At least one community in New York City is ready to welcome a casino.
Bensonhurst’s Community Board 11, in a 20-0 vote with two members abstaining, voted “yes” to the city’s facility zoning text amendment, according to the Brooklyn Paper.
The amendment, which was proposed last November by New York Mayor Eric Adams, would revise the existing zoning laws to facilitate the construction of a casino in any of the city’s five boroughs. The proposed changes would permit the establishment of casinos in virtually any commercial or manufacturing district, with residential areas being the only exceptions. Additionally, there would be no limitations on the size of the casino, including its restaurants, hotels, and other associated structures.
If the zoning plan is approved, successful bidders would be exempt from typically tedious zoning requirements like the Uniform Land Use Review Procedure. Instead, they would only need approval from the state and its Community Advisory Committee.
Passing muster via the city’s community boards is the first step in this process before borough presidents and the city planning commission get a crack at it.
Home team
For members of the Bensonhurst Community Board 11, the vote “yes” on the zoning changes is noteworthy, as this district would be the home borough to the proposed “Coney,” a casino that would be built by Thor Equities Group in partnership with Saratoga Casino Holdings, The Chickasaw Nation, and Legends Hospitality.
The plan includes a hotel and a giant glass building — all of it steps away from the famed Coney Island Boardwalk. It is one of 11 expected bids for the three downstate casinos.
Community Board 13, which includes Coney Island, has yet to vote on the proposal to change the zoning process.
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