The top of New York’s the highly effective lecturers’ union is flunking a proposal to place a on line casino in Occasions Sq. — within the coronary heart of the beloved Broadway theater district.
“[A casino] would undermine the Theater District and dilute the distinctive power of Broadway, an industry that offers unique educational and career opportunities for our students,” United Federation of Academics president Michael Mulgrew informed The Put up.
Mulgrew identified the Broadway League’s applications that present college students entry to reveals, corresponding to Broadway Bridges, which seeks to offer each public faculty tenth grader a chance to see a efficiency earlier than commencement.
“Broadway is an educational goldmine for the children of our city, and it needs to be protected,” he stated.
Mulgrew stated he’s personally chaperoned college students on journeys to the theater due to The Broadway League, lots of whom had by no means seen a present earlier than.
There are six public colleges within the theater district from West thirty fourth Avenue to West fifty fifth Avenue, between sixth Avenue and ninth Avenue — Star America Preschool, P.S. 212 Midtown West, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Excessive Faculty, Repertory Firm Excessive Faculty for Theatre Arts, Skilled Performing Arts Excessive Faculty and P.S. 35.
The on line casino is being proposed at 1515 Broadway — dwelling of the Minskoff Theatre and “The Lion King” Disney musical — by Caesars Leisure, SL Inexperienced and Jay-Z’s Roc Nation.
The UFT is becoming a member of the No Occasions Sq. On line casino Coalition, which incorporates The Broadway League and 30 different neighborhood and Broadway business teams.
Mulgrew stated The Broadway League, the commerce affiliation for 700 theater house owners, operators and producers, contacted him about becoming a member of the opposition, and he agreed it’s the improper location for a on line casino.
The theater district is itself a worldwide vacationer mecca, a huge financial generator for town and a on line casino shouldn’t be wanted there, he stated.
Mulgrew doesn’t object to a on line casino being accepted elsewhere within the metropolis, the place it may function an financial anchor and jobs producer.
“Put the casino somewhere else!” he stated.
A spokesperson for Caesars Palace Occasions Sq. in a press release stated that “The UFT didn’t do its homework on our project.”
“Bringing a world-class entertainment destination to Times Square will actually grow the audience for Broadway shows, and we will provide tens of millions of dollars in Broadway tickets to New York City students and educational programs as part of a successful bid,” the rep stated. “The unions representing Broadway actors and musicians support our bid precisely because we will benefit the theater community and Times Square.”
The state Gaming Fee is anticipated to approve as much as three downstate on line casino licenses by the top of 2025, after opinions by native panels and a statewide siting board earlier subsequent yr.
The state will get a minimal upfront $500 million from every bidder awarded a on line casino license, with proceeds going to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority.
Different initiatives embrace the Wynn/Associated Corporations proposal to construct a $12 billion gaming advanced in Hudson Yards; Mets billionaire proprietor Steve Cohen’s plan to construct an $8 billion casino-entertainment advanced subsequent to CitiField in Queens; Las Vegas Sands’ pitch to convert the Nassau Veterans Memorial Museum Coliseum right into a on line casino advanced; a $3 billion on line casino and standard corridor envisioned close to the Coney Island boardwalk; and Bally’s want to open a gaming facility subsequent to the Ferry Level golf course it acquired from the Trump Group, amongst others.
