MLB owner’s $8bn project ‘five months behind schedule’ as alarming update offered

Steve Cohen’s $8 billion casino megaproject is off to an even more sluggish start than his New York Mets.

The MLB franchise enjoyed a rare success for the 2026 season, as they got one over their rival Yankees in the Subway Series.

Having dropped Friday night’s opener, they won 6-3 on Saturday and then produced a storming comeback from 6-3 down after eight innings for an eventual 7-6 win on Sunday night.

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Cohen’s side hustle is a huge casino and entertainment complex called Metropolitan Park, which he is backing alongside Hard Rock.

Jacob Kaye of the Queens Daily Eagle has reported that it is already more than five months behind schedule and construction hasn’t even begun, per a timeline submitted to the New York State Gaming Commission in 2025.

The casino is set to be built in Citi Field’s parking lot. Testing on the foundations was due to begin on January 1 and is yet to occur.

Construction, which was due for an April 1 start, cannot get going until the work is completed.

Some small-scale initial jobs including breaking up curbs, identifying utilities underground and putting up fences has been completed according to spokesperson Karl Rickett.

A completion date of 2030 is reportedly still expected to be met.

“Metropolitan Park is well underway,” Rickett said in a statement.

“As one of the largest, multi-year construction projects in the city, the team has completed significant pre-construction work and is on track to open in 2030.

“Throughout this process we have kept the Queens community and Mets fans at the center of every decision to minimize impact every step of the way.”

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Metropolitan Park is set to boast a 1,000-room hotel with spaces for retail, conferences, and live entertainment as well as food and a casino with 5,000 slot machines, 375 live dealer tables, and a sportsbook.

Mets suffer brutal injury KO

The Mets’ Subway Series had gotten off to the worst possible start on Friday night.

Starting pitcher Clay Holmes suffered a fractured fibula in a 5-2 defeat to the Yankees, but they bounced back for a morale boosting pair of wins over the weekend.

The Mets improve to 20-26 this season and remain bottom of the National League East, but with a three-game sweep of Detroit they have won five of their last games.

But that run of form is soured by Holmes’ injury.

“It’s a huge blow,” manager Carlos Mendoza said. “He’s one of the most consistent guys that we had in that rotation. It’s a big blow.”

Holmes suffered the injury after getting clipped by a 111 mph comebacker from Spencer Jones in the fourth inning.

“Oh, I didn’t know that,” a visibly stunned Jones said when told of the extent of the injury. “That’s the first I’ve heard of that.

“I’m sorry. He’s a friend of mine, we workout together in Nashville so that’s tough to hear.”

Mark Vientos and Juan Soto helped inspire a 6-3 win to level the series at 1-1, but the latter needs to do more to justify his 15-year, $765 million contract.

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Mets turn to Dominican Republic

A longer-term project is aimed at closing the gap to MLB’s elite.

Earlier this year, a $10 million facility was opened in Boca Chica, Dominican Republic, for prospects aged 16-18.

The centerpiece is a 10,000-square-foot weight room and nutrition bar.

It also includes an agility field, expanded training room, hot and cold plunge pools, an open-air batting cage, and a remodeled clubhouse.

“A lot of them have minimal exposure to the type of training environment that we’re going to be putting them in,” director of player development Andrew Christie said, via MLB’s Anthony DiComo.

“Having the best possible equipment, the most possible space, the greatest number of options to make them more physically gifted I think is a huge, huge competitive advantage.”

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