Bally’s is rolling the dice on The Bronx after shelling out nearly $157 million for a slice of waterfront parkland where it plans to build a massive casino resort.
Property records show the Rhode Island-based gaming company paid about $156.6 million to the city for nearly 20 acres at Ferry Point Park near the base of the Whitestone Bridge, securing the key parcel for its proposed $4 billion Bally’s Bronx development.
The deal, which went into contract in November and closed Feb. 13, gives the company control of land currently used for the golf course clubhouse and parking areas, along with nearby roadways that will serve as the main approach to the future complex, Crains first reported.
Nearly 20 acres of waterfront parkland in The Bronx tied to the former Trump-run Ferry Point golf course have been sold to a casino developer for about $156.6 million, according to newly filed city records. AP
The purchase shows Bally’s is moving forward with its $4 billion Bally’s Bronx casino resort plan at Ferry Point Park near the Whitestone Bridge, according to newly filed property records. Bally’s Bronx
The course had previously been run by the Trump Organization after opening in 2015, but the company sold its operating rights to Bally’s for $60 million.
The planned resort would feature a roughly 500,000-square-foot casino, a 500-room hotel and a 2,000-seat arena-style entertainment venue, all housed in a sweeping structure overlooking the East River beside the park’s existing 18-hole golf course.
Bally’s chairman Soo Kim has pledged that the project will also funnel more than $160 million into improvements for the surrounding 414-acre waterfront park and the Throggs Neck neighborhood, with early plans calling for new pathways, upgraded playgrounds and expanded landscaping.
Renderings show it will feature a roughly 500,000-square-foot gaming hall, a 500-room hotel and a 2,000-seat entertainment venue alongside the existing 18-hole golf course. Bally’s Bronx
The purchase, which closed Feb. 13, also includes nearby roadways that will provide access to the development. Bally’s Bronx
The acquisition also formally transfers control of the golf course to Bally’s, which has operated the facility since 2024 under the name Bally’s Links.
Under the terms of the land deal, Bally’s must begin construction within about 18 months. The company is targeting a late-summer start, though the project still requires a zoning change before work can begin.
That land-use approval has already sparked political drama. Last year the City Council voted to block the rezoning needed for the casino project, but then-Mayor Eric Adams revived the proposal weeks later by vetoing the measure.
The developer has pledged more than $160 million toward improvements to the surrounding 414-acre park and the Throggs Neck neighborhood, including upgraded playgrounds, new paths and landscaping. Brigitte Stelzer
The golf course, which opened in 2015 and was previously operated by the Trump Organization before its rights were sold in 2024, is now under the control of the casino developer as the project moves toward construction, pending final zoning approvals. Bally’s Bronx
The Bronx proposal ultimately beat out a crowded field of competitors to become one of three projects selected by the New York State Gaming Commission for coveted downstate casino licenses. The other two proposals are both in Queens — the Metropolitan Park plan near Citi Field and an expansion of Resorts World near JFK Airport.
As part of a related agreement tied to the purchase, Bally’s also paid the city roughly $4.6 million for an easement that allows it to access sections of Ferry Point Park during construction and infrastructure upgrades.