Trade Unions Submit Letter Supporting Caesars Bid for Times Square Casino

Proposed Times Square Casino site at 1515 Broadway. (Image: Nancy Kaszerman/ZUMA Press Wire)

A group of 17 labor unions said Monday that they’ve sent a letter to three key Manhattan elected officials to show their support for a proposed Times Square Casino that would be built at 1515 Broadway.

The casino destination, which is being proposed by Caesars Entertainment, SL Green, and Roc Nation, would convert a 54-story office building into a full-scale casino in one of the biggest tourism destinations in New York City.

Letter Touts Relationship Between Developers, Organized Labor

The letter, which was addressed to Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine, Assembly Member Tony Simone and Council Member Erik Bottcher, says that the developers of the proposed casino have a history of good relations with organized labor.

“Both SL Green and Caesars have a proud history of working collaboratively with organized labor,” the letter reads. 

“Their proposed venture in Times Square will be no different. They have executed a Memorandum of Understanding to enter into a project labor agreement with [the Building & Construction Trades Council], a neutrality agreement with [the Hotel and Gaming Trades Council], and agreements of support from Mason Tenders—Locals 79-78-66-108-1261, the Freelancers Union, and the NYC District of Carpenters.”

The letter comes after months of opposition to the proposal by the No Times Square Casino Coalition. That group includes local businesses, community groups, and nonprofits, including the Broadway League of Theater owners. Last month, seven members of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) joined that coalition.

List of Downstate New York Casino Bidders

• MGM Resorts is proposing to expand its existing Empire City Casino facility in Yonkers, turning the racino into a full-scale casino resort.
• Genting Group is similarly looking to upgrade its Resorts World Casino facility in Queens into a full casino with one of the three licenses.
• Las Vegas Sands is proposing to turn the city of the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum into a casino in Uniondale, Long Island.
• Caesars Entertainment, SL Green, and Roc Nation are pushing for a casino in Times Square, Manhattan.
• New York Mets owner Steve Cohen and Hard Rock International want to build a casino in the parking lots next to Citi Field.
• Wynn Resorts and Related Companies are proposing to build a casino in Hudson Yards at a rail yard near the Javits Center.
• The Mohegan Tribe and The Soloviev Group are looking to develop a casino next to the United Nations in Midtown Manhattan.
• Bally’s wants to build a casino resort on the site of Bally’s Golf Links at Ferry Point, formerly known as Trump Golf Links.
• Hudson’s Bay wants to redevelop three floors of its Saks Fifth Avenue building in Midtown Manhattan into a luxury casino
• Thor Equities is pitching a casino complex at Coney Island in Brooklyn.

“A casino in New York would add a new dimension to New York City’s vibrant entertainment industry but placing it amidst our theater district would be a mistake,” The IATSE said in a statement released late last month. 

“Casinos are self-contained and are designed to keep patrons inside for as long as possible. Meanwhile, our iconic theater district and Broadway are still recovering from the financial hardship brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic. There are over a dozen viable proposals other than the Times Square location that would result in new entertainment venues and more jobs without compromising the theater district and surrounding businesses.”

Of course, the developers pushing for the Times Square casino disagree with that take.

“With Caesars Palace as our partner, I think that the proposal is that much more encouraging to make sure that the surrounding hotels, bars and restaurants, and entertainment venues understand that we’re coming in to increase hotel space, increase to millions of more meals, and not just at 1515 Broadway where we’d have the casino but the adjacent retail locations,” Ed Piccinich, SL Green COO, told amNewYork.

The Caesars Times Square casino proposal will be competing with nearly a dozen other major bidders for the three available downstate casino licenses in New York State, which will go to venues in New York City, Long Island, and Westchester County. State regulators expect to award the licenses by the end of 2025.