Advocates opposed to the casino say the 50-acre parking lot should be a climate-resilient park instead. “Floodplains could serve as green buffers that absorb stormwater, not as sites for massive new structures,” said Rebecca Pryor, executive director of Guardians of Flushing Bay.
“Shame on you John Liu! Shame on you John Liu!” was the spontaneous chant from a crowd of about 200 protesters who showed up Oct. 19 at the Muslim Center of New York in Flushing to protest the plan to build a large casino complex next to Citi Field, home of the Mets.
The protesters were directing their ire at State Sen. Liu because of an about-face he made that opened this land—a parking lot which for decades had been zoned as parkland—to development. It was one of many rallies held by climate activists and residents of Flushing-Corona, Queens, over the $8 billion project known as Metropolitan Park.
One of three downstate casino proposals approved by the New York Gaming Facility Location Board last month, it would transform what is now an empty 50-acre asphalt parking lot in Willets Point into a casino, hotel, food hall and entertainment venue that supporters say will bring tens of thousands of jobs.
But many have raised concerns because the low-lying area, hemmed in by Flushing Bay and Flushing Creek, is flood-prone. As climate change intensifies, bringing sea level rise and extreme weather, it will only become more so in the coming years, critics say.
Neighbors and advocates warn that placing a large-scale commercial complex here—instead of dedicating this area to water absorption and drainage—could increase flooding risks for surrounding communities as well. They point to the city’s own comprehensive waterfront plan, which aims to reduce development in the floodplain and help people relocate from high-risk areas.
“The city keeps approving new buildings in those same flood zones,” said Rebecca Pryor, the executive director of Guardians of Flushing Bay, a local advocacy group opposed to the casino. “It feels like we’re stuck in a game of ping-pong between conflicting policies.”
Parkland in a floodplain
The empty parking lot where Metropolitan Park is planned has been designated as public parkland since the World’s Fair in 1939, and not zoned for development.
After initially opposing the casino project, Liu, who represents Flushing, changed his position, introducing a bill to rezone the area from parkland to commercial. Liu’s bill passed in May 2025 and was signed into law in June by Gov. Kathy Hochul, making approval for the development nearly assured.
In exchange, the casino’s developers, Hard Rock Casino Development—backed by Mets owner Steve Cohen—agreed to create at least 25 acres of new parkland within the 50-acre project area, as well as a proposed public walkway and park, named Flushing Skypark. This elevated path for walking and biking would be like a High Line-kind of project that would help connect downtown Flushing to Willets Point with greenery and places to sit.
“For over 80 years, this area has been nothing but parking lots. Metropolitan Park will finally transform this asphalt into 25 acres of actual public park space and help to address the climate issues facing the area,” said Karl Rickett, a spokesperson for the Metropolitan Park project. “Environmental advocates, unions, elected officials, and the local community all overwhelmingly support Metropolitan Park.”
City Limits reached out multiple times to Sen. Liu for comment, but did not receive a response. In an interview with the news site Hell Gate in March, he pointed to the benefits pledged by the developers, and said the majority of constituents in his Flushing district favor the project.
For city officials, the justification to turn this parkland to commercial use is for economic growth. The gaming and entertainment complex is supposed to generate significant economic activity, create about 23,000 union jobs, and enhance recreational opportunities in the borough.
But opponents say the site should instead be turned into water-absorbing parkland. The area is at high risk for flooding, according to the official FEMA flood map and the casino developer’s own design materials. The area is designated Flood Zone AE, which currently has a 1 percent annual chance of flooding.
But as climate change intensifies and the melting of distant glaciers and ice sheets cause sea levels to rise, this area is expected to experience a significantly increased amount of flooding over the next 30 years. The First Street Flood Model, which predicts current and future flooding risk across the U.S., designates 151 properties in the Flushing Meadows-Corona area, approximately 96 percent, as already vulnerable.
