The New York Gaming Commission has set the first public meetings for the two West Side casino proposals — The Avenir on 11th Avenue and 41st Street, and Caesars Palace Times Square at 1515 Broadway — giving Hell’s Kitchen residents and other New Yorkers a chance to weigh in before a September 30 decision.
The Caesars Palace Times Square Community Advisory Committee (CAC) will meet first, on Wednesday, August 13, 10am-5pm at Scandinavia House, 58 Park Avenue. Two weeks later, The Avenir CAC will hold its meeting on Wednesday, August 27, 12pm-5pm at the Javits Center, Hall 1E. Both sessions will include applicant presentations and a public comment period, and will be livestreamed on YouTube.
Each CAC has six members — one each appointed by the Governor (Kathy Hochul), Mayor (Eric Adams), Manhattan Borough President (Mark Levine), City Councilmember (Erik Bottcher), State Senator (Brad Hoylman-Sigal for The Avenir; Liz Krueger for Caesars Palace Times Square) and Assemblymember (Tony Simone). To advance, a proposal needs a two-thirds majority, meaning at least four members must vote yes before September 30 for the bid to move forward to the state’s Gaming Facility Location Board.
The Avenir — Backed by Silverstein Properties, Rush Street Gaming and Greenwood Gaming & Entertainment, the $7 billion plan includes a 1,000-room Hyatt hotel, a casino, over a dozen restaurants (including concepts from Danny Meyer and Stephen Starr), a public art gallery, a rooftop pool and a boutique entertainment venue. The project promises over 2,000 new apartments (off-site) — 25% affordable — and partnerships with West Side institutions like the Hudson Guild and Covenant House. Their bid application materials can be reviewed here….
Caesars Palace Times Square — Proposed by SL Green, Caesars Entertainment and Roc Nation, the Times Square development would include a luxury hotel, gaming floors, entertainment spaces and a suite of community investments, including public safety initiatives and funding for local cultural institutions. Roc Nation’s JAY-Z has framed the project as “a once in a lifetime opportunity” to create something “homegrown” that adds to, rather than competes with, Broadway. Their bid application materials can be reviewed here……