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A state senator wants the New York Jets back in the actual state of New York.
Sen. Joseph Addabbo, whose district includes parts of Queens, wants the NFL team to return to the borough where they played from 1964-83 at Shea Stadium. The Jets won Super Bowl III in 1969.
- Both the Jets and New York Giants have played in MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, since 2010.
- The Jets previously played in Giants Stadium (1984–2009), Shea Stadium, and the Polo Grounds (1960–1963) in Manhattan.
- MLS team NYCFC is building a $780 million, 25,000-seat stadium at Willets Point in Queens near the New York Mets’ Citi Field. Addabbo wants the Jets to build a 70,000-80,000-seat stadium there or perhaps expand on NYCFC’s project.
- The Jets and Giants can opt out of their current lease in 2025 if they provide the state of New Jersey 12 months notice.
“If you’re building a stadium — and I know it’s only 25,000 seats — but if you’ve got that kind of incentive to build a stadium, if the opportunity is there with the land and the expiring leases, we can connect the dots, why miss this opportunity?” Addabbo said.
Gambling Upside
Addabbo, who chairs the state senate’s racing, gaming, and wagering committee, sees additional opportunity in the possibility of a casino in the area.
With three gambling licenses for downstate New York set to be distributed, Mets owner Steve Cohen has pushed for a Hard Rock casino in the Citi Field parking lot.
