Times Square Casinos Are Dead, Whether Jay-Z Likes It or Not

I’ve worked in Times Square and the surrounding area for the better part of two decades, and have been visiting it to buy comic books for even longer. It sucks, and I love it. People are constantly walking at a snail’s pace as they stare up at giant billboards telling them what’s on Netflix. Dudes try to harass you into buying comedy tickets or CDs. Don’t try to take a picture with that Elmo! Just… don’t.

Times Square can also be a magical place. You can hop a subway train to almost any borough. There is incredible food of any kind within a stone’s throw. Licensed weed shops will have you in and out in a couple of minutes. Broadway theaters with over a century of history are within your grasp (and some still charge “reasonable” prices for tickets). It has its issues, sure, but it’s come a long way.

Disney and Rudy Giuliani (shudder) went out of their way to make Times Square a hotspot, with the latter offering $1 leases to businesses to attract them to the area. This led to more stores opening and more attractions for families and individuals seeking a fun night out. That is still kind of the case, but things have become even more expensive. Much of the character is gone and has been replaced with shops you could find anywhere, and that’s just in the last ten years.

My feelings toward the area are complicated, and aspects of them could change on any given day. What will not change is my belief that Times Square could always be worse, and adding a big, stupid casino to the mix would do just that. That was the plan. SL Green Realty Corporation, Caesars Entertainment, Roc Nation (Jay-Z), and Live Nation were all attempting to get a casino built in Times Square, and NYC shut that s*** down.

The plan was to build a casino, as well as a hotel, at 1515 Broadway, which currently houses the Viacom building and the Minskoff Theater, which has The Lion King. They claim this would have brought a bunch of jobs and revenue, but residents were more focused on what it would cost. Times Square has its chains, but there are also plenty of individual, family-owned shops and restaurants. They would not be able to compete against something like a casino, which has built-in shows and places to eat. There would also be increased traffic, and Times Square certainly doesn’t need that.

Luckily, the advisory committee struck down the attempt by a vote of 4-2. NYC isn’t safe from casinos just yet. Steve Cohen, the billionaire owner of the New York Mets, wants to open one in Queens near the Mets’ home. He may well succeed. If people want to take the 7 train for 40 minutes just to lose a bunch of money, they can be my guest.

Times Square is home to a lot of things, but it’s mainly home to Broadway. The theaters, as overpriced as they may be, create a special kind of magic that delights and inspires. You can see stunning art on those stages. That’s important. That’s different. And there doesn’t need to be anything else gumming up the works and changing how things work in the area in a way that can never be changed back.