© SOPA Images / Jimin Kim / Sipa USA
(New York, NY) – Well, it’s a hard knock life, Jay-Z. The Brooklyn-born rapper and business mogul had partnered with SL Green to try and open a casino in Times Square, but a local community board has said “no.”
In fact, no casinos will be permitted to open on Manhattan’s West Side anytime soon, as a result of today’s vote. The community board voted 6-2 against the plan — with Governor Kathy Hochul and Mayor Eric Adams as the lone “yes” votes. With the West Side plan rejected, both the Times Square bid and a separate bid for Hudson Yards have lost.
The Times Square plan would have seen Caesars Palace Times Square built over the Minskoff Theatre — where the Lion King is played. Residents and members of the Broadway community rallied against the plan, leading to its dismissal. SL Green, the developer that partnered with Jay-Z to bring forth the project, blasted the community board — suggesting it had ruined a chance for economic growth and new jobs.
Six proposals remain up for consideration by the State Gaming Commission. There are sites in the Bronx, Yonkers, and in Queens — near CitiField — as backed by Mets’ owner Steve Cohen.
So, Jay-Z may have had a “casino” state of mind for his business “empire” — but alas — that didn’t happen.
