The competition for New York's coveted casino licenses has narrowed significantly, with only three contenders remaining in the race after several high-profile proposals were rejected in recent months. Following the September rejection of competing casino proposals by BIG and CetraRuddy in Manhattan, as well as Thor Equities' bid for a Coney Island boardwalk casino, the final three casino contenders are now MGM Empire City in Yonkers, Resorts World New York City at the Aqueduct Racetrack in Queens, and Metropolitan Park at Willets Point, also in Queens.
The Hard Rock at Metropolitan Park proposal, backed by New York Mets owner Steve Cohen, has garnered significant attention with its ambitious design plans created by SHoP Architects and Field Operations. The $8 billion integrated resort would feature a casino, entertainment facilities, live music venue, food halls, and extensive dining options, all built atop 50 acres of existing parking near Citi Field. The project aims to make substantial improvements to the public realm surrounding the baseball stadium, transforming the area into a comprehensive entertainment destination.
SHoP Architects and Field Operations initially shared renderings of the casino complex in September 2024, and Cohen received unanimous approval from the Community Advisory Committee on September 30, 2025, for the casino proposal. The design team recently provided updated landscape architecture renderings and detailed project information to the Public Design Commission Committee for preliminary review, according to documents dated October 21.
Despite the Community Advisory Committee's unanimous approval, the project faces significant opposition from local residents and political figures. Over 200 people attended an anti-casino town hall in Flushing, Queens, this past weekend to voice their opposition to State Senator John Liu's support for the project. State Senator Jessica Ramos expressed strong opposition at the town hall, stating, "Even though I'm sure [Cohen] and his team think they have it in the bag, they absolutely do not. There is no reason why the Gaming Facilities Board has to do three licenses. They can say they will only do two licenses. We can stop this altogether."
The updated renderings reveal extensive green spaces and pedestrian corridors paved with permeable precast concrete, complete with park furniture throughout the development. At the heart of the campus will be Shea Lawn, a shared space designed to pay homage to the former Shea Stadium where the Mets previously played. A main promenade will serve to unite the mixed-use campus into a cohesive whole, according to the architects.
The landscape design features a rich variety of planting typologies across the park, with particular focus on seasonal interest, specimen plantings, and colorful perennial gardens. The density of plantings varies depending on the type of garden, with trees strategically placed where sightlines are critical and shrub layouts carefully shaped to accommodate them. A triangular plant bed at what the proposal calls the South Gateway will guide visitors exiting the 7 Train toward either the casino or Citi Field.
Design elements throughout the development pay tribute to both the Mets and the site's historical significance. Pinstripes in the pavement echo Mets uniforms, while other materials in the palette reference the 1939 World's Fair that was held at the site decades ago. A massive New York Mets logo would be embedded into the plaza directly outside the subway station and in front of the baseball stadium. According to the design team, "The inclusion of the New York Logo in the plaza design at the Mets-Willets Point MTA station directly responds to PDC direction to reflect the team's legacy in the city; limited to the station frontage at Citi Field, the design was supported by commissioners as an important placemaking and wayfinding element."
The redevelopment scheme includes comprehensive plans to improve access to the site, beginning with the Mets-Willets Point subway station, which currently has several non-ADA compliant ramps and frequently experiences overcrowding on game days. The station redesign will reconfigure ramps to meet code compliance and provide elevators connecting the train platform to the paid platform. New public restrooms will flank the plaza facing the subway station, and swaths of land under the elevated 7 Train could be transformed with new greenery.
The Hard Rock resort's architectural design takes visual cues from Citi Field's curvature to ensure clear wayfinding from the subway station. The building facade has been updated from previous design plans to feature more pronounced fluting, with the design team noting that the cladding "abstracts musical frequency displays." Renderings show the resort facility fronted with a large elevated porte cochère entry, while a Hard Rock logo is displayed on a gilded, art deco-inspired board crowning the resort tower.
Along Roosevelt Avenue, which runs south of the complex, new bike lanes, sports facilities, greenery, and other amenities will populate the busy thoroughfare. Adjacent to the reimagined streetscape, the design team envisions numerous new sports fields and lawn spaces, with exact programming to be determined in collaboration with the Department of Parks and Recreation.
The opposition to the project continues to organize, with leaders planning a Community Rally Against the Casino protest outside the Queens Public Library's Flushing branch on November 16. Meanwhile, casino licenses are expected to be awarded by December 31, making the coming weeks crucial for all remaining contenders in New York's competitive casino licensing process.
