Published on: September 22, 2025, 09:52h. 

Updated on: September 22, 2025, 09:52h.

Five casino proposals are still in contention for downstate New York.

On Monday, the Community Advisory Committee (CAC) for the Freedom Plaza project, which proposed an integrated resort casino worth over $11 billion on Manhattan’s East Side near the United Nations, voted 4-2 against the plan. This marks the third instance of a 4-2 vote against a downstate New York casino initiative, following similar outcomes for Caesars Palace Times Square and The Avenir in Hell’s Kitchen.

The rejection of Freedom Plaza indicates there will be no casino operating in Manhattan. Among the remaining viable bids, two are located in Queens (Resorts World New York City, Metropolitan Park), one in the Bronx (Bally’s), one in Westchester County via Yonkers (MGM Empire City), and the last one in Brooklyn’s Coney Island (The Coney).

Support for Freedom Plaza came from only two out of its six proponents — Nichols Silbersack, appointed by New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) as deputy policy director, and Jennifer Sta. Ines, appointed by Mayor Eric Adams of New York City. Ines also serves as the deputy borough commissioner of Manhattan.

The other members of the CAC — Sandra McKee, Reshma Patel, Celeste Royo, and Jasmine Narula, representing state Sen. Kristen Gonzalez (D-Manhattan), Assemblymember Harvey Epstein (D-District 74), Borough President Mark Levine, and Councilmember Keith Powers — all opposed the Freedom Plaza project.

Community Pushback 

Despite claims from the Soloviev Group and Mohegan, the partners behind the Freedom Plaza proposal, of strong local backing, Community Board 6 officially disapproved the project with a resolution. Although the Community Board lacked formal authority to stop the bid, the CAC members appeared to recognize the community’s disapproval.

A three-fifths majority is required from the CAC to forward a bid to the New York Gaming Facility Location Board.