A $12 billion Hudson Yards casino and entertainment proposal submitted by Wynn Resorts, in conjunction with Related Companies, was unanimously voted down by Manhattan Community Board 4 earlier this week.
Neighbors Say No
Manhattan Community Board 4 is apparently unimpressed with the casino proposal set forth by gaming giant Wynn Resorts and developer Related Companies, as evidenced by its 39-0 vote against the project with only one member abstaining.
The project is multi-pronged and includes a casino, an entertainment venue, a public park, a K-8 public school, as well as market-rate and affordable housing. However, it is the latter that has ruffled many feathers, with neighborhood activists claiming that the number of units in the current proposal is significantly lower than the initial proposal.
In a 2009 agreement with Related Companies, 5,700 units of housing were promised. However, this latest proposal includes only 1,500 units, 324 of which would be set aside for affordable housing.
Strong Opposition
“The last time we voted an outright denial was 1986, so it takes a lot for our community board on the West Side to say we don’t approve it at all,” said Restuccia, who co-chairs Community Board 4’s housing committee.
Executive Director of Friends of the High Line, Alan van Capelle, expressed that he felt the proposal and Wynn’s representatives were “tone deaf.” He added, “We’re in the middle of a housing crisis, and this plan takes away much-needed housing. There has to be better use for this land that’s owned by the people of New York than what’s being proposed.”
The advisory vote will now advance to Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine.
Wynn Supporters
Although the Wynn project suffered a public relations setback with the Manhattan Community Board 4, there are advocates pushing for the project to be awarded one of the three licenses.
Christine Quinn, president and CEO of the non-profit Women in Need (WIN), is one of those supporters.
On the Wynn New York City website, Quinn was featured in a short video stating, “I am supporting Related and Wynn New York City’s bid for the Hudson Yards because it is the one that most recognizes that the biggest problem facing this city is that of homeless families with children. I am ready for thousands of jobs for homeless moms working with Wynn New York City.”
June Deadline
There are 11 downstate casino proposals being bandied about, and final proposals are due by June of this year for the three coveted casino licenses. Wynn is just one of them and has chosen Hudson Yards as the location for their 80-story, sky-piercing project. But bringing temporary and permanent union jobs is something all the projects have in common.
The Executive Director of the New York State Commission, Robert Williams, has revealed that economic factors are paramount in choosing the right projects to award the licenses, but aesthetics like architectural design and neighborly community relations are also important.
Williams stated that “the relationships that they have with local communities, with unions, how the different projects integrate into something as simple as traffic and sewer and water, and fire and police protection.”
