NYC Planning Commission Questions Developers on Hudson Yards Casino Proposal

^{View from a skyscraper in the Hudson Yards area of New York City where developers want to build a casino resort. (Image: Benno Schwinghammer / dpa / Alamy Live)}

The New York City Planning Commission held a public hearing on the Hudson Yards casino proposal, raising concerns over the future of the project – particularly if it doesn’t receive one of the three available downstate casino licenses.

Commissioners questioned Related Companies and Wynn Resorts, who are partnering on the development of the Hudson Yards site, on the specifics of their resort development plans and whether there’s a backup plan for the site if their ambitions fall through.

Commissioners Question Plans if Casino License Falls Through

New York City and Related reached an agreement on the Hudson Yards site in 2009 that would have seen the developer build a largely residential neighborhood with around 5,000 housing units. However, Related says that plan is no longer economically viable, and is instead offering a mixed-use development centered around a casino.

“We’re at a rare moment in time with a realistic, achievable opportunity to finish the Yards, deliver thousands of construction and permanent union jobs, green space, affordable housing and economic development in the city,” Hudson Yards COO Andrew Rosen said at the hearing. “The benefits here are robust and will be felt throughout New York.

Related also shared an alternate plan for developing the site if it is unable to obtain a casino license. However, commissioners questioned why those plans seemed relatively underdeveloped, a criticism that Rosen admitted had merit.

“Frankly, we don’t have as much specificity with that plan as you do with the proposed projects, because we’ve been working hard on…pursuing the gaming license, and that’s been our focus,” Rosen said.

Lack of Housing Criticized by Resident Groups

Residents took the time to argue both for and against the proposed casino during the hearing.

“[The development] will not only transform the site into a bustling, lively complex featuring a world-class casino, affordable housing and additional restaurants and retail, but will also bring in additional security presence to our neighborhoods,” Kim Hoover, treasurer of the West Chelsea Block Association, told commissioners.

On the other hand, Hell’s Kitchen resident Catherine Laferty said she fears that the casino could ruin the cultural richness of the neighborhood.

“In addition to the much needed 4,000 or more affordable housing units, New York City is a cultural center on so many levels,” Laferty said. “Why not offer a museum on our Hudson?”

The City Planning Commission will vote on the Related Companies proposed zoning changes at an upcoming meeting. However, if the commission follows the lead of lower-level advisory votes, then the developers may be facing an uphill battle.

In December, the Manhattan Community Board 4’s Clinton Hell’s Kitchen Land Use Committee voted unanimously against the zoning changes. The entirety of MCB4 soon followed with its own unanimous vote. Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine also announced his opposition to the rezoning in a Feb. 14 interview with Crain’s, saying that he “concluded that the plan as currently proposed is not good enough.”

One of the main areas of contention from residents is the lack of affordable residential housing in the casino proposal. While the 2009 agreement would have seen between 3,500 and 5,700 residential units constructed, the casino proposal includes just 1,500 units, with only 324 designated as affordable housing.

For many residents, that change makes the new proposal a nonstarter. 

“The most intricate plans and beautiful renderings cannot paper over the fact that this latest Related-Wynn plan for the western rail yards is a betrayal of the public trust that allowed Related to build on the eastern rail yards in the first place,” 200 West 25^th Street Block Association President Brian Mattlin said during Wednesday’s hearing.