OPINION: A veto from the mayor must give Bally’s Bronx casino a chance

Sunday, July 20, 2025 10:30 AM
Photo:  Bally's Corp. (courtesy)
  • Rafael Salamanca Jr. and Kevin Riley, New York Daily News

For too long, the Bronx has been overlooked in NYC’s economic development plans. 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.

That’s what happened last Monday, when the City Council voted to block even consideration of the Bally’s Ferry Point proposal — a $4 billion private investment that would have delivered:

  • 15,000 union construction jobs;
  • 4,000 permanent union jobs averaging $96,000 per year;
  • Well more than $625 million in community benefits, including:
    • $17.5 million annually for schools, parks, youth programs, and nonprofits;
    • More than $100 million in park improvements in Community Board 10;
    • A satellite NYPD precinct, along with $75 million in traffic mitigation.