Bally’s Corporation is eyeing plans for a New York City casino next to the Trump Organization’s public golf course at Ferry Point in The Bronx, according to local media.
The gaming giant has allegedly engaged in discussions with the Trump Org about assigning 17 of the 300 acres on the site to Bally’s to operate a casino there, reports New York Post. The property is owned by the city and the real estate company has a 20-year contract with the Parks Department to operate it as a golf course.
Bally’s plan would require 10 acres for its casino, with the other seven going to a green space or other uses such as housing for workers, sources told the cited media. Long-term, the company would like to take over the entire property from the Trump Org, people familiar with the plans said, adding the project could create over 15,000 construction jobs and 3,500 permanent ones.
Bally's Atlantic City
Bally’s confirmed its plan for a casino next to the course in a statement to The Post on Sunday. “We are incredibly excited at the prospect of bringing Bally’s community-centered approach to gaming and entertainment to The Bronx. At Bally’s, we start with the proposition that the leaders in the community know what is best for their community,” a spokesperson said.
“With that guiding principle in mind, we have been engaged in an ongoing series of conversations with local elected officials, community groups and key civic leaders to hear directly from them about what they would like to see from a potential new project,” the statement said. The company noted its vision calls for “transforming a former waste disposal site and a high-end golf course into a world-class entertainment destination.”
Bally’s is the only gaming firm betting on a casino in The Bronx, as the state moves to issue up to three licenses for the downstate area. Owners of existing slot parlors at the Aqueduct race track in Ozone Park, Queens and Yonkers race track — Genting/Resorts World and MGM’s Empire City — are expected to submit bids to expand their offerings to include table games.
Trump Golf Links at Ferry Point
Meanwhile, other casino companies and developers have begun eyeing plans of their own. Mets owner Steve Cohen is looking for a casino near the team’s Citi Field in Willets Point, Queens, while other bids include the Related Companies/Wynn Resorts partnership for Hudson Yards; landlord SL Green/Caesars team in Times Square; and a consortium pushing for a gaming facility in Coney Island.
Bally’s plans for a casino at the Trump Golf Links at Ferry Point have received the blessing from Bronx Councilwoman Marjorie Velazquez, who said she was bullish on having a casino there. “It’s really great for The Bronx,” Velazquez said Sunday, as per The Post, foreseeing good-paying union jobs with a spillover effect to boost mom-and-pop businesses.
In 2021, former Mayor Bill de Blasio’s administration moved to terminate the Trump Organization’s contract for the golf course, citing former President Donald Trump’s alleged role in inciting the Jan. 6 Capitol attack. But a New York judge ruled last year that the city could not cancel the contract.
Original article: https://www.yogonet.com/international/news/2023/02/13/66085-nyc-casino-race-bally-39s-eyeing-casino-project-at-trump-org-39s-public-golf-course-in-the-bronx
