A plan to bring a casino to a Bronx golf course once owned by Donald Trump took a step forward this week. The City Council on Wednesday voted 32-12 to pass a home rule resolution that allows state lawmakers to advance legislation supporting Bally’s Corporation’s proposed casino at the city-owned Ferry Point Park golf course, according to the Bronx Times. The approval authorizes the state to “alienate” the roughly 16-acre public parkland, a requirement whenever city-owned park space is repurposed for private use.
The controversial casino plan was able to move forward with backing from Mayor Eric Adams. While a home rule action typically requires a two-thirds majority, the threshold drops to a simple majority when accompanied by a formal message of support from the mayor. Without Adams’ endorsement, the resolution would have fallen two votes short.
If successful, Bally’s proposal would bring a 500,000-square-foot gaming hall to Throggs Neck’s Ferry Point Park, along with a 500-room hotel featuring a spa and meeting space, retail shops, a 2,000-seat event center, and two parking garages with space for up to 4,660 vehicles.
In September 2023, Bally’s purchased the operating license to Trump Golf Links at Ferry Point for $60 million, securing control of the property after the city tried and failed to take over the golf course from the Trump Organization. Bally’s removed the massive Trump sign that greeted drivers exiting the Whitestone Bridge, hoping the move would strengthen its bid for a state gaming license.
If the casino bid is approved, Bally’s would pay another $115 million to Trump’s company, according to Gothamist.
The plan has faced scrutiny from local elected officials and community members, who fear the effects of having a casino in the area. It is located near a prominent casino in Yonkers that is also contending for a full-scale casino license.
As 6sqft previously reported, Bally’s said it would fund a shuttle service to connect the golf course to nearby businesses, shopping areas, and additional transit options. The area is notoriously known to be a transit desert, or to lack sufficient access to public transit.
While the home rule resolution marks an initial victory for Bally’s, the proposal still faces several bureaucratic hurdles, most notably, securing one of the limited gaming licenses expected to be awarded later this year. The plan must also undergo the city’s Uniform Land Use Review Procedure (ULURP) to rezone the site, according to the Bronx Times.
Bally’s is in the running against at least nine other groups competing for the licenses. Other prominent proposals include New York Mets owner Steve Cohen’s $8 billion “Metropolitan Park” next to Citi Field, the Bjarke Ingels-designed Freedom Plaza near the U.N., “The Avenir” complex across from the Javits Center, a Jay-Z-backed Caesars Palace casino in Times Square, and a proposal in Coney Island dubbed “The Coney.”
In April, Saks Fifth Avenue withdrew its casino proposal, which had called for a gaming facility atop its flagship store at 611 Fifth Avenue. A spokesperson said the company was now “focused on other strategic priorities.” That same month, Las Vegas Sands also pulled its bid for a casino just outside Queens’ borders in Nassau County, according to the Times.
In May, Related Companies dropped the casino component from its “Hudson Yards West” project following intense opposition from the community and local elected officials. The developer still plans to move forward with a plan to build 4,000 apartments, nearly 50 percent of which would be affordable under a tentative agreement with the Adams administration.
Formal bids for the downstate casinos are due by June 27 and will be reviewed by Community Advisory Committees, with votes expected by September 30. Final selections are anticipated by December 1, with licensure from the Commission expected by December 31.
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