Coney Island Casino Petition Gets 10k Signatures

Article ByDavid Weir

August 28, 2023

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Posted in: New York Gambling News, US Casino News

The Coney, a proposed $2 billion casino resort in Coney Island, New York, has been gaining traction. More than 10,000 Brooklyn residents have signed a petition supporting the project.

Community backing is a crucial factor for developers in the race to secure one of the three available gaming licenses for a New York brick & mortar casino in the downstate area. The field has a competitive list of entrants from across the gambling and investment sectors.

The petition is good news for The Coney project (renderings pictured) after last week’s criticism of its involvement in youth sports funding in the New York City neighborhood.

“As a Southern Brooklyn resident, you support creating jobs and new economic growth by establishing a new casino and entertainment district in Coney Island,” read the new petition, posted by the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce.

“For decades, our community, our families and our small businesses have been shortchanged, and we have been waiting for the year-round economic opportunities that this project will finally make happen.”

The Coney’s Vision for Brooklyn

The Coney is the only one among the 11 submitted downstate N.Y. casino proposals that would be situated in Brooklyn.

The group championing this bid comprises Thor Equities, the Chickasaw Nation, Legends Hospitality, and Saratoga Casino Holdings.

The consortium wants to establish a new casino and entertainment district in Coney Island, aiming to bring year-round economic opportunities to the area’s traditionally seasonal economy.

Former NYC council member Robert Cornegy, who serves as a consultant for the proposal, has been actively involved in grassroots efforts to rally community support. Earlier in the year, Cornegy and his team say they approached more than 16,000 households and found around 3,500 in support of the casino development.

“We’ve seen a real groundswell of support for The Coney, because Coney Island and South Brooklyn residents know that year-round, good-paying jobs, better public safety, investments in our students, and more economic opportunities are good for this community,” Cornegy said in a press release.

“Grassroots engagement is our top priority, and we’re going to keep going to meetings, talking to people, and telling everyone about the benefits The Coney would bring to help revitalize Coney Island.”

Economic Prospects and Challenges

The Coney group projects that their casino venture would create 4,000 permanent jobs in gaming and hospitality. They have also committed to prioritizing local hiring, with plans to organize local recruiting events and job fairs within the Coney Island community.

However, the journey hasn’t been without challenges.

While The Coney has garnered significant community support with this petition, it also faces opposition. Community Board 13, which plays an advisory role on land use and zoning issues, has passed a resolution opposing the project. Their concerns revolve around potential increases in crime, traffic, and other related issues.

A report published by the Brooklyn Borough President’s office in July, said that local opinion was very much in opposition to the plans.

The field is also competitive, with a dozen notable gambling corporations and their investment partners vying for just one of three expected licenses.

The other two are widely accepted to be locked in for MGM Resorts and Resorts World, who each operate a limited race track casino venue already in the downstate area. Most of the proposals have received local pushback so far in some form, including Las Vegas Sands project in Nassau County and a joint venture between Caesars Entertainment and hip-hop mogul Jay-Z planned for Times Square.