A community panel decided not to approve a plan to build a casino next to the United Nations. This marks the third time a casino proposal has been turned down in Manhattan, meaning no casino will be developed there anytime soon.
The Freedom Plaza proposal was turned down by a vote of 4-2. This happened even though the developer offered last-minute incentives, assuring that all housing built on the site would be affordable. After the vote, Michael Hershman, CEO of Soloviev Group, commented:
“We have been humbled by the overwhelming support expressed by neighbors, community and civic organizations, and our faith, labor, and workforce partners. We believe they recognized what we did – Freedom Plaza was a transformative project that promised benefits that our community deserved and was built upon a sustained engagement with neighbors, civic leaders, and stakeholders across the city that recognized this once-in-a-generation opportunity. We are proud of our partnership with Mohegan and the vision that informed this project, which would have revitalized Midtown East and delivered for workers, residents, and organizations across this city. Manhattan is the undisputed capital of the world, and it deserves a fully integrated resort that would have attracted visitors while serving the needs of its community."
The East River project was developed together by Soloviev Group and Mohegan.
Focus Now Shifts to Yonkers and Queens
With Manhattan no longer in the running for a casino, focus shifts to Yonkers and Queens, where the proposals for the MGM Empire City and Steve Cohen's Metropolitan Park are drawing a lot of attention.
The MGM project will face a decision first. The MGM Empire City Community Advisory Committee (CAC) is set to hold an important vote on Thursday to determine the outcome of a $2.3 billion expansion plan.
This proposed expansion aims to upgrade the current Empire City racino into a full-scale casino, which would include:
- Expanded gaming options
- Three new restaurants
- An entertainment venue
- A parking garage
Cohen's plan to build an $8 billion casino next to Citi Field is also at a critical point. The Community Advisory Committee (CAC) will vote by September 30, 2025, to decide if the project can move to the next stage of licensing.
Other projects in contention include:
- Resorts World
- Coney Island (The Coney)
- Bally’s (Ferry Point)
The rejections have left Manhattan without a viable proposal in the New York downstate licensing process. Three projects will be awarded licenses by the end of the year.
Freedom Plaza Plan Was Bold, But All For Naught
The team behind the Freedom Plaza project had decided to increase its affordable housing efforts. They had also made legal commitments to provide the community benefits they initially promised.
In a previous meeting, planners had announced they would raise the total number of housing units to 1,080, with 600 of these being affordable. This was an increase from their earlier plan of 1,049 total units, with 513 marked as affordable. They also planned to include apartments suitable for growing families.
The project team had also promised to implement a Transportation Monitoring Plan to evaluate traffic conditions, in coordination with the New York City Department of Transportation (NYC DOT). If realized, this project was expected to transform New York City's East Side. However, the effort ultimately failed.
Last week, community advisory committees had also turned down casino proposals for Times Square and Hudson Yards. In each case, the only supporters were committee members appointed by Gov. Kathy Hochul and Mayor Eric Adams.
