Queens Casino Proposal Deals Sen. Jessica Ramos a Tough Hand
The fate of a Queens casino proposal lies in the hands of an Albany politician mulling a run for mayor.
In the next few weeks, State Senator Jessica Ramos will decide whether to support an $8 billion casino plan in her district. Mets owner Steve Cohen wants to build the project on public parkland next to Citi Field, and this requires state legislation.
“Whether or not this bill comes before the state Senate, even gets introduced, now is completely her decision,” said Astrid Aune, the senator’s deputy chief of staff.
Ramos, who is said to be thinking about challenging Eric Adams in the Democratic primary for mayor next year, has held three packed town halls to gauge community support.
Locals from Flushing, Corona, and Jackson Heights are concerned about increased traffic, construction time, and the loss of green space. Many are actively protesting.
“At this point, we’re just very surprised and confused as to why she hasn’t come out strongly against it,” said Nabil Khatri, a member of the Flushing Anti-Displacement Alliance.
To counter Cohen’s casino, the FED-UP coalition has designed an alternative plan called Phoenix Meadows for Ramos to consider. Their proposal seeks to protect the park.
“It is a plan created for the community by the community. And it does not allow any billionaires, any real estate, or luxury corporate interests to gain traction because this is public parkland, and the land belongs to the people,” said Ashley Wu from FED-UP.
But Cohen promises that the casino will create 15,000 union jobs and that he will invest $1 billion in the community.
His spokesperson, Karl Rickett, says this includes adding transit options and improving Willets Point station. But according to a recent poll, over half of Ramos’s constituency opposes Cohen’s plan.
The senator will announce her decision by the end of the legislative session in June.
If you live near Citi Field and want your voice heard, call Senator Ramos’s Jackson Heights office number with the number listed here: 718-205-3881.
Ashley was raised in Philadelphia, PA, but soon spread her wings as a college ice hockey player, influencing her start in sports journalism. She most recently lived in Maui, HI, working with the Hawaiian Land Trust, and now thrives in the high-speed environment of New York as a political reporter for City Newsroom.