Bally's first Public Comment Hearing Less Than Expected

 

The first of two Public Comment hearings on the proposed Bally's Casino/hotel/parking garages in Ferry Point Park was held Tuesday night at the Hutchinson Metro Center. One has to wonder why a park alienation project such as Bally's that is being done in southern most part of Bronx Community Board 10 was being held in Bronx Community Board 11. It seems that the hearing was held in the same building as the Bronx Chamber of Commerce whose President Lisa Sorin is Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson's choice to represent her on this committee.  

The first speaker questioned the posible collusion between the Bronx Democratic Party consulting for Bally's, former Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. and former Bronx Democratic Party Leader Marcos Crespo consulting for the Queens Metropolitan casino project, and Patrick Jenkins the college roommate, close friend, and political advisor to Assembly Speaker and also a former Bronx Democratic Party Leader Carl Heastie. Jenkins is consulting to the old Aqueduct Racetrack now a racino also bidding for a casino license. On top of that the Bronx Democratic Party Treasurer Assemblyman Michael Benedetto and the Bronx Democratic County Committee Leader State Senator Nathalia Fernandez are members of the panel, saying that these coincidences need to be investigated. 

With little publicity fifty speakers either said they were against or for the proposed Bally's project at Ferry Point Park. The community people who spoke against Bally's were outnumbered by the union workers,  two parents of former Senator Jeff Kleins assistant, a couple of non-profit executives,  the local newspaper publisher, a couple of people taken in by the Bally's purchase of Preston High School,  a thirteen year old girl saying that she could now go to Preston since Bally's bought it, a few little leauge baseball coaches on the promise by Bally's to fix up the baseball fields, and the committee even took a break so former Councilman and good friend of Senator Jeff Klein, Mark Gjonaj a developer could make the hearing to voice his favorable position on the Bally's proposal. It was said another hearing would take place before the September 30th deadline for comment by the committee, but no location or time was given. Hopefully it will be in the effected community board which voted overwhelmingly against the Bally's proposal close to the proposed project.

Once again as was done at the Community Board 10 hearing food was brought in for those who were speaking for the Bally's proposal by former Senator Klein. 

You can see a union person speaking in favor of the Bally's proposal, with another union person next in line to speak, and union people in the audience by the markings on their shirt of their union name. 

Al Quattlebaum from Coop-City came to voice his opposition to the Bally's Casino proposl in Ferry Point Park. Mr. Quattlebaum has alredy annuonced his intention to run for the 82nd Assembly seat currently held by Assemblyman Michael Benedetto who sponsored the bill to alienate park land to build the Bally's Casino, hotel, and parking garages.  

Former councilman anddeveloper Mark Gjonaj was the last speaker as the committee took a break waiting for him to arrive. In the picture on the phone is Stanley Schlein the mastermind behind the consulting for Bally's and maybe Metropolitan Park and Aqueduct also.