In the heart of Queens, a groundbreaking project is poised to redefine the landscape surrounding Citi Field. Metropolitan Park, led by Mets owner Steve Cohen and Hard Rock International, isn’t just a visionary concept; it’s a lifeline for thousands of construction workers and their families. With an $8 billion investment, this ambitious project heralds a new era of opportunity for hardworking men and women throughout Queens and across the city.
At its core, Metropolitan Park represents a monumental economic engine, set to create approximately 17,100 direct, good paying union construction jobs and another 6,100 direct good paying permanent union jobs. The massive economic ripple effect of the project will also create another 18,000 indirect and induced jobs during the construction phase, as well as 10,400 indirect and induced permanent jobs. And that ripple effect extends to transit workers as well. Metropolitan Park’s promised modernizing of the Mets-Willets Point 7 Train station, along with the millions of new visitors it will draw to the area will also greatly increase permanent, well paid union jobs across our transit systems.
These aren’t just numbers; they’re livelihoods, they’re stability, they’re the promise of a brighter future for union construction workers.
Metropolitan Park is more than just a development project; it’s a testament to the power of union labor. The backers of the project are committed to using union labor and have signed a Card Check Neutrality Agreement with the Hotel and Gaming Trades Council and Memorandum of Understanding with the Building and Construction Trades Council of Greater New York and Vicinity.
Unionized construction is one of the best economic opportunities and middle-class career pathways available to many underserved communities in our city, including formerly incarcerated individuals, immigrants, people of color, and others from low-income neighborhoods. And major construction projects like Metropolitan Park can provide these communities with good wages, health coverage, and stable, predictable work.
Beyond the immediate construction phase, this project promises to act as a catalyst for further regional revitalization. Centered right in the middle of Citi Field, the USTA Tennis Center, and the planned NYCFC Soccer Stadium, Metropolitan Park has the potential to breathe new life into the surrounding neighborhoods, attracting visitors from far and wide and creating a ripple effect of economic prosperity.
This is an opportunity to transform these underutilized parking lots into a revolutionary sports and entertainment park, that will provide our members with years worth of job opportunities, and act as a catalyst for further regional revitalization. Now is the time for all stakeholders to come together in support of Metropolitan Park, ensuring that Queens remains a beacon of opportunity for generations of union workers to come.
- Angelo Angelone, President / Business Manager
- Laborers’ International Union of North America, Cement and Concrete Workers District Council
- Joseph Azzopardi, Business Manager / Secretary Treasurer
- International Union of Painters and Allied Trades AFL-CIO, District Council No. 9
- Christopher Erikson, Business Manager
- International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, Local Union No. 3
- Joseph Geiger, Executive Secretary-Treasurer
- New York City and Vicinity District Council of Carpenters
- Michael Prohaska, Business Manager
- Laborers’ International Union of North America, Construction and General Building Laborers’ Local 79
- John Samuelsen, International President
- Transport Workers Union AFL-CIO
