Steve Cohen, Hard Rock Officially Get Casino License
The New York State Gaming Commission officially approved the license for Steve Cohen’s Metropolitan Park casino next to Citi Field. The Gaming Facility Location Board recommended on December 1 that Hard Rock at Metropolitan Park receive a license from the Gaming Commission, leaving the awardee one final test of passing a “character and fitness test” from the Gaming Commission. In addition, each project had to pay a $500 million license fee.
Bally’s Bronx and Resorts World New York City also received a full casino license.
Per the executive summary provided by Metropolitan Park, construction will start in January 2026 with a targeted opening date of June 2030.
Below are a few of the many planned venues for Metropolitan Park:
- Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
- Taste of Queens Food Hall (20 local food vendors)
- Live entertainment venue
- Convention center
- Retail area and restaurants
- Three multi-story parking garages
- Expansive outdoor space for athletic fields, festivals, events, and markets
The casino itself will be immersive. It includes 286,208 feet of gaming space, which holds 5,000 slot machines, 375 live dealer tables, 30 poker tables, and 18,381 square feet dedicated to sportsbook betting and bars.
The non-gaming experience will also be integral. Attached to the casino will be a Hard Rock Live theater venue with 5,650 seats, 18 food and beverage venues, 38,459 square feet that includes a spa, pool, and fitness space, 97,564 square feet dedicated to conference and meeting spaces, approximately 20,00 square feet dedicated to retail space, and 1,000 total hotel rooms, with 393 of those rooms being suites.
The multi-story parking garages are expected to increase the parking capacity from 7,750 to 13,750.
The Hard Rock Metropolitan Park project will create 17,100 direct construction jobs, approximately 6,000 permanent jobs, and 2,000 part-time jobs for the community. Once up and running, the resort is estimated to generate $33.5 billion in new tax revenue over 30 years and $6.6 billion annually in economic impact.
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