A few days ago, when pictures hit the net of Jay-Z and Beyoncé kicking it with Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump at a charity event surfaced, people began wondering how this came to be. Some assumed it might have something to do with Jay’s bid to open a casino in Times Square.
Well, if that was the reason, it didn’t seem to work at all as the proposed construction of Times Square’s first gambling den was denied just this week.
According to Variety, the Community Advisory Committee (CAC) voted against moving forward with the proposed casino that had the backing of Caesar’s Palace, Jay-Z’s Roc Nation, and the building’s owner, SL Green Realty. While many New Yorkers were excited about the possibility of having an actual casino in the Big Apple, the CAC didn’t seem too eager to allow the project to get underway, and four out of six members voted against the advancement of the proposition and denied Jay-Z and company their pet project.
Per Variety:
“Thank you to Governor Hochul and Mayor Adams for standing up for NYC,” said Roc Nation’s CEO Desiree Perez in a statement to Variety. Unfortunately, not every politician has the courage and foresight to do what’s right for their constituents.”
“We are disappointed by today’s decision and process,” a statement on behalf of the project’s three organizers reads. “Caesars Palace Times Square was a visionary proposal that aimed to address longstanding challenges through meaningful private investment. While we disagree with the outcome of this process, we remain committed to advocating for positive change in the city we love. We’ve built strong relationships with a community that is eager for progress, and we hope that those who opposed this project — both in the public and private sectors — will now bring the same energy and resources to solving the very real challenges facing Times Square.”
The 150,000-square-foot casino would’ve been located in One Aster Plaza office tower at 1515 Broadway and would’ve included spas, restaurants, and even an exclusive hotel within a hotel. They were really going for some next-level-ish with this one, but alas, it will not be.
Still, some residents felt that the casino would only harm the area and believed it would bring crime and tarnish the image that Times Square has spent decades repairing.
“This was a vote to protect the magic of Broadway for the one hundred thousand New Yorkers who depend on it for their livelihoods, and for the tens of millions who come from around the world to experience it. A casino can go anywhere, but Broadway only lives here,” Jason Laks, president of the Broadway League, said in a statement on the news.
Social media wasn’t completely upset at the casino not working out. See the reactions below.
