Avenir Casino Proposal Faces Scrutiny at First Public Hearing

Silverstein Properties’ plans to create “The Avenir,” a proposed $7 billion West Side casino and hotel and housing complex that may snag one of three downstate gambling licenses being offered by New York State, faced scrutiny from the public on August 27.

The complex, which would essentially take the form of a large glass tower, would be built on a Silverstein-owned lot at W. 41st St. and 11th Ave. At a hearing held at the Javits Center, which was convened by an officially-appointed “Community Advisory Board,” developers argued their case for beating out eight other NYC contestants vying for one of the licenses.

There are two other bidders in Manhattan; one by Caesar’s in Times Square, and one dubbed “Freedom Plaza” by Soloviev Group, which would be near the United Nations in Midtown East. Matt Tighe, the chair of the advisory board and local State Assembly Member Tony Simone’s Chief of Staff, oversaw the proceedings.

Lisa Silverstein, Silverstein’s CEO, spoke first. “This is a community we care deeply about. I personally got involved in designing three rental towers in this area,” she said, adding that Silverstein had also developed a local public park. Silverstein said that the company had recently hosted a barbecue in the area, which was intended to field any questions about the proposed casino, and that her company wanted to be “inclusive and accessible.”

“Our site is fully zoned and shovel-ready. There is no converting, tearing down, rezoning, or moving tenants around that’s required,” she added. Silverstein noted her belief that the proposed casino would be an “economic driver,” and would strongly appeal to the tourists that often throng Midtown, given its proximity to transit hubs such as the Port Authority Bus Terminal.

Silverstein is going out of its way to emphasize that it would build 2,000 residential apartments to go with the casino, 500 of which would be “permanently affordable.”

On the consumer side of things, The Avenir would come with the following amenities and perks: a community art gallery, a 1,000-room luxury Hyatt hotel, and 12 restaurants. The casino itself would reportedly only take up 12 percent of the complex.

Perhaps most interesting, however, is Silverstein’s argument that revenue from their proposed casino could potentially fund a new $2 billion subway stop at 10th Ave. one day–a longtime ask of many residents. They estimate that The Avenir could generate $4 billion in bonds for the MTA over ten years, as well as $3 billion in taxable revenue for the city and state in that same timeframe.

NYC residents who took a turn at the mic had a variety of opinions on the project, although a majority of commenters certainly seemed to be in favor of the project. A spokesperson for Silverstein is now highlighting that 75 people seemed to speak in favor of the project, while 16 spoke against it.

Kelly McGowan, who kicked things off, clarified that he lived south of the proposed project in Battery Park City. He prefaced his remarks philosophically, asking: “What do New Yorkers actually need?”

“If you view New York as needing family-oriented and anchored communities...they need schools, they need amenities, they need retail,” he continued. “What I like about Silverstein is that they’ve taken into account the real needs of a community.” He called the proposal an example of “thoughtful” development.

Brian, who lives nearby on W. 43rd St. and 10th Ave., took a completely different tack. “Please, please, please don’t build this casino,” he said. “Casinos are built to keep people inside, losing money. Whether there are windows or not, that is the business plan of a casino.”

Some speakers noted that they supported the casino for economic reasons, such as Peter Myers, who happens to be the financial treasurer of the New York Building and Construction Trades Council. “The development of a gaming facility would bring enormous economic benefits to the city of New York. Numerous construction and permanent jobs would be created,” he testified.