Arguments were offered for and against a Brooklyn proposal offered by a development partnership.
The Coney, the proposal of Thor Equities, Legends Entertainment and the Chickasaw Nation for a casino on the famous Coney Island, has generated deep divisions among the local Brooklyn population. This was evident Wednesday (19 March) in a public hearing held by the city Planning Commission.
The meeting was attended by locals on both sides of the issue — supporters of the project, who favor the job creation and economic stimulus the casino promises, and opponents who are afraid of increased traffic, disruption and crime.
Dan Kaplan, a senior partner at FXCollaborative who led the presentation, said the project is “rooted in the history and spirit of Coney Island. … It is the birthplace of the great American amusement park, the original entertainment district,” according to the Gothamist website. Kaplan added that a casino would transform the resort from a seasonal tourist attraction “into a vibrant year-round destination”.
Proponents also emphasised the estimated 4,500 union construction jobs and 4,000 permanent gaming and hospitality jobs promised by the partners. “These youngsters and adults alike, they need jobs,” said Derick Latif Scott, who works with “high-risk individuals” in the neighborhood. “And who else is there to do it for them?”
Increase feared in traffic, crime
The meeting also drew critics who held up signs opposing the project.
Marissa Solomon, a resident of the nearby Luna Park Houses, said the project would bring “ an incredible increase in traffic noise, pollution and crime” to the area, the Gothamist reported.
“You’ll be destroying the entire culture and 150-year history of Coney Island, replacing the one and only Coney Island with just another casino,” Solomon objected.
The 1.3 million-square-foot project would be located between the Cyclone and Wonder Wheel Coney Island attractions. It would include a 353,000-square-foot gaming facility as well as a hotel, convention center and retail space. The development would also hold a 20,000-square-foot food hall featuring local vendors, more than 100,000 square feet of “open rooftop space” and 1,500 parking spaces.
It is one of 11 projects announced as vying for three available New York downstate casino licences. Formal bids are due by June.
Own a piece of Ferry Point
In other New York casino news, Bally’s Corp. announced that it is giving local Bronx residents a chance to buy shares in Bally’s Links at Ferry Point. That proposal features a casino on golf course land formerly owned by President Donald Trump’s company.
Bronx residents can own up to 10% of the gaming facility, said Bally’s Corp. chairman Soo Kim. Customers would be able to invest as little as $250 and get leverage from the Bally’s Foundation, so that if the casino performs well they can make many multiples of their money.
It’s the same model Kim is using at the Bally’s Chicago casino that is expected to open in 2026.
The $2.5 billion casino resort proposed by Bally’s would join the 17-acre, award-winning Jack Nicklaus-designed golf course on the waterfront parcel where the East River meets Long Island Sound. Bally’s has estimated the project would create 15,000 construction jobs and more than 3,500 permanent, high-paying union jobs with salaries starting at $70,000.
The project still needs an act of the legislature to authorise a casino on what is now classified as parkland.
