Adams uses first land use veto to override City Council rejection of Bally’s application

Mayor Eric Adams took the rare step of vetoing the recent City Council decision Wednesday to disapprove the gaming company Bally’s land use application for a $4 billion casino-hotel complex in Ferry Point Park. This marks the first land use veto of Adams’ tenure, according to a City Council spokesperson. Bally’s Chair Soo Kim did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The disapproval vote, led by East Bronx Republican City Council Member Kristy Marmorato, was held on July 14 by a vote of 28 to 9, with several of the 51 members absent or abstaining.

With the vote, non-Bronx members appear to have upheld the tradition of deference, whereby the vote is in accordance with the local representative on land use decisions. However, all Bronx members besides Marmorato voted to approve Bally’s ULURP application, which would keep the company in the running for one of three New York City-area casino licenses expected to be awarded by the state by the end of the year.

Marmorato claimed victory following the vote, saying that her disapproval reflected the community’s concerns about public safety, traffic, and a general lack of trust that the project would benefit her district. But other members publicly decried the vote , saying the project would have an impact far beyond its neighborhood and should be given a chance to compete.

Marmorato today issued a furious statement on Adams’ veto, calling it “an insult” to her district.

“I stand firmly with my constituents, and no one — not even other Bronx representatives — will come into our district and force something on us that we do not want,” she said.

“We refuse to be a dumping ground for a project that, by the mayor’s own words, would bring an ‘economic boost to the surrounding community’ but not to the very neighborhoods it would disrupt.”

Marmorato called on her council colleagues to uphold member deference and override Adams’ veto, which would require a two-thirds majority vote. “The people of District 13 have been clear: they do not want this casino.”

Adams says Council disapproval ‘deprives Bronx’ of opportunity

In a statement explaining the veto, Adams said the council’s disapproval “deprives the Bronx of the ability to even compete for a $4 billion private investment that would deliver 15,000 union construction jobs, 4,000 permanent union jobs, and more than $625 million in community benefits,” as Bally’s promised .

Adams said he wanted casino bidding to be “a fair process with as many competitive bids as possible” and that the decision ultimately lies with the state.

Before the Bally’s vote, the council had already approved land use applications required for three other casino bids — Coney Island in Brooklyn, Metropolitan Point in Queens and Hudson Yards in Manhattan. While not endorsing any particular project, Adams said the Bronx proposal should remain on the table.

Pressure from Bronx council members and Borough President Vanessa Gibson also provided impetus for the veto, which came at the “direct request” of Council Members Rafael Salamanca Jr. and Kevin Riley, who chair the Land Use Committee and the Subcommittee on Zoning and Franchises, respectively.

The two members co-published a July 20 op-ed specifically calling for Adams to veto, saying the Bronx deserved a chance at the rare economic boon expected from the Bally’s complex.

“Major projects in Manhattan, Brooklyn or Queens are hailed as victories for working families. But when it’s the Bronx’s turn, the door too often slams shut,” the members said.

Adams seemed to agree, saying that by approving bids in other boroughs while leaving the Bronx out, the council was “putting its finger on the scale — and this is precisely the type of action that leads New Yorkers to lose faith in their elected leaders.”

Although many Bronx council members are likely breathing a sigh of relief at the veto, Adams also took heat from the council at large for using his veto power to benefit a casino applicant.

City Council spokesperson Mara Davis said in a statement that the mayor should instead use his power to uphold housing proposals, such as the Lower Manhattan Elizabeth Street Garden plan to build affordable senior housing, which Adams killed in favor of a different deal that he claimed would result in more housing.

“The mayor can’t claim to have the most pro-housing administration in city history when he and [First Deputy Mayor] Randy Mastro single-handedly killed Elizabeth Street Garden affordable housing for seniors that was approved by the Council six years ago in the land use process,” Davis said. “This administration’s hypocrisy and unethical conduct are well-documented and have been witnessed by all New Yorkers, so the mayor’s words have no credibility. The Council will consider its next steps on this land use application.”

With Bally’s now back in play, seven total bids remain in the running for new casinos in New York City and the surrounding area. Each is subject to the land use process as applicable, and the state is expected to choose three proposals by December.

Reach Emily Swanson at eswanson@schnepsmedia.com or (646) 717-0015. For more coverage, follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram @bronxtimes