Mets' Steve Cohen planning largest entertainment district in MLB

New York Mets owner Steve Cohen is working on an $8 billion development plan to build a best-in-MLB entertainment district around Citi Field in Queens.

Cohen, who has said in the past that he views his ownership and investment of the team as a civic duty - he's not here to make money, he's here to bring a World Series championship back home to the people of New York - is extending that mentality to the larger community of Queens.

Cohen is working on an $8 billion development district called Metropolitan Park that would combine public parks with bars, restaurants, and a hotel surrounding Citi Field. Modeled after Atlanta's successful ballpark-adjacent development, The Battery Atlanta, it's a wildly ambitious plan that would set a new standard for MLB development.

The Atlanta Braves have received not only significant acclaim for The Battery Atlanta, which features 400,000 square feet of leasable retail area among 2.25 million square feet of mixed-use development, but financial rewards as well. Constructed for over $400M and entirely privately financed, publicly-available financial statements reveal that The Battery Atlanta's revenue has grown to over $49M per year as of the end of 2024's quarter three.

Steve Cohen is thinking bigger.

While a large contingent of The Battery Atlanta is lodging and corporate office spaces, with tenants such as Comcast, the global headquarters of Papa Johns, and the North American headquarters of TK Elevator, Cohen's plan is more focused on the community.

As part of released renderings of the $8 billion plan, Cohen has proposed over 25 acres of public park space, community athletic fields, playgrounds, and tailgating spaces for Mets fans. Unlike The Battery Atlanta, which is ten miles north of Atlanta proper and not serviced by the city's MARTA transit system, Cohen's proposal includes mass transit, improved parking access, and a bike network to connect to the local community.

Another unique feature: Steve Cohen isn't asking for any public money to construct it.