May. 27, 2025 By Shane O’Brien
The New York State Senate has voted overwhelmingly in favor of legislation that would allow Mets owner Steve Cohen and Hard Rock International to transform 50 acres of Citi Field parking lot into Metropolitan Park, an $8 billion entertainment complex anchored by a casino.
On Tuesday, lawmakers voted 54-5 in favor of a parkland alienation bill that would reclassify the parking lot—currently designated as public parkland—into commercial property. The reclassification represents a critical step toward advancing the ambitious development proposal, which sits adjacent to Citi Field in Queens.
The legislation, introduced by State Sen. John Liu at the beginning of April, was narrowly passed by the Senate’s Committee on Cities last month despite none of the seven-member committee voting outright in favor of the bill. A total of four committee members voted to advance the bill without recommendation, while three committee members voted against.
