New York: Broadway opposition ends Jay-Z-backed Caesars Palace casino plan in Times Square

A proposed $5.4 billion Caesars Palace casino in the heart of Times Square has been officially struck down following a decisive vote by a state-commissioned Community Advisory Committee, marking a blow to one of the most high-profile bids for a downstate New York City casino license.

The planned resort, backed by Caesars Entertainment, commercial real estate firm SL Green, and rapper-entrepreneur Jay-Z’s Roc Nation, had envisioned a luxury casino, hotel, and entertainment complex within the office tower at 1515 Broadway. That building currently houses the Minskoff Theatre, home to Disney’s “The Lion King.”

However, the proposal ran into intense resistance from the Broadway League, local theater producers, stagehands, neighborhood residents, and small business owners who feared the casino would erode the character of the historic theater district and divert audiences and resources.

In a 4–2 vote, the advisory committee rejected the project after several heated community hearings, effectively removing it from contention for one of the three new full-scale casino licenses set to be awarded by the New York State Gaming Commission later this year.

“This was a despicable display of cowardice, a complete lack of consideration for all the people who would benefit from this,” SL Green CEO Marc Holliday told the committee after the vote, visibly frustrated. “Go run and hide.” Holliday, whose company owns the proposed site, reportedly stood to gain a $10 million bonus if the project had succeeded.

The vote followed months of vocal protests, with opponents arguing that a casino would disrupt the recovery of Broadway following the COVID-19 pandemic. Theater workers packed hearings, some even singing their objections. “Start spreading the news, a casino would be in the way,” said Sam Dallas, a general manager of Broadway shows, paraphrasing Frank Sinatra’s “New York, New York” during a September 11 hearing.

The Broadway League, which spearheaded the No Times Square Casino Coalition, welcomed the decision. Jason Laks, its president, called the outcome a major win for the local arts and entertainment sector.

Roc Nation and its partners had positioned the casino as a neighborhood-enhancing project, not a competitor. “Casino visitors will buy tickets, fill seats, book dinners before shows, and keep hotels in the area full,” Jay-Z said in an interview with City & State.

“We’re creating a hub that draws even more people into the neighborhood, generating new energy, new business, and new opportunities for everyone.”

Reverend Al Sharpton, a vocal supporter of the plan, criticized the decision, arguing it preserved the status quo in Times Square. The project had included plans for a civil rights museum within the complex. “We will remember that in the community,” Sharpton said following the vote.

The Times Square casino was one of several proposals competing for licenses authorized under a 2013 voter-approved referendum that allowed up to seven full-service casinos in New York State. Four are already operating upstate.

A separate Manhattan proposal, the Avenir, a $7 billion plan for Hudson Yards backed by Silverstein Properties and Rush Street Gaming, was also voted down on Wednesday by a 4–2 margin. The only two “yes” votes in both decisions came from representatives of Governor Kathy Hochul and Mayor Eric Adams.

With both the Caesars Palace and Avenir projects out of the race, only one Manhattan-based proposal remains. Meanwhile, other contenders include projects in the Bronx, Brooklyn’s Coney Island, and Queens, where a Hard Rock casino is proposed near Citi Field. Existing slot parlors in Yonkers and Queens are also seeking full casino licenses, with MGM and Genting planning multi-billion-dollar expansions of their current facilities.