Cities 1 committee approves bill to discontinue Flushing Meadows–Corona Park parking lot to let potential casino proposal proceed

The Standing Committee on Cities 1 approved a bill by Senator John Liu authorizing the discontinuance of certain parkland in Flushing Meadows–Corona Park, a measure supporters say would permit a potential casino proposal to move forward with the state gaming commission.

Senator John Liu, the bill’s sponsor, told the committee the site in question has been used as a large concrete parking lot for decades and that the leaseholder of the land — the owner of the Mets stadium lease — is proposing a commercial complex that could include a casino, hotel, new public park and other amenities.

"This bill will allow one of the potential casino proposals to move forward with the gaming commission by allowing them to use what has for decades been a very large concrete parking lot and use that for commercial purposes," Liu said. "What is envisioned by the owner of the lease ... they are proposing a very large commercial complex which includes a casino, hotel, new public park, and other amenities."

Liu said the proposal would be conditional: the public amenities he described, including a new pedestrian crossing over Flushing Creek that he called the "Flushing Skypark," an overhaul of a 7 train station, and park improvements, would be built only if the bidder wins one of the three Downstate casino licenses the gaming commission plans to award. "All of the amenities ... are contingent upon this bidder ... getting one of those three licenses," he said.

Committee members asked how parking capacity would be replaced if the parking lot were discontinued. Senator Farsaag asked specifically, "Where will you be replacing the parking spaces?" Liu replied the parcel is legally parkland but in practice has functioned as a parking lot for decades and that the leaseholder retains rights to use it absent a change approved by the city and state.

Liu also estimated the proposal would create "tens of thousands" of construction and operating jobs and said the project has support from trade unions and service unions, remarks that committee members noted during discussion.

Opponents in the committee registered votes against the bill during the roll call. Committee leadership counted the votes and declared the bill passed, with the committee recording four members in favor and three opposed.

The bill authorizes the formal discontinuance of the identified parkland so that a proposal could be presented to the state gaming commission; it does not itself approve any development or license. Liu and other members repeatedly distinguished the discontinuance measure from project approvals, noting that the actual project and any license would be decided later by the gaming commission and by subsequent city or state approvals as applicable.

The committee approved the bill; no further committee action scheduling was recorded during the meeting.