Stefan Soloviev has been an apartment landlord, farmer and railroad operator, with an empire stretching from the unforgiving croplands of the American West to the gladiatorial arenas of global finance.

Now, he wants to add gaming mogul to his dizzying resume.

Soloviev, 47, intends to apply for a license to operate a casino just south of the United Nations in New York, on a massive site that’s been lying fallow since his father, the late Sheldon Solow, agreed to acquire it more than 20 years ago. The current plan includes a 1,000-room hotel, 4-acre (1.6-hectare) park, Ferris wheel and museum dedicated to the subject of democracy.

“It’s really exciting to take that site and look at what it can become,” he said in an interview.