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Queens residents and anti-casino activists rallied outside City Hall on Tuesday morning, Oct. 20. They urged the city’s Public Design Commission to reject preliminary design plans for Metropolitan Park, the more than $8 billion casino, hotel and entertainment complex proposed next to Citi Field by Mets owner Steve Cohen and Hard Rock International, CBS News New York reported.
The group Queens Anti-Casino led the protest.
Design panel tables vote over stormwater
After more than three hours of public testimony, the commission voted unanimously to table its decision. It said it needed more information about the project’s stormwater management plan. It set no date for another vote, though the design team is expected to return. Tabling means the panel postponed its decision without approving or rejecting the design.
The commission reviewed only one section of the project: the stairway and balcony area facing the public park planned between the casino and Citi Field. Members said their role is not to undo the casino plans but to advocate for equitable public-space design. Commissioner Kenseth Armstead went further. He said he felt increasingly uncomfortable with a casino next to a public park and suggested the commission had an obligation to reject the project.
The New York State Gaming Commission awarded Metropolitan Park one of three downstate casino licenses in 2025. The others went to Resorts World, which is already operating at Aqueduct and expanding, and Bally’s in the Bronx.
Hard Rock Metropolitan Park construction continues
The delay does not halt the project. Metropolitan Park spokesperson Karl Rickett said construction is “well underway,” according to Gothamist. The Queens Ledger reported that work began earlier this year.
The design team had returned with changes after commissioners criticized the plan at an August meeting for limited public accessibility and inadequate pedestrian infrastructure. The updated plan adds glass panels, widens walkways and repositions a bike path. Rickett said the developers doubled the width of the public walkway, added an escalator, and changed the building’s glass facade after commissioners called it too dark.
What opponents want from the city
In an Oct. 14 letter to the commission, Queens Anti-Casino asked commissioners to reject the preliminary design submissions. The group also called for restarting public engagement with a “meaningful public review” that is fair, accessible to working-class residents and held before decisions are made.
The letter further asked for a new environmental impact statement, which assesses how a project could affect its surroundings. It should address coastal resiliency, meaning how well the area can withstand rising sea levels and worsening flooding.
At a press conference outside City Hall, activists directed their demands to Mayor Zohran Mamdani and the commission. Speakers noted that city rules allow the commission to request additional materials and call special meetings, the Queens Ledger reported.
Opponents cite flooding, health and process concerns
The letter describes Metropolitan Park as one of the largest development projects in Queens history. Opponents say it would put a Hard Rock Casino and luxury resort on public land in working-class immigrant communities.
Flooding is a central worry. Cody Herrmann of Guardians of Flushing Bay said the site sits in historic wetlands surrounded by Flushing Meadows Corona Park, which the Ledger described as one of the city’s most flood-prone parks. Opponents also say gambling would harm public health.
Others question the project’s promises, such as jobs and community funding. At a 2025 public hearing, Annie Lowe, an attorney with the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund, called the developer’s promised benefits “a myth.” Opponents worry those benefits cannot be enforced.
Jack Hu, a lead organizer with Queens Anti-Casino, accused the developer of buying support through donations to nonprofits and elected officials. The developer has pointed to more than 30 public meetings and the backing of six Queens community boards, the Ledger reported.
A lawsuit filed by Queens Anti-Casino and other groups remains pending. It alleges that the public engagement process excluded dissenting voices and violated state standards.
What the Queens casino project says it will deliver
Backers say Metropolitan Park will turn land long used for parking into public benefits. According to the project’s application, the plan includes 25 acres of public park space and athletic fields. It also promises roughly $1 billion in community benefits, including a $163 million impact fund and $50 million for health, youth and senior services.
