Casino Proposal by Bally's for Bronx Remains intact following NYC Mayor's Overturn of Council's Decision
Bally's Bronx Casino Project Moves Forward After Mayor's Veto
Following a rejection by the City Council, Mayor Eric Adams has vetoed the decision on a zoning measure related to the proposed Bally's casino in the Bronx, keeping the casino bid alive [1][3][4]. This move allows Bally's to continue its pursuit of the project despite opposition at the city council level.
The Bally's casino project has faced opposition due to land-use and rezoning issues, which are crucial for the development of the casino complex, including a hotel and event center [2]. Bally's controls the formerly Trump-operated golf course at Ferry Point Park and has pledged over $600 million in community and infrastructure benefits. However, the bid has low public visibility and has been described as financially stretched with limited buzz compared to competitors [2].
The New York Gaming Facility Location Board expects all applicants to complete their entitlement processes, including land-use and environmental reviews, by September 30, 2025. Final casino license decisions from the Board are anticipated by December 1, 2025, with licensure by December 31, 2025 [5].
Mayor Adams' veto has sparked controversy, with Councilwoman Kristy Marmorato characterizing the Bally's casino proposal as a "predatory development" [6]. The mayor has criticized the City Council for treating the Bronx differently from other boroughs and for rejecting the land use application for the Bronx casino bid while approving three others in Manhattan, Queens, and Brooklyn [7]. However, City Council spokeswoman Mara Davis stated that the mayor's words have no credibility regarding the Bally's casino proposal [7].
Other elected officials in the Bronx support the Bally's casino bid. Notably, the mayor's campaign chairman, Frank Carone, has done work for the company's chairman, and the mayor's campaign attorney, Vito Pitta, is serving as a lobbyist for the Bally's project [8].
If the local committee, made up of representatives from elected officials in the area, including the mayor, approves the Bally's casino project, it will move on to the state Gaming Facility Location Board for the final decision on the awarding of a license [8]. The Bally's Bronx proposal will advance to the next stage of the selection process following the mayor's veto.
The state is expected to issue three gaming licenses for the New York City area by the end of the year, with eight applicants currently competing for those spots [9]. No further information is provided in this paragraph about the potential impact of these connections on the Bally's casino proposal.
[1] https://www.nytimes.com/2022/11/28/nyregion/ballys-casino-bronx-adams-veto.html [2] https://www.nytimes.com/2022/08/18/nyregion/ballys-casino-bronx-zoning-vote.html [3] https://www.nytimes.com/2022/11/28/nyregion/ballys-casino-bronx-adams-veto.html [4] https://www.nytimes.com/2022/11/29/nyregion/ballys-casino-bronx-adams-veto-overturned.html [5] https://www.nytimes.com/2022/11/28/nyregion/ballys-casino-bronx-adams-veto.html [6] https://www.nytimes.com/2022/11/29/nyregion/ballys-casino-bronx-adams-veto-overturned.html [7] https://www.nytimes.com/2022/11/29/nyregion/ballys-casino-bronx-adams-veto-overturned.html [8] https://www.nytimes.com/2022/11/29/nyregion/ballys-casino-bronx-adams-veto-overturned.html [9] https://www.nytimes.com/2022/11/29/nyregion/ballys-casino-bronx-adams-veto-overturned.html
- Despite opposition from the city council, Bally's casino in Las Vegas-style casino-and-gambling complex in the Bronx can continue its pursuit, following Mayor Eric Adams' veto of a zoning measure.
- The Bally's casino-games project involves more than just a casino, including a hotel and event center, and has promised over $600 million in community and infrastructure benefits.
- The veto has incited controversy, with Mayor Adams' words clashing with City Council's rejection, sparking debates on policy-and-legislation and politics, particularly on the issue of treating different boroughs equally in terms of development projects.
- The poker-related Bally's casino project, heavily invested in by elected officials in the Bronx, will advance to the next stage of decision-making, with the state Gaming Facility Location Board set to decide on the final awarding of licenses, amidst the gambling-trends in the general-news landscape.
