Several residents recently gathered in Manhattan for a town hall meeting to speak against welcoming a new casino to the area, according to a local news report in The Spirit.
New York lawmakers gave the green light nearly two years ago to add three casinos to the New York City area but left the location of these new destinations up for discussion.
However, opposition to building a new casino in Manhattan has grown, leading to a town hall meeting to voice concerns.
During the town hall meeting, State Senator Liz Krueger shared with those in attendance that she believes putting a casino in Manhattan could be problematic because of the potentially negative impact they could have on local residents and on property values.
She commented, “I oppose casinos and gambling in general. I find it to be a tax on desperation, with no societal benefit and real prices to be paid. As I often say, only the house wins.”
Town hall attendees were told that it is still possible to stop casino development in Manhattan, according to the local report.
Though there is a movement against bringing in a Manhattan casino, five companies are in the running to bid for a spot to build.
Soloviev Group, one of the contenders in the running, said that its proposed project has yielded community support.
Company CEO Michael J. Hershman said in a statement, “Freedom Plaza has garnered support from more than 10,000 Manhattan residents, community groups, and 250 local small businesses in favor of the plan, which – in addition to the gaming area, which will be intentionally placed below-grade and concealed from the street – will bring much-needed public landscaped open space, 513 units of affordable housing, thousands of jobs, and an annual commitment to revenue reinvestment in the community.”
