RWNYC celebrating ten years in Queens

Resorts World New York City (RWNYC) is turning 10.
RWNYC hosted elected officials and community leaders from across New York for a leadership breakfast recently held to celebrate the anniversary.
“Resorts World New York City is honored to work with a cohort of such inspiring elected officials and community leaders who are dedicated to promoting social and economic good in Queens and New York State,” aid Michelle Stoddart, RWNYC vice president of Community Development.
Elected officials joined Robert DeSalvio, president of Genting Americas East, at the upscale RW Prime to celebrate RWNYC’s accomplishments over the last decade, including generating more than $3 billion in revenue to support New York’s public schools and creating thousands of good-paying union jobs.
They also commemorated ten years of community partnership and initiatives like the Good Neighbor Network, designed to inspire, empower, and advocate for social and economic good in Queens and New York State.
In addition to the casino reaching the ten-year mark, RWNYC celebrate another milestone this year when it opened the 400-room Hyatt Regency JFK next to the casino in August.
Last month, the new addition was honored at the Queens Chamber of Commerce’s Building Awards ceremony in the category of New Construction/Hotels & Motels.
Construction crew managed to keep the project on track despite dealing with a global pandemic.
“Building a project of this magnitude was always going to be complicated, but the pandemic created unprecedented challenges to overcome,” said Edgar Choi, senior vice president of Design and Construction. “I’ve spent more than a decade working on construction projects, and I never could have imagined what the last 18-plus months would have in store for the team.”
The eight-story hotel features spacious rooms, premium suites, fitness center, and conference spaces. It also offers guests easy access to various gambling spaces, restaurants, and other amenities inside the casino.
The Resorts World team had to contend with the idea of delaying hotel construction partially or completely during the pandemic, but resolved to forge ahead and fulfill their commitment to serving the people of Queens.
“It was the culmination of years of hard work and a dedication that no matter what challenges we faced, we were going to open this world-class hotel,” Choi said. “More than anything, I was proud to share that moment with my colleagues whose tireless efforts led to this moment.”
State Senator Joseph P. Addabbo, Jr., chairman of the Senate Committee on Racing, Gaming, and Wagering, was impressed by the project’s ability to stay on schedule.
“Their ability to stay on track and complete construction on the hotel, even during the pandemic, is a testament to Resorts World’s commitment to being an integral part of the community,” Addabbo said. “This new hotel will allow visitors to stay right here in Queens instead of fleeing to Manhattan and elsewhere and boost our local economy.”
Over the past ten years, RWNYC has worked alongside a number of local organizations, including the Boys and Girls club of Metro Queens and the Greater Jamaica Development Corporation.
Most recently, they launched the “Good Neighbor Network,” a community partnership designed to inspire, empower, and advocate for social and economic good in Queens focused on a broad range of issues, including workforce development, arts and culture, and health and wellness.
The Resorts World team believes that their commitment to completing the hotel project on time is not only a testament to their own resilience, but to the resiliency of Queens as a whole.
“There truly is no place in the world quite like Queens and we are so fortunate to call this our home,” Choi said. “As we know, Queens was hit very hard by the pandemic and we wanted to do our part in helping to rebuild our community.
We want to show the world that Queens is open for business and at Resorts World they have New York’s only stay, play, dine, shop and be-entertained destination,” he added.