The New York Gaming Commission is taking its time — and some more time — in the tortoise-like sprint to naming the recipients of three downstate casino licenses.

But the delay is the least of New York Mets owner Steve Cohen’s problems and his desire to turn a parking lot near Citi Field into the $8 billion Metropolitan Park casino complex.

His biggest problem? State Senator Jessica Ramos, who represents the area in Queens where Cohen wants to build. For Cohen’s group — which counts Hard Rock International as a partner — to get the go-ahead, Ramos has to support a bill that would allow Cohen to build on the land, which is currently classified as parkland.

Ramos has done her due diligence, hosting three town halls on the topic of the casino, and now, according to The City, she has released the results of a poll her office commissioned.

And the poll plainly pans the prospective parking lot playground, with 61% of respondents saying they don’t want a casino anywhere in Queens, and three out of four people saying they don’t want one in their neighborhood.

“I was always dubious about how they buried the word ‘casino’ in their scripts, in their written propaganda — I really was desperate to be transparent and hear from my neighbors directly,” Ramos told The City.

She added that it has been hard to find pro-casino people who hadn’t “received or been promised a check.”

Alternative preferred

The poll, conducted by consulting firm Slingshot Strategies, surveyed 432 registered voters in Ramos’ State Senate District 13, which includes neighborhoods like Jackson Heights, Corona, Elmhurst, and Astoria. 

In addition to the casino opposition, the poll found that 84% of respondents supported an alternative proposal called Phoenix Meadows, which would create an elevated park over the Citi Field parking lots without a casino component. When directly asked about the Metropolitan Park casino plan versus Phoenix Meadows, a staggering 67% were totally opposed to Cohen’s vision.

“Senator Ramos’ poll confirms what we’ve known all along: Most people do not want a casino in their neighborhood because of its exploitative and harmful effects on the community,” said Nabil Ahmed Khatri of the Muslim Center of NY, one of the local groups behind the Phoenix Meadows plan, according to the article.

A spokesperson for the Metropolitan Park project countered that their own outreach efforts found widespread support for the project and its promised amenities like new parkland, restaurants, hotels, and transit improvements.

“It’s clear the community is overwhelmingly supportive of the vision and the 15,000 good-paying union jobs, 20 acres of new park space, and $1 billion in community benefits that come with it,” spokesperson Karl Rickett told The City.

However, Ramos remains unconvinced, noting that the casino aspect was often downplayed in Metropolitan Park’s messaging. With her poll showing constituents are primarily concerned about issues like crime, immigration, inflation, and flooding, the veteran lawmaker questioned whether turning Queens into a “borough of casinos” aligns with community priorities.

Cohen’s proposal is one of 11 expected to be considered by the New York State Gaming Commission.

Photo: Stephanie Keith/Getty Images.