The Steve Cohen-led group behind the Metropolitan Park casino bid said Monday that it successfully signed a pre-development agreement with the city over the use of the Citi Field parking lot just days after a USTA lawsuit prompted a Manhattan judge to temporarily block the deal.
Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Nancy Bannon granted the USTA a temporary injunction on Friday after the tennis body had filed a suit against the city, accusing the Adams Administration of violating the terms of the National Tennis Center’s 99-year lease in Flushing Meadows – Corona Park.
The $8 billion development, a joint venture by Cohen, the billionaire owner of the New York Mets, and Hard Rock International, would transform 50 acres of Citi Field parking lot into a sprawling entertainment complex with a casino as its centerpiece. However, the USTA argued that the proposal would cause “serious damage” to the US Open if it did not include provisions for the three-week Grand Slam event.
The USTA sued the city on Wednesday over the pre-development agreement with Metropolitan Park over the use of Citi Field’s parking lot. The suit alleged that the agreement between the city and Metropolitan Park, which was due to be signed on Nov. 17, violated the “superiority clause” in the long-standing lease with the city.
That clause grants the USTA priority over the Citi Field parking lot during the three weeks of the US Open, which takes place annually between late August and early September. The clause prevents competing events, other than Mets games, from taking place during the US Open.
Metropolitan Park group moves ahead despite litigation
However, Metropolitan Park spokesperson Karl Rickett said Queens Future, a Cohen-controlled LLC formed to develop Metropolitan Park, had signed the pre-development agreement with the city on Monday.
“We have successfully signed our pre-development agreement with the City,” Rickett said in a statement. “This moves forward Metropolitan Park as a comprehensive transformation of the area that embraces the existing sports attractions to create a world-class sports and entertainment destination in the heart of Queens. This is a positive step forward for the local community and fans.”
Metropolitan Park officials stated that Justice Bannon’s temporary restraining order stipulated that the city could not sign any agreement that did not include provisions for the USTA’s superiority clause. Metropolitan Park officials stated that the agreement signed by the city and Queens Future on Monday complied with the ruling.
The USTA issued a statement Monday afternoon welcoming news that the deal between Metropolitan Park and the city contained the “required language” to protect the association’s superiority clause.
“We are thankful that the court honored our request and that the City has complied by adding the required language to its lease with Queens Future, which now acknowledges protections during the three weeks of the US Open,” the USTA said in a statement. “We look forward to welcoming the casino as our newest neighbor in Flushing Meadow Corona Park.”
The USTA lawsuit had alleged that the city had been unwilling to enforce the superiority clause in the past, pointing to a planned Billy Joel concert that was scheduled to take place at Citi Field on Aug. 21 during the 2025 US Open. Joel pulled out of the concert due to illness, but the USTA alleged that the city did little to enforce the superiority clause prior to Joel’s withdrawal.
The city also failed to provide assurances that the superiority clause will be included in a binding agreement between City Hall and Queens Future, the lawsuit added.
The suit further alleged that the USTA has consistently asked the city for a copy of its draft agreement with Metropolitan Park so it can ensure that the superiority clause has been included in the agreement. The city “refused” the USTA’s requests, according to the suit.
“The threat of serious damage to the US Open and the NTC is now both real and potentially disastrous,” the association’s lawsuit read.
The USTA also accused the Adams Administration of failing to give any assurance that the superiority clause will be honored and further accused Mayor Eric Adams of attempting to lock in a deal before he leaves office at the end of the year.
The association alleged that the city’s “stated intention” to ignore concerns until Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani takes office in January is proof that the city intends to “default on its obligation.”
Justice Bannon’s ruling to issue a temporary injunction against the pre-development agreement had placed the Metropolitan Park development in jeopardy.
But Metropolitan Park officials said Monday that the city had executed a pre-development agreement that complied with the court order. They also said that the USTA had been supportive of the Metropolitan Park proposal.
In a statement issued prior to the Metropolitan Park announcement, USTA spokesperson Brendan McIntyre said the association “fully supports” the Metropolitan Park casino project and added that the lawsuit does not seek to halt the casino bid. Instead, the lawsuit merely aims to ensure that the USTA maintains its superiority clause during the three weeks of the US Open, he added.
“As we have repeatedly stated, the USTA National Tennis Center fully supports the casino project and the many economic benefits that it can provide to the community, and we look forward to welcoming them as our newest neighbor,” McIntyre said in a statement.
“All we sought was to have the City include the language required by the USTA National Tennis Center’s lease — which acknowledges our protections during the three weeks of the US Open — in any of the project’s lease agreements. We are thankful that the court has honored that request, and we welcome Queens Future to move forward with its license application to the state, with the inclusion of that simple provision.”
City Hall spokesperson Liz Garcia said the Adams Administration and Queens Future had reached an agreement that respects the rights of the USTA.
“After months of discussion, the city and Queens Future have reached an agreement with respect to the Metropolitan Park project that complies with a recent court order and reflects the U.S. Tennis Association’s rights,” Garcia said in a statement. “We look forward to the advancement of a world-class casino that would create thousands of union-paying jobs, billions of dollars in economic impact, and improvements to local communities.”
In its June application to the New York State Gaming Commission, Metropolitan Park said it would reach a binding agreement with the city over control of the 50-acre property by Nov. 17, adding that it would have a signed agreement in place by the end of the year.
Metropolitan Park submitted filings on Thursday threatening to counter-sue the USTA for “potentially causing billions of dollars of harm to Queens Future.” The Metropolitan Park team further argued that a restraining order would cause “irreparable harm” to the economic development of Queens and the broader New York City community.
The proposed casino is one of just three casino bids remaining in the race to secure a downstate license from the Gaming Commission, which is expected to award up to three licenses by the end of the year.
What was once a crowded field of eight different proposals shrank considerably in September when Community Advisory Committees in Manhattan and Brooklyn rejected three Manhattan bids alongside a proposed casino in Coney Island.
In a shock announcement in October, MGM Resorts announced that it was withdrawing its application to expand its Empire City “racino” in Yonkers ahead of the deadline, leaving just three bids competing for up to three commercial casino licenses.
The Gaming Commission will now award up to three licenses to the remaining bids, including a Bally’s proposal in the Bronx, an existing Resorts World racino at Aqueduct Racetrack in South Ozone Park, and the Metropolitan Park bid adjacent to Citi Field.
