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Once upon a time, the Jets played their home games at Shea Stadium for 20 years, putting roots down in the Queens neighborhood where many of their fans reside.
If Sen. Joe Addabbo Jr. has his way, a return to their home borough is in the team’s future.
Addabbo is pushing for a new stadium to be built in Willets Point, Queens, per Mike Mazzeo of Legal Sports Report. His vision includes a stadium with a capacity of 70,000 to 80,000, with a casino nearby to further bolster revenue.
Plans for a soccer stadium for NYCFC of the MLS in Willets Point are already in place, though it would only be around 27,000 seats and wouldn’t be completed until 2027.
Addabbo, who has also advocated for a 2023 online casino bill, pointed to the team’s 20-year history from 1964 to ’83 at Shea Stadium before the franchise shifted its home games to New Jersey.
“Personally, it pains me to see the Giants and Jets called the ’New York Jets’ and ’New York Giants’—even with the Giants having ’NY’ on their helmets—playing in Jersey,” Addabbo said. “It pains me.”
Addabbo has also supported Mets owner Steve Cohen’s efforts for a casino in the Citi Field parking lot.
“Imagine if New Yorkers actually got to bet on an actual New York football club called the New York Jets,” Addabbo said. “I think it’s that much more of an enticing business that we would have for online sports betting.”
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