New York State Senator Jessica Ramos recently expressed her firm opposition to the proposal for a casino at Citi Field, pushed by the owner of the New York Mets, Steve Cohen, in partnership with Hard Rock. Despite her strong stance against the project, Ramos acknowledged that she may not have the power to prevent the state Senate from passing a bill allowing the conversion of parkland for a casino.
As a local state senator, Ramos has consistently refused to introduce legislation to change the land use over the past two years, citing the opposition from residents in her district towards the development.
According to the New York Post, she emphasized, “This is my community. The end of Roosevelt Avenue should not be a casino. It should not be next to the 7 train subway exit, which will be a visual and psychological impact on every resident’s daily commute.” She noted that the area has many low-income families and elderly residents, and the establishment of a casino could lead to seniors gambling with their social security or retirement income. If economic losses occur, the government will have to use public resources for cleanup, and “taxpayers cannot afford the social support needed for our seniors who have lost their living expenses due to gambling.”
Ramos believes that having a casino open year-round at the community’s doorstep will have long-term impacts on local security, family structure, and small business environment. She mentioned that since 2023, she has held three community town hall meetings, conducted multiple online surveys and polls, with results showing that “about three-quarters of voters clearly oppose this casino project.”
While Ramos rejects the proposal, a small part of the project falls within the district of State Senator John Liu, who has expressed support for the casino development and introduced legislation to change the land use.
In an interview with the New York Post, Ramos stated, “I don’t know if I have the ability to block this legislation. The bill will either pass or not. But either way, I have clearly expressed my position.”
She added that regardless of the final vote outcome, Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins and key figures in New York City politics are well aware of her staunch opposition to this project.