Boardwalk casino empire
Coney Island is already home to one of the world’s biggest gambles — the rickety, wooden and ancient Cyclone rollercoaster — so a casino seems a natural fit.
Bidders for one of the city’s coveted few casino licenses released their vision Friday for just what that would look like.
A dazzling “Coney” casino and hotel would be erected just steps from the storied Brooklyn boardwalk and beach, located smack between the iconic Cyclone and Wonder Wheel, renderings show.
A sleek, glass-enclosed hotel with a multicolored rooftop would be built behind the casino. The plan also includes a convention hall.
The renderings were released by
a Coney Island consortium vying for one of three downstate licenses, which includes developer Thor Equities, gaming operators Saratoga Casino Holdings and The Chickasaw Nation and Legends, the sports and entertainment firm co-owned by the Yankees.
Iconic location
The consortium also released an image of the casino’s black-andwhite logo: “The Coney Casino Resort & Resort Entertainment District. Brooklyn.”
The gaming facility both spruces up and fits in with the existing Coney Island boardwalk, said Robert Cornegy, a former Brooklyn councilman who is a consultant with the consortium.
“I am pleased with the way the buildings blend in with the boardwalk and streetscape,” said Cornegy.
He said the proposed casino, if approved, would supercharge the boardwalk — anchored at one end by the New York Aquarium and the other by Maimonides Park, the stadium for the Mets’ minor league Cyclones baseball team.
The casino will have a Las Vegaslike entertainment hall where visitors can see top performers, and a nearby convention hall would provide space for events for businesses in southern Brooklyn, which currently lacks a large venue.
The project would be a jobs booster for the area, Cornegy said.
“We have a responsibility to bring economic development to underserved communities. The
Coney casino does that,” he said.
But other gaming operators have other locations in mind.
Gaming giant Bally’s is betting on The Bronx — proposing a casino on the Trump Organization’s public golf course at Ferry Point.
The owners of the existing slots parlors at the Aqueduct race track in Ozone Park, Queens, and Yonkers race track — Genting/ Resorts World and MGM’s Empire City — are expected to submit bids to expand to include table games.
Mets owner Steve Cohen is eyeing a casino near the team’s stadium in Flushing, Queens. Others planning bids include the Steve RossRelated Companies/Wynn Resorts partnership for Hudson Yards and the SL Green/Caesars Entertainment team in Times Square.