During intense rainstorms, which are becoming more frequent, the Whitestone Expressway and Grand Central Parkway, two major roadways that border the site, become waterlogged and nearly impassable. In 2012 the New York Times reported on the closing of both highways after two inches of rain fell in central Queens.
Corona and Flushing already suffer from severe sewage overflow and flooding during heavy storms, as seen in events like Hurricane Ida and most recently with the October 2025 Nor’easter that brought significant rain to New York City, causing a state of emergency.
“These are not turn of the century storms anymore,” said State Sen. Jessica Ramos, who represents district 13, in which a majority of the Metropolitan Park project would sit. She opposes the plan, as does fellow former Queens State Sen. Tony Avella.
Experts say siting the casino in a floodplain is not a viable long-term strategy. “You don’t build for today’s weather, you build assuming climate change continues,” said civil engineer Dr. Reza Khanbilvardi, a professor at the Grove School of Engineering at CUNY. “Parts of the site could eventually be underwater, especially the parking lots in low-lying areas.”
Citi Field was originally natural marshland before it was filled in and used as a garbage dump in the 1910s. Marshlands sit at a low point where the ground is already saturated, which means they naturally collect water, Dr. Khanbilvardi said. “This makes drainage poor and flooding common. The land’s topography must also be carefully studied to understand how water naturally flows and pools in the area.”
Building at elevation
Despite those criticisms, state and city officials say the project completed all required siting, environmental and resiliency assessments before the final vote last month.
According to findings from the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Housing, Economic Development and Workforce, the project would not cause major negative effects in most areas, including land use, zoning, community facilities, open spaces, air quality, noise, and public health. The only potential significant impacts relate to transportation and construction, officials found.
The developers’ own planning materials acknowledge the site’s climate vulnerability, saying it “currently sits within the floodplain so the program needs to be elevated.”
They’ve promised to address flooding concerns by situating all indoor facilities intended for the public—including restaurants, the casino and stores—at a height of at least 12 feet above ground level. To meet state environmental rules, the developers promise to create garden-like areas that will soak up and filter excess water in a process called biofiltration.
Flooding at the site comes from two sources: intense rainfall, often from weather events known as cloudbursts, and “sunny day flooding,” which is when sea level rise causes saltwater to pool on land at high tide. Biofiltration is a natural way to reduce and clean rainwater, but it can’t prevent flooding from tidal water or coastal inundation.
Guardians of Flushing Bay supports added density and affordable housing in appropriate locations, but opposes building large structures like Metropolitan Park in floodplains.
“It’s not about building higher, it’s about building smarter,” Pryor said. “Floodplains could serve as green buffers that absorb stormwater, not as sites for massive new structures; these spaces must be designed to absorb water during intense rainfall.”
Other major Queens assets located in the floodplain, such as LaGuardia Airport, experience problematic flooding. In 2022, an $8 billion redevelopment was approved for the airport that includes strategies to prevent floods caused by rising sea levels.
In 2024, a neighborhood group, Flushing for Equitable Development and Urban Planning (FED-UP), proposed an alternative for the area where the casino is to be built. Their Phoenix Meadows Vision Plan would transform the site into a large public park with space for small businesses, as well as pedestrian and bike connections.
The proposal calls for green infrastructure capable of absorbing all on-site stormwater, such as the rain garden parking lot at Queens Botanical Garden. This unique project is laid out with finger-like parking bays of permeable pavers, which allow rainwater to soak into the ground through three layers of bluestone gravel beneath. This design captures stormwater by acting as a sponge, filtering runoff from hard, impervious surfaces like roads and rooftops that would otherwise enter the sewer system, reducing pollution and flood risk.
“You can pave over wetlands, but nature always finds a way to come back to what’s rightfully its own,” said Alexis Kaloyanides, a resident and community activist in Jackson Heights, Queens.
Construction of the casino is slated to break ground soon, with a targeted completion by 2030.
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