Poker Writer
The bid to create a Caesars Casino in the heart of Times Square appears to be dead in the water. A community advisory committee voted on Wednesday against moving forward with the project. The vote was as close as it could have been without being tied, as two committee members voted in favor, while four voted against.
The $5.4 billion bid from Caesars Entertainment, Roc Nation, and Live Nation had been considered a strong candidate to win one of up to three casino licenses. But strong opposition remained.
The Broadway League, a trade association of theater owners, producers, and general managers, was one of the primary forces against the bid. They believed the casino would hurt Broadway and add congestion to an already bustling area of Midtown Manhattan.
Jason Laks, president of the Broadway League, celebrated the result:
This was a vote to protect the magic of Broadway for the 100,000 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.
He also thanked State Sen. Liz Krueger and others who were instrumental in the vote.
Opposition to the casino project has intensified in recent weeks. Broadway playbills included inserts saying “Save Broadway.” The insert said that the casino would damage Broadway attendance and cause local theater business to drop.
‘No’ to the Caesars Times Square Plan
The Caesars bid was a joint venture between Caesars Entertainment, SL Green and Jay-Z’s Roc Nation. It was one of the most prominent among the many vying for the coveted New York gaming license to build a downstate casino. It became one of the favorites after Wynn Resorts pulled out. Those behind the bid promised jobs and a significant economic boost to NYC as a whole.
Just a month ago, the Caesars bid group announced a $10 million investment to support the New York Coalition of Legacy Theaters of Color Fund, which promoted minority-led theater productions. This investment aimed to gather more support from locals and attempt to lessen the opposition from Broadway.
But the location near Broadway proved too much of an obstacle to overcome.
SL Green CEO Marc Holliday voiced extreme displeasure with the no vote. He said after the rejection:
What you did here today was a despicable display of cowardice, lack of leadership, lack of consideration for all the people who would benefit from this proposal.
The competition for an NYC casino remains heated with several bidders, such as Mets owner Steve Cohen, still hoping to land a license. Only one Manhattan bid remains live, a proposal centered on the East side of the borough near the U.N. headquarters. A separate Wednesday vote nixed the West Side Project, a bid to build about a mile west of Madison Square Garden, near the Lincoln Tunnel to New Jersey.
