The Avenir Continues To Get Solid Backing For NYC Casino Proposal

Second verse, same as the first.

Monday night’s second public hearing for commentary on The Avenir’s $7 billion proposal to build a casino on the West Side of New York City largely went along the lines of the first one: a majority of support counterbalanced by intense opposition from Manhattan Plaza residents.

More than 200 people came to the Javits Center to address Community Advisory Chair Matthew Tighe and the six-person team appointed by local and New York state officials overseeing the proposal fronted by Silverstein Properties and Rush Street Gaming. The meeting ran approximately 50 minutes beyond its scheduled four hours as the CAC made sure everyone who wanted the opportunity to speak for up to two minutes could be heard.

The Avenir is one of three Manhattan-based proposals among the eight overall vying for the three $500 million downstate casino licenses that could be awarded by the New York State Gaming Commission. It is the first of the eight applicants to hold both its state-mandated public hearings, and the CAC has between now and Sept. 30 to hold a vote to move the proposal forward for state consideration. The vote requires a two-thirds majority from the CAC to advance.

City blocks separate support and opposition

The fault lines of opposition and support within the 10036 zip code were again evident Monday, separated via city blocks and Silverstein Properties tenants. Manhattan Plaza residents — including some who have lived at 400 and 484 West 43rd Street since its 1977 opening — have been among the most strident opponents of The Avenir.

Traffic and construction concerns were oft repeated by Manhattan Plaza residents. Opponents noted the recently started project to revamp the nearby Port Authority bus station adjacent to 41st Street and 11th Avenue where the casino would be built is expected to last more than a decade. There were again concerns that emergency vehicles would not be able to respond to calls in a timely manner, with more than one person saying they witnessed ambulances using the bike lanes to navigate around traffic.

“I’m opposed to it just on a congestion standpoint,” said one former Manhattan resident who now commutes in the area. “If I’m sitting in traffic, all the residents are, too. I think that it would be a bad idea to put something that’s so congested right in that area where every night you’ve got to spend two or three hours sitting in traffic.”

Residential proponents of the proposal largely came from Silverstein Properties’ other two high-rises, Silver Tower and River Place. But support also came from multiple small-business owners in Hell’s Kitchen, who see The Avenir as a chance for the West Side to be more fully connected to midtown Manhattan.

Some also noted the 1,000-room hotel that is part of the proposal is sorely needed to keep the Javits Center — itself having a $1.5 billion expansion completed — competitive with similar conference centers across the United States.

“For convention planners, convenience isn’t a luxury, it’s a requirement, and the data shows we are losing,” said Bryan Slone, a member of Manhattan Community Board 4. “For 20 years, we’ve known about this Achilles’ heel, and for 20 years, we have been unable to fix it until now. This project is the solution we’ve been waiting for.”

Silverstein goodwill still apparent

There were a few speakers who were indifferent or opposed to having a casino but believed Silverstein Properties was still best-suited to build a venue that would bring about sorely needed housing to the West Side. Their rebuild of lower Manhattan following 9/11 remained in the long memories of more than one person who commented Monday night.

“I worked at One Liberty Plaza,” said longtime Chelsea resident Randall Faust. “I watched Silverstein rebuild the World Trade Center with an unwavering commitment to community and equality. And these days I walk the High Line to my office at the Farley Building and I witness how visionary projects can transform entire district despite initial skepticism from those who couldn’t see the potential.

“Any successful casino application needs genuine community support. The Avenir has earned that support because it follows this proven model: large-scale development with permanent community benefits.”

Not everyone had a kind thought for Silverstein Properties, as one speaker went on a tirade recalling how the group filed an insurance claim for 9/11 seeking additional damages by saying the terrorist attacks were two occurrences.

“He still has not completed a residential building that he promised so many years ago,” said a woman named Laura, the opponent of the proposal who sternly criticized Silverstein’s 9/11 insurance claims. “Everyone keeps talking about him like he’s this saint and this realty development company is this saint, and we’re the Davids against this Goliath.

“All this money we’re facing, it’s our home,” she said, appealing to the CAC. “Please protect us.”