New York (AFP) – A well-financed campaign to build a casino in the heart of New York’s theater district collapsed Wednesday as a government-appointed panel voted down the proposal. Opposition to the project was led by community groups who said a casino would lure unsavory people and theater interests who argued it would cut into Broadway’s business.
The Caesars Palace Times Square project, a venture whose sponsors include rap musician and entrepreneur Jay-Z’s company Roc Nation and the real estate firm SL Green, failed to clear a key hurdle at the Community Advisory Committee. The CAC, which is composed of representatives of state and local officials, voted down the proposed $5.4 billion project by 4-2. City Council Member Erik Bottcher said he voted no after “countless” conversations with constituents.
“This is not a decision I took lightly,” Bottcher, who had been considered a swing vote on the proposal, said in an Instagram post. “All economic development opportunities deserve strong consideration. I believe casinos must clear a particularly high bar, requiring a uniquely strong degree of community buy-in before being sited in a neighborhood,” he added. “Despite extensive outreach by the applicants, that level of support has not materialized.”
Bottcher’s statement also pertained to his nay vote on a second proposed Manhattan casino, which also failed in a 4-2 vote, by a CAC with some overlapping membership to the Times Square site. The proposal, called the Avenir and based near the Javits Convention Center, was for a $7 billion mixed-use casino that included a 1,000-room luxury hotel, a public art complex, and more than a dozen restaurants. Wednesday’s vote narrows the field of candidates vying for up to three state gaming licenses to six from eight.
CACs for the remaining six sites will vote by September 30 in a process that is expected to be completed by the end of 2025. Those chosen will pay at least $500 million for a license, plus tax payments that will help fortify New York’s fiscal profile at a time when President Donald Trump has pushed through social program cuts that will hit the state budget.
Supporters of the Times Square project included construction unions, neighboring restaurants, and business groups that viewed the casino project as a source of additional customers. Other Caesars supporters included the Reverend Al Sharpton, whose organization was poised to oversee a new $15 million civil rights museum financed by the casino coalition if the Times Square proposal had been built. The venture promised $250 million in community investments, including Broadway ticket vouchers for casino customers, funding for tuition and health programs, and millions in public safety and public bathrooms.
The Caesars coalition expressed disappointment at the demise of a project they viewed as enhancing to the community. “We are proud of the work we’ve done over the past five years and grateful to the hundreds of organizations, businesses, Broadway artists, labor unions, and residents who supported this effort,” Caesars Palace Times Square said. “While we disagree with the outcome of this process, we remain committed to advocating for positive change in the city we love. We’ve built strong relationships with a community that is eager for progress, and we hope that those who opposed this project—both in the public and private sectors—will now bring the same energy and resources to solving the very real challenges facing Times Square.”
Casino opponents had described the proposal as a beyond-the-pale solution that preys on seniors and other vulnerable populations, hitting out at Caesars’ largesse as cover for a bad idea. Some warned of a rise in crime, prostitution, and child trafficking in the once-seedy neighborhood, which was home to porn theaters and adult businesses before they were banned in the 1990s.
Broadway League President Jason Laks praised CAC members “who looked at the facts, listened to the residents, and stood up for this neighborhood and the theater community.” “This was a vote to protect the magic of Broadway for the one hundred thousand New Yorkers who depend on it for their livelihoods, and for the tens of millions who come from around the world to experience it,” Laks said in a statement. “A casino can go anywhere, but Broadway only lives here.”
© 2024 AFP
