Sixteen Broadway theatre marquees lit up August 13 with a red sign: "No Times Square Casino." This was part of an ongoing protest campaign by members of the theatre industry against Caesars Palace Times Square, a proposed casino. The marquees were lit up from 8-10:30 AM and 4-5:30 PM Wednesday. The marquees also included a link to NoTimesSquareCasino.com.
There was also a rally at 9 AM Wednesday at Scandinavia House, 58 Park Avenue, which was the location of a public hearing on the casino. Dozens of residents, Broadway union members, and other members of the No Times Square Casino Coalition attended the rally. Thirty-five organizations currently oppose the casino, including the Broadway League, Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, the Entertainment Community Fund, the Theatre Development Fund, stage workers union IATSE, designers union United Scenic Artists 829, and The Shubert Organization.
Those opposing the development have expressed concern that, in an already overwhelmingly crowded 10-block radius, the casino would increase street crowding, traffic, and potentially crime, and also weaken New York City's tax base. The No Times Square Casino coalition encourages the public to contact their local elected officials and voice their concern about the proposal. The Coalition previously held a protest June 25, where Tony-winning actor and producer LaChanze was one of the speakers.
Caesars Palace Times Square—a joint venture between SL Green Realty, Caesars Entertainment, Roc Nation, and Live Nation—is partnered on a bid to win one of three new gaming licenses. It plans to convert the existing office building at 1515 Broadway, a 54-story office building which houses the Minskoff Theatre (home of The Lion King) on its third floor, into a large-scale casino, Broadway theatre, and a hotel. Real estate developer S.L. Green has filed the official application for the project with the New York State Gaming Commission. It is part of the State's plan to have three new casinos built somewhere in the five boroughs of New York City and Yonkers; eight casinos have submitted applications.
The New York State Gaming Commission is expected to make a decision by the end of the year.
The proposed casino has divided the Broadway community. The unions Actors' Equity Association and American Federation of Musicians Local 802, which represent Broadway actors/stage managers and musicians, respectively, have expressed support for the casino. Tony-winning producer Wendell Pierce has also come out on the pro-casino side, after Caesars Palace Times Square promised to invest $10 million in a New York Coalition of Legacy Theatres of Color Fund.
