Overview

• Manhattan’s last remaining proposal, the Soloviev Group–Mohegan Freedom Plaza near the United Nations, failed a Community Advisory Committee vote 4–2, stopping it from advancing to state review.
• The panel’s split mirrored prior Manhattan votes, with appointees of Gov. Kathy Hochul and Mayor Eric Adams in support and members representing local elected officials opposed.
• Developers’ eleventh-hour pledge to make all 1,080 planned apartments permanently affordable, along with claims of thousands of union jobs and major economic impact, did not change the outcome.
• Local officials backing the decision cited community feedback focused on congestion, public safety and quality-of-life concerns in Midtown East.
• Five proposals remain in Queens, the Bronx, Brooklyn and Yonkers, each requiring CAC approval by Sept. 30 before consideration by the state Gaming Facility Location Board, with up to three licenses expected by year’s end.