Hopes of the proposed $5.4bn Caesars Palace Casino in Times Square have been ended after a 4-2 vote by the New York Community Advisory Committee (CAC).
The planned resort, which was set to be located at 1515 Broadway and was backed by music star Jay-Z’s Roc Nation and gaming powerhouse Caesars Entertainment, was one of the most high-profile of all the eight casino bids in New York City.
However, strong opposition from the Broadway League and others in the community has brought the curtain down on the bid, something SL Green CEO Marc Holliday was furious about.
“This was a despicable display of cowardice, a complete lack of consideration for all the people who would benefit from this,” argued Holliday. “Those who have voted this down should go run and hide.”
Rev. Al Sharpton, who had been a local backer of the casino plan, criticised the all-white panel for preserving the ‘status-quo and preserving the perceived white control of the Times Square entertainment business.’
“It’s the great white way in New York City’s theatre district and that will remain after this vote. We will remember that in the community,” argued the Reverend.
The bid had also proposed the build of a Civil Rights Museum and the opportunity for locals to directly benefit with investment opportunities as low as $500.
Despite all of these proposals, the CAC has decided to vote down the proposal of four votes to two. The proposal needed a majority to potentially be one of the three land-based casinos to be granted a license by December 30.
Throughout the voting process, the Caesars Palace Times Square bid provoked the most emotion and discussion within the community. Marches were held in Times Square and the recent public hearing was heated.
One leading critic of the proposal was Jason Laks, the president of the Broadway League and member of the No Times Square Casino Coalition. He issued the following statement after the news:
“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.
“A casino can go anywhere, but Broadway only lives here. We are so filled with gratitude for the committee members and the local elected officials – State Senator Liz Krueger, Assembly Member Tony Simone, Borough President Mark Levine and Council Member Erik Bottcher – who looked at the facts, listened to the residents, and stood up for this neighborhood and the theater community.”
Those bids left in the running include the two ‘racinos’ proposed at Resorts World New York City and MGM Empire City, a Bally’s casino on a site once owned by President Donald Trump, The Avenir, and the Hard Rock backed by Metropolitan Park proposal.
