Jay-Z’s name has been in the headlines lately — and not always for the reasons he’d like. Yes, he’s been spotted performing on his wife Beyoncé’s (which is a flex in itself) COWBOY CARTER tour, soaking up applause like the world’s most powerful +1.
Even all that love from the Beyhive hasn’t been enough to distract from the chaos brewing offstage. We’re talking lawsuits from his alleged son Rymir Satterthwaite, surprise sneak-disses from Nicki Minaj, and now…a casino controversy. Apparently, Jay-Z wants to turn Times Square into mini-Vegas — and not everyone’s feeling lucky.
Jay-Z wants to bring Vegas to New York
On July 23, HOV showed up at a committee hearing in support of a flashy new proposal: bringing a Caesars Palace casino to the heart of Manhattan. Roc Nation, Caesars Entertainment, and SL Green Realty are teaming up to try and snag one of three available downtown casino licenses. If successful, the project is slated to open in four years and includes a 992-room luxury hotel, Michelin-level restaurants, a wellness retreat, and a full-blown nightlife complex — all inside an existing office building at 1515 Broadway.
“I’m trying to reserve myself — it’s a very good idea,” Jay-Z said at the meeting, which was livestreamed (with YouTube comments obviously off).
According to the proposal, the project promises to generate $7 billion in tax revenue, $26.7 billion in local business support, 3,000 construction jobs, and nearly 4,000 permanent ones. Basically, they’re pitching it like it’s the solution to every economic problem New York’s ever had. Not everyone’s buying it, though.
The people want the casinos out of Times Square
Two days later, the “No Times Square Casino” coalition — which includes local community organizations, neighborhood associations, and some extremely stressed-out theater people—gathered to protest the plan.
“This casino’s developers don’t care about improving this neighborhood…They are looking to profit on the backs of residents, local businesses, and the theater workers, producers, and owners who have brought us back from the pandemic,” Jason Laks, President of The Broadway League, said about the potential plans.
He continued by stating that “SL Green and Caesars can continue to promise millions of dollars to buy a veneer of support, but the residents and workers of this neighborhood see through it. These are massive corporations with virtually unlimited resources. But Broadway represents creative vitality and is the beating cultural heart of this city, something fundamentally different from what a casino represents.”
Caesars Palace released a statement of their own in response, claiming that the project will “deliver more than $250 million in community benefits to businesses in Times Square and the residents of Hell’s Kitchen, as well as 9,000 new good-paying union jobs for New Yorkers.”
They have also promised to hold exclusive monthly job fairs for Actors’ Equity Association and American Federation of Musicians Local 802 (two unions that represent Broadway managers, actors, and musicians).
Still, the backlash is mounting. And after weeks of personal drama and bad press, the last thing Jay-Z needs is a full-blown war with Broadway — or the internet.
