One Step Closer to Coney Island Casino, Members of Community Board in New York Vote in Favor of Casino
The gambling industry in New York is thriving, and the authorities want to support it, as it seems from the almost unanimous vote that allowed Bensonshurst’s Community Board 11 to express its opinion about new casinos. The voting was related to the gaming facility zoning text amendment, which will allow up to three gaming facilities to be built in the city.
New York State licenses:
The board approved three new licenses in New York State. Among them is the long-expected casino in Coney Island, The Coney, which is expected to be built once the downstate bid passes.
Various conditions that affected the community boards in the city affected the voting as well, but in the end, 20 board members voted in favor of casinos, and two didn’t vote at all. The affected community boards can speak up and provide input about the licenses, traffic studies, job fairs, and other related topics.
In March, the bidders started talking about the Coney Island casino. The casino would have a lot of amenities, including a towering glass building near the amusement park, a new hotel, as well as a fantastic gambling facility, the first legal in the Five Boroughs.
Talking to the residents:
The pro-casino task force works hard on preparing for the casino construction, and work includes communicating with residents, leaders, and organizations in order for them to better understand all the benefits of the casino. The partner in the task force, Robert Cornegy, commented: “The more people learn about jobs, opportunities, and benefits that The Coney will bring to Brooklyn and Coney Island, the more they like it. We will keep speaking to everyone and engaging our communities from the ground up because Coney Island is a vibrant neighborhood and The Coney will be the economic driver that helps us revitalize it.”
After speaking with the residents, the task force realized that they want the youth to be taken care of, and it will be done through basketball clinics, donating technology, various academic projects, and other programs. The team’s investment in the local community brought them a lot of votes when it comes to the casino voting.
As Brooklyn Paper reports, Cornegy said: “It’s about consistency. It’s when you’re meeting the community’s needs on several levels. You can look and see the presence and feel the presence, whether it is through holiday gift-giving, or Thanksgiving being there to provide turkeys. People are starting to settle into the idea of the team’s willingness to be a resource for the needs of a community that’s been characteristically underserved. Every aspect of the community has been touched and will continue to be touched.”
The next step is seeking approval from a Community Advisory Committee. Other applicants from Manhattan, Queens, and the Bronx are also waiting for the Committee to evaluate their applications.