"New York gambling regulators on Monday named officials to a board to oversee siting for casinos in the New York City metropolitan area as the state seeks to expand commercial gaming halls to a lucrative market beyond upstate communities.
The Gaming Commission named former New York City Housing Commissioner Vicki Been, New York Womenâs Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Quenia Abreau and former Hofstra University President Stuart Rabinowitz.
Officials are expected to issue requests for proposals to win a license for opening and operating up to three casinos in the region. Licenses are not exepcted to be issued until 2023."
^^^^^^
Just a week after a board was formed to determine the location and siting of up to three downstate New York casinos, one real estate development firm is already making its intentions known.
A source confirmed to ESNY that Thor Equities, a real estate development, leasing and management firm, will be submitting a ârobustâ bid to the New York casino siting board when it releases a request for applications for casino licenses in early 2023.
The source confirmed that Thor Equities would list portions of its Coney Island amusement district properties as the potential location for its casino.
The real estate development firm owns several properties in Coney Islandâs amusement district, which has also been zoned for hotels, entertainment purposes, amusements, and retail.
Quote:
The Real Deal, a New York real estate development publication, reported in 2018 that Thor Equities was attempting to sell 21 properties in Coney Island, located outside the Coney Island subway station between Surf Avenue and the Coney Island boardwalk.
The publication noted that Thor Equities Chairman Joseph Sitt had once envisioned using these properties as Las Vegas-style entertainment district. Itâs unknown if this is the potential location Thor Equities is eyeing for its Coney Island casino, but it seems to fit the description.
1515 Broadway
I wouldnât mind if the old 1515 Broadway was demolishedâŚ.
SL Green wouldnt necessarily demolish it, the article mentioned it as being above where the Lion King play theater is in the podium. Regardless, some of the office floors would be transformed into hotel rooms per the article.
What even is this commentâŚ
However they want to redevelop it, this is a far superior location than the Hudson Yards. Times Square is already a chaotic, noisy tourist mecca, so a casino will fit like a glove. Just please for the love of all that is holy, donât let them clad the building in faux-Roman architecture. The LV Caesars Palace is one of the cheesiest buildings in the country â even the extremely cheesy Times Square deserves better.
Wouldnât a casino in Times Square be too much for the area?
Yes, that to me would be a nice NY casino proposal with a skyscraper or two on the HY Phase Two site .
SL Green is keeping the lid on the specifics of its proposal until the end of the year â such as how the casino would be fitted inside, and how many floors it would have, at 1515 Broadway, a 54-story tower thatâs home to Paramount Globalâs headquarters and to the Minskoff Theater where âThe Lion Kingâ is playing.
No one at publicly traded SL Green would comment.
But a source said the company was considering a âboutique, high-end gaming facilityâ that would include a five-star hotel, retail, food stations, special signage and âexperiential technologyâ to broadcast into Times Square.
Rendering of the Freedom Plaza project
Source: The Soloviev Group
That would be an interesting idea. Though Iâd prefer if it were a lot bigger
hoping the crazy guy wins this. That lot is a prime choice for something like this.
Wow, that thing looks⌠dare I say, pretty classy?
Itâs interesting that heâs planning this while dismantling other parts of his portfolio
So does anyone know when the timeline will be when other proposals will come out and when they will pick the winners?
I believe anything relating to who gets gaming permits is supposed to be decided/released in the Spring.
First, they should double the height of that building. Perhaps itâs not an official rendering, but why in the world should a 20-story mid-rise development be built on the waterfront in Midtown? Second, they should plop an apartment building in the mix.
Thatâs the empty lot south of the United Nations.
I could see this becoming a luxury casino for the wealthy like Marina Bay Sands and the Monte Carlo
Why hasnât this plot of land been developed on already?