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The United Federation of Teachers (UFT) has joined the No Times Square Casino Coalition in opposition to a proposed Caesars casino that would replace a Broadway Theater in Times Square.
UFT President Michael Mulgrew said the plan is a bad idea that would affect the number of jobs available to NYC school system graduates and the historic character of the neighborhood.
It would undermine the Theater District and dilute the distinctive power of Broadway, an industry that offers unique educational and career opportunities for our students. Broadway is an educational goldmine for the children of our city, and it needs to be protected.
UFT President Michael Mulgrew, in a public statement on the Caesars Times Square proposal
The proposed casino is located in an area where there are six NYC schools, including two performing arts schools.
Mulgrew said that casino proposals “have their place in urban centers, but ideally they create new attraction zones for business and tourism—not drain or diminish existing cultural centers.”
Educator pushback is the latest group to voice opposition to NYC casino
The UFT joins more than two dozen organizations in the No Times Square Casino Coalition. Members include neighborhood associations, restaurants, and unions. The coalition has released numerous statements from members highlighting how the casino would negatively impact them.
Additionally, a No Times Square Casino Coalition poll released in May indicated that more than 70% of residents in the area oppose the casino.
The groups behind the Times Square Casino—Caesars Entertainment, Roc Nation, and SL Green Realty Corp.—believe the casino will improve the area. The trio’s advocacy group, Coalition for a Better Times Square, notes that they project the casino will:
- Bring 10 million meals eaten at local restaurants
- Generate $80 million in new retail spending
- Boost Broadway annual ticket sales by more than $100 million
- Create nearly 9,000 off-site jobs in NYC
Caesars and SL Green announced their casino plans in late 2022, saying the casino would “provide billions in tax revenue to New York City and State.”
Generally speaking, it’s common for local organizations to form against casino projects. NYC casino proposals have faced opposition in the years following Gov. Kathy Hochul including three downstate casinos in her 2022 budget.
The Times Square casino is one of four high-profile proposals facing New York City residents.
High Line advocates oppose Wynn’s Manhattan casino
Wynn Resorts and Related Companies have partnered to propose a casino in Manhattan’s Hudson Yards West. The proposal includes the construction of three new skyscrapers, one of which will be home to “affordable and market rate housing,” according to the project’s website.
The proposal has drawn the ire of Protect the High Line at the Rail Yards, a community-driven group that opposes Wynn and Related’s proposed development. “High Line” refers to the neighborhood park that was built on a former elevated freight rail line.
The group takes issue with the rezoning required to build the casino and that it will reduce housing units in the area by more than 2,000. Additionally, the proposed buildings included in the development “would negatively impact the experience of millions of visitors and obstruct important and iconic views from the High Line,” the group claims.
The rezoning request is under a public review period that will end in early January.
Public comment opens for Hard Rock’s Metropolitan Park casino proposal
This week, public comment opened for a Nassau County casino proposed by New York Mets owner Steve Cohen and Hard Rock International.
The casino would be built adjacent to the Mets’ Citi Field in what is now 50 acres of parking lot. Earlier this year, community criticism of the casino led State Sen. Jessica Ramos to forego the chance to help Cohen and Hard Rock obtain a key permit via legislation.
Ramos said in a statement on X that residents in the area are “desperate” for green space. While the casino plans provide some green space, Ramos said residents don’t believe it’s enough to justify building a casino. Instead, she said, she would open up a legislative avenue for Cohen and Hard Rock to develop the land sans casino.
“I have drafted an alternative…bill that strikes a balance and would allow Mr. Cohen and Hard Rock to build a convention center and hotel, and more than double the proposed open green space,” she wrote.
Hard Rock contends that the development meets the community’s needs: green space and jobs.
“Frequently mentioned community needs are jobs and green space,” Hard Rock says on the development’s website. “It’s time 50 acres of asphalt at Citi Field turn green. Let’s create something exciting in Queens that all of New York can be a part of.”
Sands’ Nassau casino proposal up in the air over prospects of NY online casinos
Like its counterparts, Las Vegas Sands’ Sands New York casino proposal is facing pushback from the community. Say No to the Casino Civic Association believes the casino will have a negative impact on the local infrastructure and aquifer.
“Extensive infrastructure expansions are needed to support the proposed 4-million (square-foot) structure,” the group said in a recent statement. “This underscores the mammoth impact this project will have—it will once and for all kill off our county’s suburban nature and quality of life.”
Sands believes the casino will be a net positive for the area, pointing out that the casino will generate more than $2.2 billion for Nassau County and more than $770 million for the town of Hempstead over 30 years to Nassau County.
However, Sands CEO Robert Goldstein said in the company’s Q3 earnings call he’s worried about the impact the possibility of New York online casinos could have on land-based properties.
“I’ve always been the biggest advocate for New York and other jurisdictions,” Goldstein said. “The only concern I have these days is the ongoing strength of online gambling…My (personal thinking) has been influenced somewhat by the last six months as I see the growth of online daily.”
