According to the Post the Wilpons wanted to build a casino at Willets Point.
I’m going to wait until the dust settles before I comment.
….
Update: a group called Willets Point United says
It’s outrageous, that the joint venture of Sterling/Related responded to the City’s Request for Proposals (RFP) seeking a Willets Point developer, with a proposal that would construct NO housing whatsoever (affordable or otherwise), and that deliberately minimizes remediation of Willets Point property to the greatest possible extent – thus failing to deliver the two key ‘benefits’ that were said to justify the project’s approval during 2008. But most disturbingly, Sterling/Related instead proposed to construct a 450,000 square foot gaming facility/casino – and to do so on 30+ acres of parkland property that is beyond the bounds of Willets Point and that was mentioned nowhere within the RFP. The Willets Point development was never envisioned or presented to decision-makers as a casino-centric project. That the Sterling/Related joint venture proposed to convert it into one, and to expand the project’s boundaries to encompass nearly all property surrounding Citi Field (whose New York Mets’ owners also own Sterling Equities, Inc.), underscores that the Willets Point development is merely a pretext for the owners of the Mets to consolidate property surrounding the stadium, and exploit it for their maximum profit.
And a blog called A Walk In The Park says
Their plan included a “world-class” casino which would introduce a portfolio of “Class III casino games to New York City” including slot machines and table games, live concerts, theatre and sporting events; a 1.8 million-square-foot shopping mall with department stores, restaurants and cafes, movie theaters, and bowling alleys; a 31-story, 500-room hotel, with restaurants, bars, a ballroom and a rooftop “pool club,” and parking for 13,500 people including valet and VIP access areas.
“Views from the tower back to the New York Skyline and out over the Citi Field would be among the most unique and unforgettable in the City,” the proposal gushed.
The plan also included building a pedestrian bridge to help deliver gamblers from Flushing to the sprawling complex.
You can build a 31 story building that close to LaGuardia?
