Overview

• Developers SL Green, Roc Nation and Caesars Entertainment rescinded their $22.5 million pledge to Manhattan Plaza residents and committed those funds to the West Side Community Fund with a $1.5 million upfront gift and future profit-sharing
• Supporters at the hearing emphasized potential union jobs, tourism gains and an $81 million public safety plan, while opponents including the Broadway League and IATSE warned of harm to Broadway’s ecosystem and increased trafficking risks
• Sixteen Broadway marquees displayed “No Times Square Casino” and a rally of union, neighborhood and cultural groups convened outside Scandinavia House ahead of the hearing
• The Community Advisory Committee will advise the New York Gaming Facility Location Board on whether the Caesars Palace Times Square proposal benefits the community before three downstate licenses are awarded by December 1
• The developers’ larger $250 million benefits package also features a $15 million civil rights museum fund, $5 million for Callen-Lorde and an equity investment offering for local residents