Detractors and supporters of the various proposals to build a casino in Hell’s Kitchen raised their voices on Tuesday night at a public hearing held by Manhattan Community Board 4 (MCB4). They expressed concerns that it could alter the neighborhood’s character and increase crime rates, all while upending New York City’s Uniform Land Use Review Process (ULURP).
Developers Related Companies and Silverstein Properties have released renderings of glitzy high-rise towers in their own casino proposals for the neighborhood, at W33rd Street and 11th Avenue and W41st Street and 11th Avenue respectively. In Times Square, another development company, SL Green, is proposing an eight-story, 250,000 square-foot gaming facility and 950-room hotel.
Tuesday’s meeting was not about individual projects but rather an opportunity for people to express their thoughts generally on the topic of casinos.
While no bids have officially been submitted, much less selected, Jerry Skurnik, one of seven part-time New York State Gaming Commissioners, explained to the board that “it’s almost certain that the next three will be downstate.”
“To my knowledge there are no favorites. In fact, we don’t even know who is going to apply,” Skurnik said. “No applications have been submitted yet.”
Skurnik explained that developers aiming to build a casino will have 30 days to submit their bids after the Gaming Facility Location Board publishes the answers to a second set of questions, which he said would be soon. The first set, released in August of last year, included answers to 613 questions. Once the bids are in, they will go to a Community Advisory Committee, made up of members appointed by local elected officials, for review.
The membership of each Community Advisory Committee depends on the proposed site location, with members being appointed by applicable elected officials. In New York City that will be:
- NYS Governor
- NYC Mayor
- Applicable NYS Senator
- Applicable NYS Assemblymember
- Applicable Borough President
- Applicable City Councilmember
Next, each casino proposal would in theory follow the city’s ULURP process — but not if the City Council passes the City of Yes Gaming Facility Text Amendment exempting casino proposals from the standard land use review if they are in manufacturing or commercial-zoned districts. The Gaming Facility Locations Board then reviews the approved proposals and determines whether to award them a license, with a price tag of $500 million.
Skurnik argued the text amendment, which CB4 has publicly expressed opposition to, is necessary because proposals may not be selected, despite passing through the months-long process.
Barbara Knecht, a longtime Hell’s Kitchen resident and urban planner, said casinos are “probably one of the most anti-urban uses I can think of. They do not speak to the street, they do not speak to the people on the street,” she said.
Alexis Audette, a 20-year resident of Hell’s Kitchen, said that after doing her own research, she came away with the feeling that a casino “would be very negative, both for Hell’s Kitchen and for New York City.”
“What we need here is clean air and pedestrian-friendly streets,” she said. “A casino will increase traffic which will degrade our air quality and make our streets more dangerous. We need reliable infrastructure and emergency services. A casino will place a burden on our streets and our police and fire services.”
Audette added she believes casinos “will not add to the local economy and may actually hurt it.”
In contrast, two Hell’s Kitchen residents — David Stuart and Anya Wallach — expressed cautious optimism about the prospect of a casino in their backyard.
Stuart was “skeptical about it,” he said, until he started meeting with SL Green, the development company proposing a casino in Times Square.
“They are coming back with a security plan, investment in the community, they’re gonna work on tree beds, they have a $9 million plan to invest in community projects,” he said. “They have a sanitation plan, they have all these kind of things that right now our community could benefit from.”
Wallach added, “the crime is already here,” which is why she supports the services that would be offered, such as private trash removal and “private security.”
“To have private supplementation would be a really unique opportunity,” she said.
Joe Restuccia, of Clinton Housing Development Company, which builds affordable housing in the neighborhood, meanwhile framed the prospect of casinos in opposite terms.
“It’s folks with a great deal of money coming in and they will offer everybody and his uncle anything possible,” he said. “They have one goal, and it’s not a bad goal: they want to make a lot of money.”
He urged the community not to be swayed by the amenities developers offered. “It is crumbs off a table from how much money will be generated from these licenses,” he said. “And I am very concerned from our community point of view, what’s being presented is a way to split, divide, grab people and say do this or do that, because that is the way very large entities who have incredible amounts of money around them work.”
Many community members expressed concerns that the text amendment that would allow casinos to be built as-of-right without passing through ULURP could have negative repercussions.
“The notion that any of these groups or the mayor would have the ability to usurp the ULURP or eliminate any zoning process that we’ve all come to trust, is kind of frightening and I don’t know what kind of precedent that might make for future businesses,” Aleta LaFargue said. “I think that any development that goes up needs to go through the same process. And if that takes a little longer, I think there’s a reason for it.”
The Community Advisory Committee would be made up of elected officials – the Governor, the Mayor, state Senator, Borough President, State Assembly Member and City Council member – not members of the community, anyone that lives in the communities that would be impacted.
