Times Square casino foes organize to derail plan, saying a gambling venue would undermine progress

A powerful lineup of Broadway players announced a new campaign Friday to fight a proposed Caesars Palace casino in Times Square as community pushback grows against various gambling proposals across NYC.

The “No Times Square Casino Community Coalition,” organized by the influential theater trade association the Broadway League, cited concerns about a range of issues including congestion, economic disturbance and social harm in a press release urging officials to reject the proposal. The group includes a number of community groups, local businesses, big-name restaurants like the iconic Sardi’s and the Times Square Church.

“After a decades-long turnaround that revitalized the neighborhood and turned it into a pre-eminent destination for locals, businesses and tourists, Times Square is one of the most vibrant areas in the country,” said Charlotte St. Martin, president of the Broadway League. “We don’t want to see that progress jeopardized by a casino.”

The plan was announced last year by Caesars Entertainment and SL Green Realty Corp., the city’s largest commercial landlord. Brooklyn-born rap legend Jay-Z’s entertainment company Roc Nation also signed on to the project in December.

Their proposal, dubbed “Caesars Palace Times Square,” would involve renovating SL Green’s skyscraper at 1515 Broadway. The site is currently home to the Minskoff Theatre, where the popular musical The Lion King is now playing. The new plan would include a theater for the show, according to SL Green.

Those opposing a Times Square casino argue, as the Broadway League put it last year, it would “introduce widespread economic and operational disruption, unprecedented congestion, and decreased safety and security,” and generally hinder the area’s pandemic recovery.

Kathleen Treat, president of the Hell’s Kitchen Neighborhood Association, also expressed opposition in a statement.

“The very last thing Times Square needs is a casino,” she said.

The group pushing for the casino, “Coalition for a Better Times Square,” was created by SL Green, Caesars and Roc Nation. Its supporters include a number of hotels, labor unions, businesses, and restaurants, such as Carmine’s. Investors previously suggested the casino could bring an additional 7 million visitors to Times Square annually and boost Broadway show sales.

“At the core of our vision for this project is the idea that our guests will flow directly from our five-star boutique hotel, gaming floor, sportsbook and entertainment destination into the existing vibrant entertainment and culinary community in and around Times Square,” Tom Reeg, Caesars Entertainment CEO, said in a statement on Friday.

But those plans face a long road to becoming a reality as New York’s casino bidding war continues to unfold. The Times Square proposal is just one of more than half a dozen hopefuls vying for one of three $500 million casino licenses the state’s Gaming Facility Location Board is soliciting bids for in downstate New York.

Two of the three licenses are likely to go to existing “racinos” in Queens and Yonkers, according to State Sen. Joseph Addabbo, who chairs the Committee on Racing, Gaming and Wagering.

Bids for other casinos around the city have largely been met with opposition from locals and skepticism from elected officials, including proposals in Coney Island and Hudson Yards.

Borough President Mark Levine has described public opinion regarding a Manhattan casino as “overwhelmingly negative.” State Sen. Brad Hoylman, who represents the area, has similarly expressed doubts. Community Board 5, which includes the Times Square area, came out against the proposal last year.

Local input will be important, because each casino bid goes before a six-member committee that includes representatives for the mayor and governor, as well as the local Assembly member, senator, City Council rep and borough president. A successful bid would require the support of at least four of those.