Metropolitan Park Signs Agreement with NYC After USTA Lawsuit

^{The Arthur Ashe Stadium, part of the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. Lease protections for this venue prompted the USTA’s lawsuit tied to the Metropolitan Park casino project. (Photo: Stu Gray / Alamy Live News)}

The team behind the Metropolitan Park casino proposal adjacent to Citi Field avoided a potential pitfall on Monday after signing an agreement with the United States Tennis Association (USTA) guaranteeing the organization’s rights at the nearby National Tennis Center.

Metropolitan Park, which is being developed by New York Mets owner Steve Cohen and Hard Rock Entertainment, is one of three bids still vying for a downstate New York casino license.

USTA Says City Ignored Superiority Clause

The casino would be part of a larger complex built on top of the current parking lots next to Citi Field. However, that plan concerned the USTA, as the organization had already felt that New York City had been violating its rights under its lease of the nearby National Tennis Center (NTC).

That led the USTA to file suit against the city on Wednesday, asking a judge to issue a temporary restraining order to block construction of any casino on the Citi Field parking lot. Manhattan Supreme Court Judge Nancy Barron granted that request on Friday.

At issue is a superiority clause in the NTC lease stating that all third parties are considered “subject and subordinate in all respects to the rights of the USTA National Tennis Center” on nearby city-owned land. Outside of normally scheduled Mets home games, the lease also restricts any competing events during the three weeks of the US Open Grand Slam tennis tournament, which drew more than 1.1 million attendees this year.

However, the USTA says that the city has failed to enforce that provision. In August 2025, a Billy Joel concert was scheduled during the US Open, and the city took no action to stop the concert despite USTA objections. Ultimately, the concert was cancelled only because Joel became ill

Since Queens Future – the name of the group behind Metropolitan Park – was looking to finalize its lease and gain a casino license before the year's end, the USTA claimed it needed to take immediate action to delay any construction.

“The City’s stated intention to ignore the NTC’s concerns until the next mayoral administration – which will not take office until January 1, 2026, after the City and Queens Future’s lease agreement has already been finalized and executed – confirms that the City has threatened to – and intends to – default on its obligation,” the lawsuit reads.

Metropolitan Park, USTA Applaud New Agreement Terms

On Monday, officials from Queens Future said that the organization had signed a pre-development agreement with New York City that would explicitly guarantee that the NTC’s superiority clause would be respected. 

“This moves forward Metropolitan Park as a comprehensive transformation of the area that embraces the existing sports attractions to create a world-class sports and entertainment destination in the heart of Queens,” Metropolitan Park spokesperson Karl Rickett said in a statement. “This is a positive step forward for the local community and fans.”

The deal also guarantees "superiority" rights to the UTSA for full parking spot protections for the 23 days of the US Open is going on in September. The association issued its own statement applauding the details of the agreement.

“We are thankful that the court honored our request and that the City has complied by adding the required language to its lease with Queens Future, which now acknowledges protections during the three weeks of the US Open,” The USTA said in its statement. “We look forward to welcoming the casino as our newest neighbor in Flushing Meadow Corona Park.”

With the year's end approaching, the Metropolitan Park casino project holds onto its strong chance of securing one of the three spots for a license in the New York casino race.