Coney Island is already home to one of the world’s greatest slot games – the rickety, wooden and old Cyclone rollercoaster – so a casino seems like a natural choice.
With that in mind, bidders for one of the city’s coveted casino licenses released their vision on Friday for what that would look like.
A dazzling new “Coney” casino and hotel would be built just steps from the legendary Brooklyn Boardwalk and beach, smack in between the iconic Cyclone and Wonder Wheel, show the views.
A sleek hotel with glass walls and a multicolored roof would be built directly behind the casino. The plan also includes a congress hall.
The renders were released by a Coney Island consortium vying for one of three downstate licenses, including developer Thor Equities, game operators Saratoga Casino Holdings and The Chickasaw Nation and Legends, the sports and entertainment company that co-owns belongs to 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 gambling facility will be both spruced up and seamlessly integrated into the existing Coney Island boardwalk, said Robert Cornegy, the former Brooklyn alderman who serves as a consultant to the consortium.
“I like the way the buildings blend into the promenade and streetscape,” says Cornegy.
He said the proposed casino, if approved, would boost 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-style amusement arcade where visitors can watch top entertainers perform and a nearby convention hall would host events for businesses in south Brooklyn, where there is currently no major venue.
The project would also be a job boost for the Coney Island area, he said.
“We have a responsibility to provide economic development to disadvantaged communities. The Coney casino does that,” Cornegy said.
Other gambling operators compete for one of three downstate casino licenses.
Gaming giant Bally’s is betting on The Bronx and proposing a casino on the Trump Organization’s public golf course at Ferry Point.
Owners of the existing slot parlors at the Aqueduct Racetrack at Ozone Park, Queens and Yonkers Racetrack – 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, possibly partnering with Seminole Hard Rock. A 25,000-seat professional football stadium is also planned nearby.
Others planning bids to operate a casino include the Steve Ross-Related Companies/Wynn Resorts partnership for Hudson Yards, Times Square landlord SL Green/Caesars Entertainment team, and a consortium pushing for a gambling facility in Coney Island, whose partners are Legends, which is co-owned by the Yankees organization.
