Overview

• The SL Green, Caesars Entertainment and Roc Nation team rescinded its $22.5 million trust pledge for Manhattan Plaza residents and opted to route the funds to the West Side Community Fund after community concerns about fair administration
• More than 150 speakers addressed the Times Square CAC on August 13, with union construction and hospitality workers and celebrity backers testifying in support while Broadway unions and local nonprofits voiced opposition
• Opponents, led by The Broadway League and the No Times Square Casino Coalition, lit 16 theater marquees with “No Times Square Casino” to warn that the project could threaten jobs, culture and public safety
• Supporters including Laborers Local 79, the Hotel and Gaming Trades Council, Fat Joe and Charlamagne tha God argued the proposal would create thousands of union jobs and boost tourism revenue
• The CAC must vote on the bid by September 30 before the Gaming Facility Location Board and the State Gaming Commission decide which three of eight downstate proposals will receive licenses by December 1