It looks like there will be no casino in Manhattan.
A community advisory committee voted this week against a casino proposal for Freedom Plaza, a mixed use complex slated for an open tract adjacent to the UN designed by BIG and OJB Landscape Architecture, backed by Soloviev Group and Mohegan.
Previously, casino bids for Hudson Yards West and Saks Fifth Avenue in Midtown were also scrapped. Earlier this month, other casino proposals for sites in Hells Kitchen and Times Square, both designed by CetraRuddy and Steelman Partners, were likewise shot down.
Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine, City Councilmember Keith Powers, and State Senator Kristen Gonzalez cited congestion, public safety and quality of life problems in regard to the Freedom Plaza bid.
The elected officials still look forward to “continuing to work with the Soloviev Group to accomplish the goal of activating this site for permanent affordable housing, green space, good-paying jobs, and more,” they said in a joint statement.
Last year, Bjarke Ingels told AN the casino would have been tucked underneath a tentative Museum of Freedom and Democracy, the brainchild of Soloviev Group chairman Stefan Soloviev. It is unclear at this time how this latest advent will impact the design for Freedom Plaza. AN reached out to BIG for comment.
Who are the remaining contenders?
Remaining casino bids are for sites in Brooklyn’s Coney Island, near Citi Field in Queens, in Westchester County, near JFK airport, and a Bally’s in the Bronx. The Coney Island bid will be voted upon next week.
Real estate group Thor Equities released The Coney, its vision for a casino in Coney Island, in 2023, promising to bring more foot traffic to the neighborhood during off-seasons.
Already, Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso has voiced major concerns, signaling mounting opposition to the project. Reynoso called the Coney Island casino proposal “deeply unimpressive and unresponsive to the needs, desires, and rich history of the Coney Island community.”
Per, Casino.org, the most competitive bids are: MGM Empire City in Yonkers, Resorts World New York City at the Aqueduct Racetrack in Queens, and Metropolitan Park at Willets Point in Queens.
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