A New York City casino proposal that would net a nine-figure windfall for President Donald Trump is one step closer to becoming a reality after Mayor Eric Adams cleared the path for City Council approval Wednesday.
Ferry Point Park, the Bronx parkland that a City Council majority voted to alienate for a proposed casino.
Rhode Island-based Bally’s proposed casino in Throggs Neck would add a 500-room hotel, retail space, a 2,000-seat event center and almost 5,000 parking spaces, in addition to the 500K SF gaming facility.
The Northeast Bronx casino would be built in Ferry Points Park and needs both state and city approval for “parkland alienation” — where lawmakers relinquish the land’s designation as a park to allow for development — to move ahead. Following a 32-12 City Council vote, Bally’s now only has to get state legislators on board.
Recent rezonings in the Bronx neighborhood have been controversial. The measure was passed over local member Kristy Marmorato’s objection, but just one other Bronx council member, Pierina Sanchez, voted in favor of the proposal with seven abstentions.
With the golf course it bought from Trump in 2023, Bally’s is vying for one of three downstate casino licenses expected to be awarded by the state this year. If it secures the license, it would result in a $115M payout to the president’s family business, The New York Times previously reported.
Adams — who was indicted on federal bribery charges before the Trump administration dismissed the case — issued a message of support for the proposal shortly before Wednesday’s vote, which meant that the proposal needed just 26 votes instead of a two-thirds majority to pass, The City reported.
The mayor wants multiple competitive bids within the five boroughs and isn’t endorsing one proposal over another, spokesperson William Fowler told The City.
“It does not matter which proposal is selected by the state so long as it’s in New York City,” Fowler said in a statement. “We would be supportive of more than one selection in New York City, but that requires more than one competitive proposal.”
The state-level bill is still in the Assembly committee stage at present and has yet to be assigned a calendar date for Assembly or Senate hearings. Applications to the state’s Gaming Commission are due at the end of this month, although developers have until Sept. 30 to resolve any land disputes.
Three downstate licenses are up for grabs, although two are widely expected to be awarded to the existing Resorts World and Empire City racinos.
State lawmakers previously voted in favor of parkland alienation for Steve Cohen’s casino proposal close to Citi Field at the end of May, even after the local state Sen. Jessica Ramos attempted to block the move.
The vote means Cohen’s proposal for an $8B casino project featuring a live music venue, a Queens-centric food hall and a partnership with Slate Property Group to add affordable housing to the area is firmly in the hunt.
Other contenders in the race include Soloviev Group’s $10B proposal for a 250K SF casino near the United Nations Plaza, plus affordable housing and a museum, and Thor Equities’ Coney Island proposal featuring a 92K SF convention center and a live music venue.
There’s also Silverstein Properties’ bid, which would see a 46-story mixed-use complex rise at 11th Avenue and West 46th Street in partnership with Rush Gaming. Plus, SL Green is pushing ahead with its Times Square casino proposal — even as local groups and lawmakers push back.
But some bids have fallen apart as the deadline draws closer.
In April, Saks Fifth Avenue announced that it was abandoning its proposal to build a three-story casino on top of its Midtown department store, with the company’s executives instead focusing on “other strategic priorities,” Crain’s New York Business reported.
Wynn Resorts announced last month that it was pulling out of its proposed Hudson Yards casino with Related Cos. and Oxford Properties, citing the cost of rezoning and local opposition. The developers are pursuing a $12B housing-focused project over the Western Rail Yards without the casino.
