Members of the public had an opportunity Wednesday to sound off on a potential casino in the heart of New York City.
The first public hearing on the Caesars Palace Times Square project was held.
Controversy is brewing over the proposal at 1515 Broadway. Times Square-area groups voiced their concerns at a rally on Wednesday morning. Some said a casino would bring quality-of-life issues and unwanted forms of tourism to the area that would, in their words, take away from the Midtown community.
“A casino in Times Square is a horrific idea,” actor Jack Noseworthy said.
On the other hand, the proposal’s website describes it as a world-class gaming and entertainment destination set to take over Times Square, that would bring a new chance for New Yorkers to get out and play.
“I just think it’s going to be an amazing thing for Times Square,” said Matt Goldman, executive director of the Town Hall Foundation.
Broadway theaters light up in opposition
Just before the rally kicked off, several digital marquees of Broadway theaters, including the Majestic, the Palace and the Saint James lit up with the phrase “No Times Square Casino” to coincide with the community rally. The signs were expected to light up in opposition against the proposal again from 4 p.m. until 5:30 p.m.
A rendering of the Caesars Palace Times Square proposal.
Caesars Palace Times Square
According to its website, Caesars Palace calls the chance to develop a Times Square casino the “opportunity of a lifetime.”
“NYC has a once-in-a-lifetime chance to level up Times Square with a world-class gaming and entertainment destination, protecting the world’s economic engine and cultural capital,” the project’s proposers write. Their executive summary more fully outlines their vision and describes, in their view, the benefits of the proposal.
A rendering of the Caesars Palace Times Square proposal.
Caesars Palace Times Square
Those against say they are worried about how a casino could change the neighborhood.
“There’s hundreds of thousands of jobs that are created by Broadway and Broadway theaters, and what a casino is going to do is literally cannibalize those audiences, keep them in the casino, and they’re not going to go see Broadway shows,” Noseworthy said.
“We don’t want to sell Times Square to the highest bidder. We’ve seen it not work in the past. We’ve seen what casinos have done to neighborhoods. We don’t want to see that come to Times Square,” Midtown resident Sarah Cardillo said.
Those for a casino highlighted the potential boost to the economy.
“It is without question in my mind that bringing a casino into Times Square will bring more and different types of tourists to Times Square. It’ll capture … it’ll keep the New Yorkers who like to game in Times Square,” Goldman said.
“I’m here strongly to support union jobs and I feel like this project is a go for me because they have committed to giving us those types of jobs,” said Tierra Williams, a Local 7 union member.
How to participate in the public hearings
Wednesday’s public hearing was the first of two running from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Speakers were allowed to present their statement on a first-come, first-serve basis. Members of the public can still weigh in by either sending an email or by mailing comments if unable to attend in person.
The public comment meetings come after a July 23 meeting by the project’s community advisory committee, where casino applicants presented their proposals.
Wednesday’s public hearing took place at:
Scandinavia House
Victor Borge Hall, Lower Level
58 Park Ave.
New York, NY 10016
If you were unable to attend in person but wish to send your comment in by mail, you can do so by mailing:
Caesars Palace Times Square Community Advisory Committee c/o NYSTEC
Attn: CAC Consultant Team
540 Broadway, 3rd Floor
Albany, New York 12207
Comments might be posted on the Caesars Palace Times Square Community Advisory website.
To find out more on how to participate in the public comment portion of the project, click here.
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