Coney Island is already home to one of the world’s biggest gambles — the rickety, wooden and ancient Cyclone roller-coaster — so a casino seems a natural fit.
With that in mind, bidders for one of the city’s coveted few casino licenses released their vision Friday for just what that would look like.
A dazzling new “Coney” casino and hotel would be erected just steps from the storied Brooklyn boardwalk and beach, located smack between the iconic Cyclone and Wonder Wheel, the renderings show.
A sleek, glass-enclosed hotel with a multi-colored rooftop would be built right behind the casino. The plan also includes a convention hall.
The renderings were released by a Coney Island consortium vying for one of three downstate licenses, which includes developer Thor Equities, gaming operators Saratoga Casino Holdings and The Chickasaw Nation and Legends, the sports and entertainment firm co-owned by the Yankees.
The consortium also released an image of the casino’s black-and-white logo: “The Coney Casino Resort & Resort Entertainment District. Brooklyn.”
The gaming facility both spruces up and seamlessly blends in with the existing Coney Island boardwalk, said Robert Cornegy, the former Brooklyn councilman who is a consultant with the consortium.
“I am pleased with the way the buildings blend in with the boardwalk and streetscape,” said Cornegy.
He said the proposed casino, if approved, would supercharge the boardwalk — anchored at one end by the aquarium and the other by Cyclones stadium, the ballpark for the Mets’ minor league baseball team.
The casino will have a Las Vegas-like entertainment hall where visitors can see top entertainers perform and a nearby convention hall would provide space for events for businesses in southern Brooklyn, which currently lacks a large venue.
The project would be a jobs booster for the Coney Island area as well, he said.
“We have a responsibility to bring economic development to underserved communities. The Coney casino does that,” said Cornegy.
Other gaming operators are vying for one of three downstate casino licenses.
Gaming giant Bally’s is betting on The Bronx — proposing a casino on the Trump Organization’s public golf course at Ferry Point.
The owners of the existing slots 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.
Meanwhile, Mets owner Cohen is eyeing a casino near the team’s stadium in Flushing, Queens — potentially partnering with Seminole Hard Rock. A 25,000-seat professional soccer stadium is also planned in the vicinity.
Others planning bids to operate a casino include the Steve Ross-Related Companies/Wynn Resorts partnership for Hudson Yards, the landlord SL Green/Caesars Entertainment team in Times Square and a consortium pushing for a gaming facility in Coney Island, whose partners include Legends, which is co-owned by the Yankees organization.
[Written in collaboration with other media outlets with information from the following sources]
