The New York State Games Commission celebrated a virtual public participation session on Wednesday night to discuss the proposal of Caesars Palace Times Square. This additional session was convened after the Commission received criticism for having made the previous one in advance.
During the public’s comments, Geoff Ballotti, president and executive director of Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, expressed his support for the project.
“We believe that this is the only location,” all have evaluated and have been contacted by other partners – in which a casino can fully integrate with the identity and character of a neighborhood that really needs revitalization, “said Balotti.
Several union leaders and local representatives supported the initiative, although some theatrical unions expressed reservations. Since its inception, the proposal has faced opposition by residents and theaters due to concerns about noise and vehicular congestion.
The project is being presented by three companies: Caesars Entertainment, SL Green and the Entertainment Company Roc Nation, and would be located at number 1515 of Broadway, between W. 44 and W. 45. 45. Wednesday’s session sought to promote citizen participation in the environmental evaluation of the project from the early stages of the process, explained Robert Williams, executive director of the Games Commission.
Garrett Armwood, Vice President of Government Affairs in SL Green, presented the proposal at the beginning of the session, noting that the developers asked the Commission to an extension of the period of public comments of a week to allow this monitoring session, “in response to the contributions of the community.”
“We have designed a proposal that fits perfectly with the character of the neighborhood and will bring huge benefits to the community without displacing residents or interfering with future housing developments,” said Armwood. “This location also allows us to deliver the most sustainable project possible.”
He added that, far from being conceived to keep people inside the building, development would boost surrounding businesses in Times Square, creating a “halo effect” around the casino.
In defense of the sustainability of the project, Armwood stressed that the walking and abundance of public transport in the area make Times Square an ideal place for a development of this size. He also noted that the Casino will reuse the existing structure of Broadway 1515, which will imply a “low carbon footprint, faster delivery and less interruptions during construction”.
Shortly before the audience, two key uncens of Times Square – the Town Hall and Sony Hall – publicly expressed their support for the proposal.
“Caesars Palace Times Square represents a transformative opportunity to strengthen our local industry, creating a powerful new tourist attraction that will benefit theaters of all sizes,” Sony Hall’s COO said in a statement issued on Wednesday. “We are proud to join this project and support a vision that will help ensure that Times Square remains the main entertainment district in the world.”
Both enclosures announced that Caesars Palace Times Square and Roc Nation will sponsor multiple live events every year in The Town Hall and Sony Hall.
Linh Do, Senior Vice President of Environmental Planning and Land Use in the AKRF consultant, addressed the approaches that will guide the environmental review of the project.
“Although it is an adaptive reuse with only an incremental increase of approximately 100,000 square feet, the focus of the environmental impact declaration will be the activities derived from land use,” said Do.
The review will also analyze the project construction schedule and its impact on traffic and noise.
During public comments, local union leaders expressed mixed opinions. Some highlighted the generation of union jobs, while others expressed concern about the possible negative impact on current jobs, noise and transit pollution.
Henry Tavarez, representative of the local World Workers Union 137, supported the project, citing the increase in jobs and security improvement.
“It will generate more union jobs, it will help finance learning programs and, hopefully, will require more personnel working on the installation,” said Tavarez. “I think that if this casino is built, the area will be populated, instead of continuing to be an empty and dangerous place.”
Dale Alleyne, Commercial Manager of the local Planters’ Union 262, also supported the proposal and the game license application.
“Of all the proposed sites, this is the only one where union work can access well -paid jobs that would not exist without this license,” he said. “We have worked with the Caesars Palace Times Square team for more than four years and understand the importance of trade union work.”
For his part, Michael Wekselblatt, president of the premises 1 of the International Alliance of Employees of Theater Scenarios (IATSE), expressed his opposition to the project, despite the fact that his union has supported other casinos developments in the city.
“Caesars did not appear before us in the summer of 2022; Sl Green did,” said Wekselblatt. “I understand the pressure of real estate agents in empty properties, but building a casino is a quick solution, not a real solution. We do not support this project.”
Rina Saltzman, secretary and treasurer of the Association of Theater Press Agents and Managers – IATSE Local 18032, also expressed concern about the effects of construction on crowds and noise. He pointed out that the project could hinder Broadway recovery, which still tries to achieve sales levels prior to pandemic.
“We are convinced that bringing a casino to this area will not only put our recovery at risk, but also the jobs on which our members depend for their livelihood,” said Saltzman. “Coordinating a construction schedule with multiple shows is a nightmare … it will be logistically unfeasible during the four and a half years that the work lasts.”
Saltzman added that, although the project could generate jobs elsewhere in the city, in Times Square would cause more damages than benefits.
The Commission will accept public comments on environmental review materials until 5:00 p. m. of June 13.
