The Coney Community Advisory Committee met for the first time on Wednesday to discuss Coney, a proposed casino project for Coney Island. The plan must be approved for the state gaming board to consider granting gaming licenses to have some discussions.
It brought a series of hard ball issues for the committee members when the first Coney Community Advisory Committee proposed plans for the proposed Coney Island Casino on Wednesday.
The smoothest part of the two-hour meeting was that the CAC would vote for City Council Member Justin Brannan to chair whether to recommend the State Games Commission Awards in one of the three casino licenses in the New York City area. Then, after representatives of Thor Stock, Saratoga Casino Holdings, Chicaso Country and other related entities presented their vision for Coney, the problem arose.
Committee members asked project representatives about work, transportation issues and funding.
“When you say 8.7% of your work, you’re surprised by the charts you put online. [created by the casino] Commission member Marissa Solomon said he was sure to generate 182 full-time jobs.
According to the Furman Center at New York University, the estimated population of the Coney Island community is 108,087.
“We're talking about the way we work for five years of recruitment,” Thor stock representative Peter McEneaney said, adding that the figure is based purely on population research on the region. “At the end of the day, this number may be higher,” he said.
McEneaney mentioned that given the existence of the casino, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority supports the requirement to bring new express services online on the F line.
“It’s not only for the project, but it will change the commuting times for Coney Island residents because their train services are more reliable now,” McNeeney said.
He also added that the ferry service in the area is another type of traffic enhancement they discussed with the city.
Having said that, some committee members warned project organizers not to tout the possible subway and ferry enhancements because nothing is stoned.
There are also questions about vehicle transport issues, including figuring out how the Beltway is better connected to the area and how to solve parking problems.
Lucy Mujica Diaz, a Coney Island resident The participants said she drove frequently in the area and that parking was a major issue.
“This community can't stand it,” Diaz said of the possibility of hundreds of drivers heading to the casino.
Solomon also questioned the project's commitment to establish a $200 million trust in communities related to workforce development, boardwalk improvement and other programs, noting that the figure will not cover many of the enhancements proposed by the region.
“The trust never has to cover all of these things,” McNeeney said. “We can’t solve all the problems with Coney Island in a trust fund document. The idea is to build a fund to enhance the residents of Coney Island.”
Taking into account the flood risk in the area, committee member Alex Sommer asked about the casino’s long-term emergency management, especially after the 2012 hit by Hurricane Sandy.
Sara Davis, head of FXCollaberative, said that in how to utilize the casino in a weather emergency, the building itself “will be a place where it can be a community shelter” and the generator service will be available on site.
The meeting was ahead of the meeting, local officials on the initial CAC meeting was held at Kingsborough Community College in Manhattan Beach, two communities east of Coney Island. Officials say the New York State Games Commission should relocate to ensure proper feedback from the community.
The CAC review process will last until September 30, with other public meetings here. The date for the next meeting has not been announced yet.