A New York judge has rejected Nassau County’s lease to build the $4 billion Sands Casino. [Image: Shutterstock.com]
Denies consent
A New York Supreme Court judge has blocked a lease in Nassau County to build the $4 billion Sands Casino.
Judge Sarika Kapoor refused to approve the 99-year lease after ruling that officials failed to provide adequate notice of public meetings and environmental reviews before taking the vote in the spring. After the judge’s decision, Nassau County planning officials will have to resume hearings with county legislators who will then have to vote on it again.
It would have been located next to the university campus
This is a major win for Hofstra University, which filed the lawsuit in April. If the Sands Casino had been approved for construction on the Nassau Coliseum site, it would have been located adjacent to the university campus.
Speaking about the news, Susan Bowser, president of Hofstra University, said they look forward to participating in the planning process and finding ways the center can be used to suit the community “while protecting against environmental and other damage.”
Steve Cohen’s $8 billion casino
News of the failed lease agreement comes as New York Mets owner Steve Cohen revealed his plans to build an $8 billion Hard Rock Casino complex.
Cohen hopes what he plans will revitalize the area
Metropolitan Park, the area where the casino is planned, will include 50 acres of land around the team’s Citi Field in Queens. Featuring an expansive sports, entertainment and casino complex, Cohen hopes what he has planned will revitalize the area.
Although his plans have not yet become a reality – he will need support from local politicians and residents to support his project – he faces a lot of competition to obtain one of the three available casino licenses. It is believed that the MGM Empire City Casino and Resorts World Casino are likely to receive two of the licences, leaving one license for everyone else.
And it’s not as if Cohen is the only one who wants to build a casino complex. Other proposals include a casino backed by Jay Z in Times Square and property at a former Trump-controlled golf course in the Bronx. It remains to be seen who will win the last license and, ultimately, who can bring more to New York.
