New York City Council Blocks Bally’s Bronx Casino Plan

On July 14, the New York City Council rejected the company’s proposal to rezone part of the city-owned Bally’s Golf Links for a planned $4 billion casino complex, which would have featured a 500-room hotel and a 2,000-seat entertainment venue.

New York City Council Rejects Bally’s Request

The City Council was asked if they should disapprove the zoning changes. Bally’s required the zoning changes in order to advance in the state’s competition for one of the three available downstate casino licenses. Said changes involved removing the site’s designation as city parkland and assigning it a zoning classification permitting mixed-use development.

Twenty-nine members voted in favor of rejecting Bally’s request, nine opposed, and four abstained. Notably, Speaker Adrienne Adams supported the measure, while Majority Leader Amanda Farías was among the nine who voted against the motion to disapprove. Adams has previously voiced opposition to efforts aimed at weakening member deference, even as the city’s Charter Revision Commission considers reforms that would limit the power of individual Council members to block land use proposals.

Bally’s chair Soo Kim indicated that the company is still processing the City Council’s decision and evaluating its next steps. He expressed the view that local council member Kristy Marmorato repeatedly shifted her demands throughout the process. According to Kim, the company met every request made by Marmorato, even as those requests changed, and he described the outcome as “incredibly disappointing.”

What Do the Voices For and Against the Casino Say?

Ahead of the subcommittee vote, Council member Marmorato highlighted her extensive conversations with local residents. She stated that she had engaged with community members, the applicant, and fellow Council members, and emphasized that her constituents had clearly expressed their opposition to a casino. Marmorato underscored that she was elected to represent her community, not outside interests.

She called on her colleagues to reject Bally’s application, invoking the principle of member deference as a way to respect the wishes of local communities. She framed the vote as a reflection of how Council members value one another’s districts and their residents’ voices.

During the subcommittee meeting, council member Lynn Schulman also supported disapproval of the zoning changes, arguing that Ferry Point Park was never intended to serve as a regional attraction. She further criticized Bally’s proposed transportation improvements as insufficient to handle the anticipated increase in traffic if the casino were approved.

Council member Rafael Salamanca, chair of the Land Use Committee, expressed support for the zoning changes. He clarified that his position was not meant as a slight to Marmorato but rather as an effort to allow Bally’s to remain in contention for a casino license and to provide the Bronx with a potential opportunity for economic development.

As part of its proposal, Bally’s has committed $75 million toward transportation infrastructure upgrades, including a new overpass on Lafayette Avenue, the addition of two MTA bus stops at Ferry Point Park, and road widening.