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
This was not just a casino — it was a comprehensive economic development initiative shaped through 18 months of outreach to Bronx residents, civic groups, schools, community and small business leaders, and elected officials. The land is currently underutilized and isolated, with no better opportunity in sight. The project would have transformed it into a job-creating, community-supporting, tax revenue–generating destination.
Bally’s didn’t just pitch an idea — they showed up in real ways. They responded in writing to every concern about traffic, parking, and design. They proposed removing the DOT-imposed bike lane and adding a traffic lane to ease congestion. They pledged to hire Bronx residents through a dedicated Workforce Advisory Board and partnerships with local schools and colleges.
They also launched — and continue to operate — a free shuttle bus connecting East Bronx residents to the Throggs Neck ferry landing and nearby small businesses, addressing a longstanding transit gap in a community underserved by public transportation.
The 10-stop route, running weekdays from Westchester Square through East Tremont to Ferry Point Park, has already carried thousands of riders since its launch. Developed in partnership with local leaders and branded in tribute to the late Bronx Chamber Chair Joe Kelleher, the shuttle is a lasting investment in Bronx connectivity — and a real example of what it means to show up as a good neighbor.
And in one of the most tangible community investments, Bally’s Foundation helped save Preston High School, a beloved institution that had been facing imminent closure. Bally’s Foundation worked directly with the school community — its principal, teachers and alumni — to secure the school’s survival, without fanfare and without conditions, because they understood what Preston meant to the Bronx.
On community benefits, they didn’t just respond to requests for more — they significantly raised the bar: increasing their annual commitment from $10 million to $17.5 million, with funds designated for use by the local councilmember, borough president, state senator, and assemblymember. They also pledged to prioritize local businesses in both hiring and procurement.
Despite all of this, the local councilmember said no — rejecting an offer that met every condition she set, dismissing letters of support from every Catholic school in the district, and ignoring the 3,500 constituents who signed pledge cards in favor of the project, along with the overwhelming majority who showed up to the Council hearing to testify in support. Only three Bronx residents testified against it — more than 10 times that number testified in favor.
This was a missed opportunity for the Bronx. If this same project had been proposed in Queens or Brooklyn, it would have sailed through. Queens could afford to lose Amazon because it has multiple massive economic engines. The Bronx doesn’t — we need this project.
That’s why we’re calling on Mayor Adams to veto the Council’s action and allow this project to move forward. Under the City Charter, if the Council fails to override the veto within 10 days, the project is approved. Given the timing and scheduling challenges of the August recess, this may be the only path forward.
This is about more than Bally’s. It’s about the Bronx — and whether we ever get to say yes to opportunity. It’s about whether our borough gets to lead its own future, or whether we’ll always be told “not yet,” “not here,” or “not for you.”
This project is bigger than any one councilmember. Bigger than one neighborhood. And one only needs to look at this process to wonder why we have a housing and affordability crisis in the city.
We are tired of being left behind. Every borough in this city has received its signature developments — from Hudson Yards to Citi Field to the Barclays Center. The Bronx deserves the same.
We urge the mayor to stand with Bronx residents, with labor, with small businesses, with working families — and to veto this decision.
It’s the Bronx’s turn.
Salamanca, chair of the Council Land Use Committee, and Riley, chair of the Subcommittee on Zoning, are Bronx councilmen.