Put me in the camp of “Yes” to a casino in TSQ. Having lived here basically all my life (I’m 42 now) I’ve seen the good, the bad, and the ugly. Let the casinos in — but with conditions that they heavily invest in the community space, small businesses & security, which sounds like what Anya Wallach is expressing in her quote.
The reality is that the neighborhood is changing. Us residents must work in partnership, not opposition, because the beneficial financial impact it can have in the neighborhood is more than what our previous leaders could have ever provided. As sad as that is to say, it’s the truth.
All things being relative– checkout Atlantic City. A community that was promised jobs, security, sanitation, etc… same things developers are promising us now… all b.s.. The city away from the casinos is absolutely devastated. I work for a university… we used Atlantic City for a study on underage PROSTITUTION- that should tell you something!!!!
I’d argue that NYC, specifically Times Square, is vastly different than Atlantic City. We’re talking a few hotel casinos scattered across downstate, not a whole casino district. All eyes would be on the casino’s to keep their promises to what is known as the capital of the world. (No offense to Atlantic City, NJ.) The localized protesting would be bad PR…
I’m honestly looking forward to walking over, playing $20 of roulette every other month and getting a free drink. It could bring more foot traffic to the area, more eyes on the street, more opportunity for local business. I’m cautiously optimistic.
“If it looks like a….,” No one needs that common phrase to be finished because we are all intelligent enough to know a duck when we see one. Ducks are cute, but it’s the poop around the pond they leave behind that’s the problem. Ducks leave a lot of poop and they don’t clean up after themselves. Some people can’t help themselves even when the signs clearly say, “Do not feed the Ducks,” but once those cute ducks are there people sit around and toss bread into the pond and feed the ducks until they have no more bread. But as the homeless population grows, they can check the streets for the migrating birds that have crashed into the obnoxiously high and unnecessary amusement park ride and perhaps have a meal? Tourists may decide The West End on the Other Side of The Pond, the one with no Duck poop, will be the place to see the best theatre in the world.
A note to the architects and builders of The Torch Building- How will anyone see a view of the city when most of the time they will be blocked by cloud cover? Doesn’t anyone think about these simple issues before destroying a city?
Very Dark shadows for sure!
Talk and REALITY are 2 separate things. The talk of more security is ONLY for their facility. Check with NYC Police – they would have NO Authority outside their facility. The idea of a casino is to keep those inside to stay as long as possible – thus Free drinks, food places and more. They do not want clocks or open windows so the captive gamblers have no idea the exact time. It is a money crabbing establishment! The Times Square Casino (TS) is spending millions $$$$$ to buy support from the area residents with words – promises they stated is NOT A REALITY. A TS Casino will hurt the area especially Broadway and area restaurants. Look at the millions $$$ they are spending to imply that it will be great for the area (they are paying for ads in community papers, huge ads for them on the signs on Bldgs (44th & Bway; 46th & Bway/7th Ave AEA corner; the subway entrance on 42nd Street next to New Amsterdam Theatre in and on). They are paying for Free meals to get residents sign a form supporting the casino so they could get a Free meal). Instead all the millions they are and have been spending would be better to put their money $$$ NOW in the tree beds and all these other things they “state” will be done with their Casino. Perhaps spending some money to show the community that they are helping the community NOW and not trying to use promises/Words as a Fact. Actions speak louder that words/“statements”/ promises. The Local area business community will not gain but be hurt by the presence. Check Reality not the words they are using. Check with long standing restaurants, Broadway theatre employees, as well as area authority NOT elected or paid consultants of what is a REALITY.
SAY NO TO A Times Square CASINO and one on the area west side!!!
NO!
The last type of business that NYC needs. No casinos in Manhattan!
But perhaps in a part of Queens or Staten Island, if a community in those boroughs approve.
Of course, to humor us, these proposals include security, sanitation, etc., etc. They will NEVER deliver on these important quality of life promises.
As an example, If you read some of the copy touting all of the benefits of Hudson Yards (pre-construction), you will see that none of the empty promises benefitted the community at large. Even the Shed (Art/cultural center at HYards) is not succeeding as expected. BTW- The developers of Hudson Yards were awarded Billions (with a B) of $$ in tax breaks. I don’t know how this grotesque development has benefitted one HK resident? And now a casino??
No. No. No.
Take a look at Atlantic City…..the outcome was not pretty. Casinos enter to suck out the resources and life blood of a community – they will in no way enhance our community. STOP this now!
Nice to see Aleta LaFargue there but why was this meeting so poorly attended? That place should have been packed to the rafters.
Manhattan is already too crowded with traffic and pedestrians. A casino will only add more congestion and pollution. Build casinos where it won’t affect the quality of life. I think Governor’s Island would be a perfect location with little impact on NYC residents.