The New York State Gaming Commission held a virtual public hearing on the proposed Caesars Palace casino in Times Square. The proposal is being proposed by Caesars Entertainment and partners SL Green and Roc Nation, as well as Jay Z. The next hearing to address the issue is scheduled for this Wednesday (28).
The hearing is an initial step in the environmental review process for the site. According to Robert Williams, executive director of the NYSGC, the commission has deemed the project a “Type 1 action”, meaning it could pose environmental risks and therefore requires certain review processes.
As the Commission announced, the purpose of the hearings is to gather opinions from authorities, local leaders and residents. From there, stakeholders will begin drafting the environmental impact statement. During the process, it will be possible to contribute to the drafting of the text before the official environmental statement is submitted.
Caesars and its partners are proposing a casino, hotel and other amenities at 1515 Broadway. It is currently an office tower, but the plan is to completely demolish and renovate it if the casino license is approved.
The deadline for casino bidders to submit their official proposals to the state is June 27. Neither the commission nor project officials have released a timeline for the environmental declaration process. Once proposals are collected, the commission will award up to three licenses by the end of the year.
Times Square location is a “logical” choice
Robert Schiffer, executive vice president of development for SL Green, gave a brief presentation on the project to kick off the hearing. He called Times Square “the logical choice” for a casino in New York City, as it is the heart of the city’s entertainment district.
According to Schiffer, the project also presents itself as a central hub for the community. He shared a model of the urban grid, with options for restaurants, accommodation and transportation nearby.
Two points raised by Schiffer were highlighted during the hearing. The first is that no housing displacement is anticipated and disruption to construction would be limited. Therefore, the project would not displace any existing housing. Keeping the building on site also significantly reduces construction timelines and noise pollution.
Robert Schiffer, executive vice president of development at SL Green, said of the location selection. “This team is committed to a sustainable, neighborhood-focused, New York-first approach,” he said.
Project would generate jobs locally
After the meeting was opened for public comment, the vast majority (about 75%) of those present were union and labor representatives. All supported the project because of the number of construction projects and permanent jobs it could create.
“This is the only project where we have a guarantee that a significant number of new, well-paying jobs will be created,” said one of those present at the hearing.
Manhattan is likely to receive one of the permits, as three of the eight proposals are located there. In addition to Caesars Times Square, Silverstein Properties’ Avenir project and Soloviev Group’s Freedom Plaza proposal are also in the borough.
The areas presented in other proposals could be developed for other, non-gaming purposes. However, the Caesars Times Square project is largely dependent on the casino license, since without the gaming space, there would be no commercial advantage to the development.
