The Freedom Plaza casino project is no longer eligible to receive a New York casino operators’ license after it lost a vote at Monday’s Community Advisory Committee (CAC) meeting.
Manhattan is now out of the running to receive a casino, after a Times Square project and The Avenir at Hudson Yards also failed votes last week.
Key Takeaways
- Committee members voted against the $11 billion project, 4-2
- Manhattan is now ineligible for a casino operators’ license following this and last week’s votes
- Manhattan Electeds released a statement supporting the CAC’s vote
Every New York casino project up for consideration needs at least four votes of approval from its respective six-member CAC.
In a meeting that began at 10:00 a.m. ET on Monday, the CAC in charge of reviewing the Freedom Plaza project voted against the proposal, 4-2.
The only CAC members who voted in favor of the project were Gov. Kathy Hochul’s appointee, Nichols Silbersack, and Mayor Eric Adams’ appointee, Jennifer Sta. Ines.
“It’s been a very robust review of all the work that’s been done by the community and the applicants,” said Sandra McKee, Chair of the Freedom Plaza CAC. “The question of if to advance the Gaming Facility Location Board has been reviewed. Two positive votes mean the application has been disapproved.”
Supporting the decision
Shortly after the vote was confirmed, Manhattan Electeds released a statement in which they endorsed the decision reached by the CAC to reject the casino.
“As elected representatives of Midtown East, we commend the Community Advisory Committee (CAC) for conducting an inclusive, transparent, and collaborative process that prioritized gathering comprehensive community input."
“Over the past three months, the CAC has heard extensive feedback from thousands of concerned local residents, business owners, and workers, as well as the Freedom Plaza Project team. Our neighbors on the East Side of Manhattan have communicated to us, and to the CAC, through hours of public hearings, significant concerns regarding increased congestion, public safety, and the potential deterioration of the quality of life this project would introduce into our community.”
There are only five casino bids remaining now that Freedom Plaza, The Avenir, and the Times Square casino bids have been rejected. MGM Empire City and Resorts World NYC will have their votes announced on Thursday, while New York Mets owner Steve Cohen’s project near Citi Field was already approved to advance to the Gaming Facility Location Board for a final review.
Bally’s was given a list of requested amendments, which it is currently reviewing and working to meet. A vote to determine its fate must be held before the end of the month.
Who will receive casino licenses?
The CAC votes are a significant marker in a process that has taken years to reach. Once all of the votes are counted, the Gaming Facility Location Board will be in charge of awarding licenses to three of the candidates.
MGM Empire City and Resorts World NYC have long been viewed as favorites to receive licenses since they already operate local racinos. Cohen’s project has also built lots of momentum, though nothing tangible with the Board.
