Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
New renderings are out for Queens' Metropolitan Park casino
By
Willow Higgins
Published Oct 20, 2026 at 4:40 p.m. ET
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
Public Design Commission
By
Willow Higgins
Published Oct 20, 2026 at 4:40 p.m. ET
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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.
Tagged
citi field
economy
queens
willets point
Willow Higgins
Willow Higgins covers changes in New York City neighborhoods for WNYC and Gothamist. She has previously reported on wrongful convictions, corruption in district attorney offices and Texas' child welfare system.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
Coney Island's small, 1890s lighthouse may be landmarked by the city
It's in the private community of Sea Gate. Family members of the lighthouse's last civilian keeper are keeping its history alive.
By
Catalina Gonella
Published Oct 20, 2026 at 4:41 p.m. ET
Inside Luigi Mangione's legal strategy before his federal guilty plea
Newly unsealed transcripts and court filings reveal how his lawyers weighed a mental health defense — and the risk it could have posed to his federal case.
By
Samantha Max
News
Inside Luigi Mangione's legal strategy before his federal guilty plea
Newly unsealed transcripts and court filings reveal how his lawyers weighed a mental health defense — and the risk it could have posed to his federal case.
By
Samantha Max
NYC proposes crackdown down on AI customer service chatbots
By
Arya Sundaram
Early Addition: There's a new hot duck, this time in Queens
By
James Ramsay
NYPD hate crime unit investigates smashed windows, ‘Pal Action’ graffiti at UES Capital One
By
Ryan Kost
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .