Gaming giant Wynn Resorts, citing political opposition, is withdrawing its proposal for a sprawling casino in Hudson Yards on Manhattan’s West Side, where officials are now pushing a 4,000-unit housing development, but no gaming, officials said Monday.
The announcement was made by City Councilmember Erik Bottcher, who represents the area, and confirmed by Wynn Resorts.
Bottcher said he would not support a casino at Hudson Yards — among several sites under consideration for three downstate casino licenses — but backed the new housing, touted by developer Related Companies as “among the largest additions to Manhattan’s housing stock in decades.”
The reversal from Wynn Resorts followed a concerted effort by the company to sway local elected officials and residents of the merits of its Hudson Yards West project, even securing endorsements from progressive heavyweights at the NAACP and National Urban League.
“After careful consideration, we have decided not to lodge an application for a gaming license in New York City,” Wynn spokesman Michael Weaver said in a statement, adding that the company was reluctant to invest “in an area in which we, or any casino operator, will face years of persistent opposition despite our willingness to employee 5,000 New Yorkers.”
Even as Wynn Resorts bowed out, its development partner, Related Companies, has forged ahead, securing the endorsement of Bottcher on its revised proposal to build a massive housing complex over the rail yards.
The housing project would include a minimum of 400 affordable rental units, the company said, up from a previous proposal of 324 units. The agreement between Related Companies and Bottcher also increased the amount of open green space from 5.6 acres to 6.6 acres. The construction project would employ 35,000 unionized workers, according to Related Companies.
Bottcher said in an interview the housing project is “ a once-in-a-generation opportunity to deliver thousands of housing units” and that the site could be “shovel-ready” by next year, as a needed local rezoning is nearing the end of a protracted review process.
He said the council’s zoning committee is scheduled to vote on the rezoning on Thursday followed by a full council vote on May 28.
“We’ve won significant concessions from the applicant in the last week that are really meeting almost all the community’s demands,” Bottcher said.
Of the gaming plan, Bottcher said, “This casino did not meet the high bar of community support that a project like this requires.”
Jeff T. Blau, the CEO of Related Companies, said the housing project represented “an enormous economic investment in New York City.”
“The totality of these changes mean that we can move forward with a plan that will create critically needed housing at all income levels,” Blau said in a statement.
Related Companies did not disclose the cost of its units but said the project would include a mix of condos and at least 1,600 rentals.
Upon hearing of the deal, Friends of the High Line, a community group that has opposed the rezoning effort, sent out a text blast on Monday, warning of “very troubling news,” signaling the group wasn’t happy with the latest turn of events either.
The message urged community members to “please call Erik Bottcher right now and tell him to not be fooled.”
Josh Vlasto, a spokesperson for the group, then shared an updated statement that said, “The latest plans appear to address many of our concerns related to the impacts on the High Line, enhanced public space, and a much needed increase in affordable housing.”
It added, “However, the devil is in the details.”
Wynn Resorts’ withdrawal from a competitive bidding process follows a similar announcement by Saks Fifth Avenue, which said in April that it was no longer vying to build a casino atop its Midtown department store. That leaves nine casino proposals in contention for three downstate gaming licenses, down from 11. Applications to the state Gaming Commission are due in June, with the expected announcement of three licenses by the end of this year.
The same day Wynn Resorts dropped its Hudson Yards casino bid, rapper and entertainment mogul Jay-Z was at the state Capitol to pitch a competing bid. Jay-Z’s entertainment company, Roc Nation, is partnering with Caesars Entertainment and SL Green Realty on a proposed casino at 1515 Broadway. The rapper spoke with state Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins and Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie about the proposal behind closed doors, emerging from his meeting with Stewart-Cousins to a throng of legislative staffers, reporters and fans who gathered outside, hoping to snap a photo.
Jon Campbell contributed reporting.
This story was updated with additional information.
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