A community advisory committee denied the last Manhattan proposal for a full-service casino, ending the borough’s hopes of securing one of New York State’s three down-state gambling licences.
The decision on the “Freedom Plaza” project, near the United Nations headquarters, went 4-2 against a massive bid led by the Soloviev Group in partnership with the Mohegan Tribe. The plan called for an $11 billion development including a 300,000-square-foot casino, a 1,250-room hotel, more than 1,000 units of permanently affordable housing, a park, a Museum of Democracy, and various other public amenities. Committee members appointed by the governor and mayor supported it; members representing neighbourhood interests and legislators opposed it, citing concerns over traffic, public safety, and quality of life.
Manhattan had already seen two other high-profile proposals rejected. A Jay-Z-backed Caesars Palace bid in Times Square was turned down by a community board, as was a proposed casino resort at Hudson Yards. Those bids faltered on similar grounds—local opposition, potential disruption to the theatre district, and fears about congestion.
With those losses, Manhattan has been completely removed from the competition. The state law requires local Community Advisory Committees to approve each proposal before it advances to the State Gaming Facility Location Board, which in turn recommends finalists to the State Gaming Commission. The Commission is expected to award licences by December.
Attention now centres on five proposals located outside Manhattan. Among them are projects in Queens, the Bronx, Brooklyn and Yonkers. These include a casino-and-hotel plan next to Citi Field in Queens, a Bally’s proposal at Ferry Point in the Bronx, expansion of live table games at existing racetracks in Queens and Yonkers, and a casino project boardwalk-adjacent in Coney Island. All must secure local board approvals by the end of September.
Critics of the Manhattan bids stressed that density, traffic congestion and the character of neighbourhoods like Times Square made casino proposals especially fraught there. Proponents countered that the developments promised economic gains—including jobs, tourism, and affordable housing—and would have been major public-private endeavours. Soloviev’s CEO asserted Freedom Plaza would have “revitalised Midtown East”.
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