Former NYC Council Speaker Backs Wynn Casino Plan in Manhattan

New York may not have a legal real-money online casino market, but brick-and-mortar casinos are a reality in the state, and a major product for a new one in Manhattan has received a large endorsement.

Christine Quinn, president and CEO of the non-profit Women in Need (WIN), has endorsed Wynn Resorts and Related Companies’ plan to develop a $12 billion casino hotel in Manhattan’s Hudson Yards. The Former New York City Council Speaker supports the project because it has the potential to create jobs and generate revenue to tackle homelessness, particularly among women and families. 

The Wynn New York City website recently posted a 45-second video in which Quinn endorsed the plans. 

“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,” says Quinn. “I am ready for thousands of jobs for homeless moms working with Wynn New York City.”

The Wynn New York City website also features video endorsements from Marc Morial, former New Orleans mayor and current President and CEO of the National Urban League, and Dr. Hazel N. Dukes, President of the NAACP New York State Conference. 

WynnBet may not operate a mobile casino app in the state, but it has a New York sports betting app that runs within the framework of the legal New York sports betting market. 

Benefits of the project

According to updated renderings of the $12 billion West Manhattan project released last week by Wynn and Related, the project will likely generate around 35,000 union construction jobs and 5,000 permanent union roles. 

It will also provide 1,500 new housing units (including 324 affordable apartments), a new public K-8 school, a 5.6-acre public park, and local community and college partnerships for job training. According to the website, New Yorkers can enjoy amenities like casual and fine dining, spa treatments, upscale gaming, and a public art showcase in the resort’s park-like outdoor space. 

Hudson Yards

Hudson Yards is New York’s most expensive neighborhood and the area in which the proposed casino will be built. Construction on Hudson Yards began while Quinn served as a Councilmember and Speaker. At the 2012 groundbreaking ceremony, Quinn claimed that the project “speaks volumes about the attractiveness of New York City, and the West Side of Manhattan in particular, to private investment.”

Non-profit group High Line has recently objected to the project, claiming the towering casino resort would obstruct views of the Western Rail Yards area. The group also claims that the proposal under-delivers on the number of housing units promised by Related in 2009, which included between 3,454 and 5,700 housing units in Hudson Yards. The creation of a new K-8 school in such close proximity to a casino has also raised concerns. 

Competition for licenses

Eleven applicants are currently bidding for one of the three downstate casino licenses. Wynn New York City is one of three projects hoping to obtain a license in the same general area. 

In partnership with Jay-Z’s Roc Nation, Caesars Entertainment and SL Green are campaigning for a new casino development in the center of Times Square. Meanwhile, Parx Casino and Silverstein Properties bid to construct a casino complex in Midtown, west of Times Square.