"The idea of stuffing a casino in a place already buzzing with hordes of tourists and gaudy lights made sense from afar. So did some specifics: It would have made use of an old office building at 1515 Broadway; it was proposed in partnership with Caesars; and it had the backing of a beloved local (Jay-Z and Roc Nation were onboard to run a club in the space)."
"But neither toilets nor the promise of $250 million in community investment, including a public-safety plan and building a Civil Rights museum, could persuade the representatives on the board for Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine, State Senator Liz Krueger, Assemblyman Tony Simone, and City Councilmember Erik Bottcher, all of whom voted against the casino. (Reps for Governor Kathy Hochul and Mayor Eric Adams were the two "yes" votes.)"
A proposal would convert an office building at 1515 Broadway into a casino in partnership with Caesars and include a Roc Nation club. Theater owners opposed rebranding Broadway around gambling, running anti-casino messaging and distributing flyers citing crime and traffic concerns. Scandals included a $10 million bonus for Holliday and social ties between Jay-Z and casino-industry figures linked to Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump. Manhattan Plaza residents were offered $22.5 million in benefits, provoking backlash and a redirected package with added public bathrooms. Promises of $250 million in community investment failed to sway local elected representatives, who voted against the project.
Read at Curbed
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