Summary:
- Caesars and SL Green are pushing a $5.4 billion Times Square casino project backed by Jay-Z and supported by Rev. Al Sharpton
- The Broadway League and neighborhood groups warn about theater ticket sale changes
- A community advisory panel will have a say on Wednesday
The attempt to push casino gambling into the heart of Manhattan is reaching a critical moment. On Wednesday, a community advisory panel will weigh in on a $5.4 billion plan to build a Caesars Entertainment casino and resort in Times Square. This proposal has divided New Yorkers and sparked outrage across much of Broadway.
Jay-Z’s Roc Nation Joined the Project
Supporters say the project would give the city’s theater district a badly needed boost. Among them is rapper and entrepreneur Jay-Z, who has partnered on the bid through his Roc Nation company.
Reverend Al Sharpton, whose group would run a $15 million civil rights museum funded by the casino developers, spoke about the rapper’s involvement, calling it a milestone for representation.
Let us be real clear that with all of the stuff that’s gone out against this proposal, there is not one Black or Brown owner of a Broadway theater in 2025. So if this casino is established, it will be the first time we will have an institution on Broadway that has diversity at an ownership level.
Caesars and its partner, real estate giant SL Green, have lined up other powerful allies, including a construction workers’ union.
Fierce Opposition
The Broadway League, along with several neighborhood groups, believes a casino would pull money away from ticket sales and alter the character of the city’s most famous entertainment hub.
Tensions came to a head last week at a contentious public hearing when the League’s president, Jason Laks, was met with cheers from union workers clad in red “Vote No” shirts as he warned of the dangers.
“We represent 100,000 New Yorkers who work in our industry” Laks explained, while also calling the plan an “existential” threat. The advisory committee will cast its vote on Wednesday morning. If approved, the project would change an office tower into a complex with close to 1,000 hotel rooms, several celebrity-chef restaurants, and a generous casino floor.
Caesars has pledged $250 million in community benefits in the next 10 years, from Broadway ticket vouchers to tuition and health initiatives, plus $10 million to support historic Black theaters.
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