Broadway Theater Owners Try To Block A Caesars Times Square CasinoCoalition Forms Against Proposed Caesars Project |
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A new coalition has been gaining moment in its opposition to a proposed casino in the heart of Times Square, according to a report from The New York Times.
SL Green Realty Corp. and Caesars Entertainment in October announced a partnership to redevelop 1515 Broadway as a casino in the heart of Times Square, pending approval from state and local officials. Later last year, Roc Nation, an entertainment agency founded by JAY-Z, announced that it would be the “official entertainment partner” of SL Green and Caesars Entertainment in their bid for a Times Square casino.
The coalition, called No Times Square Casino, is spearheaded by The Broadway League, the trade association representing Broadway’s theatre owners and operators, producers, presenters, and general managers.
“Times Square is already the most heavily trafficked crossroads in the Western Hemisphere,” the coalition said. “A casino would bring thousands of taxi drop-offs, deliveries and load-ins that will further snarl traffic and make Times Square less safe, less livable and less friendly to the pedestrians and families that drive the area’s economy. Research shows that Las Vegas aside, casinos don’t meaningfully drive new tourism. Instead, they act as magnets for local gamblers and prey on vulnerable populations.”
A Times Square casino would bring economic and social disruption, not development, the group said. It added that a casino would reduce the family-friendly environment of the location.
A potential Times Square Casino would be one of three possible casinos near or in the nation’s most populous city. The state in 2022 approved the down state casinos.
“After a long recovery from the pandemic, visitors are rediscovering the allure of the theater and returning to the restaurants around Times Square,” the group continued. “Casinos are built to keep visitors inside their doors as long as possible, patronizing their own restaurants, shops and entertainment venues.”
According to the group, there are over 90,000 jobs supported by local businesses that a casino could negatively impact.
“The economic benefits of casinos dwindle over time with fewer customers and falling tax revenue, especially in dense cities. By contrast, the Broadway theaters and restaurants that a Times Square casino would disrupt have proven to grow the city’s jobs and economy decade after decade.”
There is no timeline yet for when a decision will be made on the casino.
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