QNS. “So, since the session ends in early June, I think it would be reasonable to announce a decision in mid-May.”
When asked about City Councilman Francisco Moya's announcement last week that he supports the Metropolitan Park proposal, Ramos said with a laugh: time. “
Before being elected to the Senate as chair of the Labor Committee, Ramos was a strong labor union advocate who worked with Build Up NYC to fight for New York City's construction, building, and hotel maintenance workers. be.
A letter sent to her in February from eight prominent union leaders imploring her to do everything in her power to make Metropolitan Park a reality, along with more than 15,000 well-paid full-time and construction workers. When asked about her promise to create jobs, she said: Projects should be united, from shovels to brooms. ”