Public hearings opened for the proposed New York City casino projects yesterday, September 15th, 2025. These three hearings were to hear comments on the proposed Freedom Plaza and Resorts World NYC. These projects have been in the works for years.
Following the hearings, attention has turned to the details of the Freedom Plaza proposal. The site is set to be near the Manhattan headquarters for the United Nations, with an estimated price tag of $11 billion. This ambitious project would feature a casino, hotel, residential towers, a Museum of Democracy, and other amenities.
These projects have been proposed in an attempt to bring more visitors and boost the tourism economy in and outside of Manhattan. Unsurprisingly, these projects aren’t favored by the local population. While residents understand the need to bring more revenue to these areas, they worry that these new projects could come at the expense of pushing longtime residents out of their neighborhoods due to rising prices. Additionally, resorts and casinos have been critiqued for being detrimental to the surrounding local areas, with their money being used for their own self-interests and not to boost the lives of locals.
Votes for or against these projects are expected to be decided before the September 30th deadline. The bidding for Caesars Times Square and Avenir proposals is set to begin tomorrow morning, Wednesday, 17th, 2025.
The other proposals will not begin voting until they deliberate on proposed amendments created following their respective hearings.
