Bally’s Buys Site for Bronx Casino From the City

Casino operator Bally’s is fully in control of its destiny when it comes to developing one of the trio of gaming facilities approved around New York City.

The company purchased the parkland for its planned casino and entertainment complex in the Bronx from the city for $156.6 million, the Commercial Observer reported. Spokespeople for the company and the city did not immediately comment on the transaction.

The parkland in question is at 450 Hutchinson Parkway in the Throggs Neck section of the borough. The 16-acre parcel is part of a wider 300-acre golf course, Golf Links at Ferry Point, which was formerly leased to Donald Trump.

Bally’s bought the Trump Organization out of its 20-year lease for the parkland back in 2023, though it’s unknown how much the deal cost.

The Bally’s casino would be built on parking lots and a practice green area. The project is set to include a 500,000-square-foot gaming facility, 500 hotel rooms and a 2,000-seat entertainment venue, all spread across 3 million square feet.

Notably, the $4 billion investment Bally’s is making at the site limits the length of the license term for the company. In its case, the gaming license is only for 15 years, shorter than the other casinos springing up in the region.

Late last year, the New York state Gaming Facility Location Board recommended casino licenses for the only remaining proposals in Queens and the Bronx: Steve Cohen’s Metropolitan Park, Bally’s Golf Links at Ferry Point and Resorts World’s expansion of the Queens Aqueduct.

Weeks later, the state’s Gaming Commission conditionally approved granting casino licenses to the three proposals that cleared the key board earlier in the month, bringing to a close a years-long competition that once included a dozen visions for facilities throughout the city and beyond.

The Commission, however, only approved the facilities on the condition that companies agree to have an independent monitor ensure they adhere to the promises they made to their respective communities.

— Holden Walter-Warner