A rendering of the proposed on line casino for Occasions Sq. in Manhattan.
Courtesy of SL Inexperienced
New York Metropolis is on the verge of seeing one of many largest financial growth alternatives in a long time. With three downstate on line casino licenses up for grabs, the selections made within the coming months may form the way forward for union profession creation, long-term development, and regional revitalization for years to return.
Ever since laws was enacted in 2022 to deliver three new casinos to the downstate space, the aim for the greater than 140,000 New Yorkers represented by our unions has been straight-forward: guaranteeing the approval of tasks that may ship 1000’s of high-paying union development jobs and 1000’s extra everlasting on line casino and hospitality careers that raise up our general regional financial system.
That’s why now we have stood arm-in-arm with the State Legislature as they’ve strived to create a extremely aggressive course of with as many high quality proposals as doable, to make sure the choice is about which proposals supply the best profit for town, the area, and the state.
To that finish, New York has taken necessary steps. An open RFP course of was established, with detailed pointers for the way licensing choices will likely be made. A separate Gaming Facility Location Board was created to supervise the choice course of. Most critically, the RFP states clearly: “Because this is a competitive process, the Board will review Applications simultaneously…”
That’s not simply procedural language, it displays a precept. A stage enjoying area, with all proposals evaluated side-by-side, is one of the best ways to ensure we choose tasks that may function true financial engines and center class profession creators for hardworking New Yorkers.
Within the subsequent few weeks, members of the legislature will as soon as once more have the chance to reaffirm their dedication to a extremely aggressive course of by voting to approve permitted use laws. In the meantime, the New York Metropolis Council will even think about land use functions which might be essential to allow consideration of different tasks.
Passing permitted use laws shouldn’t be about selecting winners and losers. It’s about guaranteeing each viable proposal could make its full case and compete on equal footing. That’s how the system was designed, and that’s how we get the perfect final result for New York.
New York Metropolis is on the cusp of unlocking transformational financial alternative with the event of three new casinos. This second has been years within the making, promising billions of {dollars} in new income to the state and tens of 1000’s of good-paying union careers. The women and men of the Constructing & Development Trades Council of Better New York and the Resort and Gaming Trades Council are excited for the brand new alternatives coming to the area via these vital developments.
Now could be the time for members of the State Legislature and Metropolis Council to disregard the noise, go the payments wanted to make sure extra high-quality on line casino functions, and let the competitors proceed because it was designed to. Let’s not permit slender pursuits or procedural gamesmanship to undercut the intent of this course of. Let’s let the perfect concepts compete—and let working New Yorkers win.
Gary LaBarbera is president of the Constructing and Development Trades Council of Better New York; Wealthy Maroko is president of the Resort and Gaming Trades Council.
