The top of New York’s the highly effective lecturers’ union is flunking a proposal to place a on line casino in Occasions Sq. — within the coronary heart of the beloved Broadway theater district.
“[A casino] would undermine the Theater District and dilute the distinctive energy of Broadway, an trade that provides distinctive academic and profession alternatives for our college students,” United Federation of Academics president Michael Mulgrew instructed The Submit.
Mulgrew identified the Broadway League’s applications that present college students entry to exhibits, similar to Broadway Bridges, which seeks to provide each public faculty tenth grader a possibility to see a efficiency earlier than commencement.
“Broadway is an academic goldmine for the youngsters of our metropolis, and it must be protected,” he mentioned.
Mulgrew mentioned he’s personally chaperoned college students on journeys to the theater due to The Broadway League, lots of whom had by no means seen a present earlier than.
There are six public colleges within the theater district from West thirty fourth Avenue to West fifty fifth Avenue, between sixth Avenue and ninth Avenue — Star America Preschool, P.S. 212 Midtown West, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Excessive Faculty, Repertory Firm Excessive Faculty for Theatre Arts, Skilled Performing Arts Excessive Faculty and P.S. 35.
The on line casino is being proposed at 1515 Broadway — house of the Minskoff Theatre and “The Lion King” Disney musical — by Caesars Leisure, SL Inexperienced and Jay-Z’s Roc Nation.
The UFT is becoming a member of the No Occasions Sq. On line casino Coalition, which incorporates The Broadway League and 30 different neighborhood and Broadway trade teams.
Mulgrew mentioned The Broadway League, the commerce affiliation for 700 theater homeowners, operators and producers, contacted him about becoming a member of the opposition, and he agreed it’s the flawed location for a on line casino.
The theater district is itself a worldwide vacationer mecca, a huge financial generator for the town and a on line casino is just not wanted there, he mentioned.
Mulgrew doesn’t object to a on line casino being authorized elsewhere within the metropolis, the place it might function an financial anchor and jobs producer.
“Put the on line casino some other place!” he mentioned.
A spokesperson for Caesars Palace Occasions Sq. in an announcement mentioned that “The UFT didn’t do its homework on our venture.”
“Bringing a world-class leisure vacation spot to Occasions Sq. will really develop the viewers for Broadway exhibits, and we’ll present tens of hundreds of thousands of {dollars} in Broadway tickets to New York Metropolis college students and academic applications as a part of a profitable bid,” the rep mentioned. “The unions representing Broadway actors and musicians assist our bid exactly as a result of we’ll profit the theater group and Occasions Sq..”
The state Gaming Fee is predicted to approve as much as three downstate on line casino licenses by the tip of 2025, after evaluations by native panels and a statewide siting board earlier subsequent 12 months.
The state will get a minimal upfront $500 million from every bidder awarded a on line casino license, with proceeds going to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority.
Different initiatives embody the Wynn/Associated Corporations proposal to construct a $12 billion gaming complicated in Hudson Yards; Mets billionaire proprietor Steve Cohen’s plan to construct an $8 billion casino-entertainment complicated subsequent to CitiField in Queens; Las Vegas Sands’ pitch to convert the Nassau Veterans Memorial Museum Coliseum right into a on line casino complicated; a $3 billion on line casino and standard corridor envisioned close to the Coney Island boardwalk; and Bally’s want to open a gaming facility subsequent to the Ferry Level golf course it acquired from the Trump Group, amongst others.
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