Coney Island residents slam casino proposal at heated meeting: ‘We just do not want it’
Coney Island residents overwhelmingly voiced opposition to a proposed casino during a heated Wednesday night meeting where developers were put on the defensive.
It was the latest instance of local pushback during the intense competition for a coveted casino license in New York City.
Dozens of locals cited a variety of concerns about a new casino at the meeting, where reps for the project did their best to tout its benefits.
Coney Islanders expressed worries about the potential for crime, congestion, pollution, climate change, gambling addiction, property tax changes and more.
“This project is a travesty,” one speaker fumed. “Please leave us alone!” another remarked. “You can’t come in and give a vague promise of jobs,” said a third.
Many expressed skepticism of developers’ promises of jobs and other economic benefits at the forum, which was hosted by Community Board 13 at a restaurant a stone’s throw from the famous Brooklyn boardwalk.
Not a single member of the public expressed outright support for the plan.
The $3 billion project, dubbed “The Coney,” would include a casino, waterpark, hotels, a museum and more. It has been put forward by a coalition including real estate investment firm Thor Equities; Legends Hospitality Group, which serves venues including Yankee Stadium and One World Observatory; the Chickasaw Nation, a Native American tribe that operates 23 casinos in Oklahoma; and Saratoga Casino Hotel, a company based upstate.
Project reps did their best to defend The Coney and clear up what they said were perceived misconceptions about the process.
“It’s never easy to come to a meeting where so many people are opposing something,” said consultant Michael DeLoach.
“We’re taking everything in that you’re saying. There are some really strong reasons for concern and we’re going to work with you and demonstrate that this project will deliver for the community.”
The road ahead for the bid is a long one, and their application process is only in its infancy. It’s one of several bids around downstate New York locked in fierce competition for a coveted $500 million casino license from the state’s Gaming Facility Location Board.
Two of the three slots are widely expected to go to existing “racinos” in Queens and Yonkers. Other casino proposals around the city, at locations like Times Square and near the United Nations in Midtown, have also met with local opposition.
CB 13 Chair Lucy Mujica Diaz served as emcee at Wednesday’s raucous forum. Speaking in her capacity as a Coney Island resident, she summed up the sentiments of many of the night’s speakers.
“We’ve heard nothing but negativity. We’ve heard nothing but people not wanting this project here,” she said, rebutting a referenced petition circulated by The Coney that gained over 3,300 signatures of support.
“I have not seen or heard from one person in this room of those 3,000. They should have been filling that room up … We just do not want it.”
