New renderings are out for the planned Metropolitan Park and Hard Rock Hotel and Casino complex in Queens — and the reviews are mixed.
The images were displayed on Tuesday in a meeting of the city’s Public Design Commission, which is reviewing the plans for the sprawling site adjacent to Citi Field in Willets Point.
Renderings of the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino Metropolitan Park development by Citi Field in Queens.
Public Design Commission
The more than $8 billion project is one of three downstate casinos licensed by the New York State Gaming Commission last year. The Metropolitan Park project is one of two in Queens; the other, Resorts World, is up and running at the aqueduct and undergoing an expansion. In the Bronx, a Bally’s casino is planned for Ferry Point Park.
SHoP Architects and Field Operations — two design firms working on the project — walked commissioners and curious members of the public through the designs. After more than three hours of public testimony, the panel opted to table its vote on the proposed design, citing a need for more information about the project’s stormwater management plan.
Renderings of the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino Metropolitan Park development by Citi Field in Queens.
Public Design Commission
“Democracy doesn’t exist without participation and we are very grateful for everyone’s participation here,” Deborah Marton, the president of the New York City Design Commission, told the gathering.
While some at the gathering praised the project as a welcome attraction. It is expected to generate 23,000 union jobs, 25 acres of green space, infrastructure improvements, and a revamped 7-line train station. But some louder voices were also heard.
Renderings of the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino Metropolitan Park development by Citi Field in Queens.
Public Design Commission
The meeting followed a rally Tuesday morning on the steps of City Hall, where a group of New Yorkers, led by the group Queens Anti-Casino, demanded the Public Design Commission vote against Metropolitan Park’s preliminary review. The group argued that the design plan would subject neighbors to overburdened infrastructure and climate injustice.
Commission members later pointed out that their role wasn’t to undo plans for the casino; rather, the panel’s charge is to advocate for the equitable design of public spaces, including permanent structures and landscape architecture.
Spokespeople for the project, Gregg Pasquarelli and James Tenyenhuis, presented changes to the resort’s design plan, including adding more glass panels, wider walkways, and repositioning a bike path. Commissioners provided feedback on the changes, in addition to other concerns brought by the public.
The design team working on the sprawling space is expected to return before the Commission at a later date.