The bidding war for NYC metro area casino sites is heating up as Related Companies and Wynn Resorts released on Wednesday renderings of their monstrous gaming project proposed for the West Side’s Hudson Yards neighborhood.
First reported in the New York Post, the eye-catching renderings feature a panoramic look at the proposed resort, the centerpiece being a set of three skyscrapers that includes an 80-story building home to a casino and hotel overlooking the Hudson River.
Global real estate firm Related Companies created the proposal, dubbed Wynn New York City, in conjunction with Wynn Resorts, the famous Las Vegas casino and development firm. One of the design plan’s goals, according to Related, is to complete the Hudson Yards neighborhood and revitalization of Manhattan’s West Side.
Related is one of several developers vying for a coveted state license to build a full-service casino in the metro area. If Related’s plan gets the license, the resort would be built on a platform above a rail yard between West 30th and West 33rd Streets and 11th and 12th Avenues.
Although the casino is the star of the plan, not everything on site will be focused on fun and games.
Other, more practical amenities, include a daycare center, a public school with 750 seats, office space and a residential building to include affordable housing.
An “unparalleled catalyst” for the New York economy
Focusing on fresh air, the design also includes a 5.6-acre park, similar in size to Bryant Park. The publicly accessible park would provide “seamless” recreational space along the West Side that would be integrated into surrounding neighborhoods. According to Related, the park would be designed with input from the community.
The project would also spur job creation, according to developers. Hudson Yards West will provide 35,000 union construction jobs, as well as 5,000 permanent careers at the resort, the companies said.
“Hudson Yards has already proven to be an unparalleled catalyst for the New York economy, first through tens of thousands of construction jobs and now as home to the world’s leading companies, retail and housing, Jeff Blau, CEO of Related Companies, said. “Moving forward with the second phase of development presents an incredible opportunity to double the impact and provide generational benefits to the State, City and especially our West Side neighbors.”
The site would also steer economic activity within the city by being a travel destination, according to Craig Billings, CEO of Wynn Resorts.
“As the leading designer, developer and operator of premium gaming resorts in the world, Wynn New York City will attract luxury and aspirational travelers to our destination resort in Hudson Yards,” Billings said. “Wynn guests consistently spend more when they travel. That results in greater tax revenues for the city and state and more spending in the local community, all with less foot traffic than might be required at other resorts.”
Up to three casinos could open in the Big Apple soon, but it all rides on a lengthy application process and whether or not developers get the go-ahead to build.
Per the state’s constitution, seven commercial casinos are allowed to open in New York, with four having already opened upstate since 2014. There has been fierce competition among developers, who are aggressively lobbying for permission to grab hold of the remaining three gaming licenses in the metro area.
Is NYC ready for a ‘Vegas-Style’ casino?
At a February town hall meeting hosted by Manhattan state Senator Liz Krueger, the short answer to that question was ‘no.’
“I have been very clear for many years, I oppose casinos and gambling in general,” Krueger said at the meeting. “I find it to be a tax on desperation with no societal benefits and real prices to be paid.”
Les Bernal, of the nonprofit, Stop Predatory Gambling, underscored Krueger’s concerns.
“Over the next six years, the American people are on a downward spiral to lose more than $1 trillion of their personal wealth to predatory gambling,” he said.
But for Gov. Kathy Hochul, it’s game time. Her 2022 spending plan showed support for granting the three licenses in the metro region.
Earlier this year, the governor also announced New York State collected more than $1.55 billion in taxes upon the two-year anniversary of mobile sports wagering, of which most will be used for education, youth sports programming and problem gambling prevention, according to the state.
Three full casino licenses for the downstate region are currently up for grabs; two of the likely favorites are casinos currently operating video lottery terminals at Resorts World New York City at Aqueduct Racetrack in Queens and MGM Empire City at Yonkers Raceway in Yonkers.
Along with the Hudson Yards bid, casino bids are also pending for neighborhoods such as Times Square; Saks Fifth Avenue in Midtown; Freedom Plaza near the UN on the East Side; Metropolitan Park in Flushing; Throggs Neck, Bronx; and Coney Island in Brooklyn.
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