MGM Empire City Casino Bid Gets Another Round Of Solid Backing In Yonkers

MGM Empire City provided the bookends for Community Advisory Committee (CAC) public hearings Tuesday night, bringing to a close 16 listening sessions offered by the eight applicants vying for one of potentially three $500 million downstate casino licenses to be awarded by the New York State Gaming Commission.

The Yonkers-based racino had five weeks between hearings as its CAC held the first of its two mandated sessions Aug. 11 to discuss its $2.3 billion expansion plans. By comparison, the two hearings for the $8 billion Metropolitan Park proposal were held seven days apart.

MGM is one of two incumbents in this process along with fellow racino Resorts World, and both are favorites to be awarded licenses. Much like its first meeting, MGM Empire City enjoyed a solid amount of overall support, though it was boosted by employee testimony and strong union backing.

MGM Empire City CAC Chair James Cavanaugh also announced the committee would vote on moving the forward proposal Sept. 25. A two-thirds majority, which is four votes on the six-person committee, is required to advance the bid to the NYSGC for consideration.

Spano heads the support

Yonkers Mayor Mike Spano, who in May said MGM Empire City and Resorts World should have already been awarded licenses based on their respective track records, was first to speak Tuesday night at the Yonkers Montessori Academy. He noted Empire City’s $300 million in yearly tax revenue for the state for education, of which Yonkers receives $20 million. In May, Spano projected the latter figure to increase to $34 million annually.

Spano also talked about the 2,000 potential jobs that would come with the racino expansion, saying there were “additional millions of dollars” when combining the additional revenue from property taxes, sales taxes, and income taxes from local residents who also work at the venue.

The mayor also echoed the concern Cavanaugh expressed at the MGM Empire City’s pitch before the first hearing was held in which it said the venue would likely close if it was not awarded one of the licenses.

“If we don’t get this casino, we all know that none of this happens,” said Spano, referencing the community benefits. “And that’s why we want to make sure that this does happen. That we want to put our best foot forward.

“Because at the end of the day, we want to show you that one, we’re united, we’re supportive. Two, we want to get the benefits that will go with this casino. Three, we want to make sure that this casino comes, and we have speed to market. We have the ability to basically move this process lightning fast. … We know what it means to our community.”

Support a three-pronged mix

Backers of the MGM Empire City expansion proposal mostly fell into three buckets: Empire City employees, union workers, and Yonkers residents, some of whom were outside the immediate vicinity of the casino.

The first notable group was the dozen-plus employees who created career paths for themselves, including some who worked at the raceway prior to MGM acquiring the property in 2019.

“I immigrated to this city from Europe when I was very young, and like many others at the age of 21, I was simply looking for a job,” said Ornella Doda, a 17-year resident of Yonkers. “That’s when I applied to Empire City. What I found was not just a job but a career.

“I started at an entry-level position but very quickly, I was promoted to a supervisor, then a manager. This kind of growth wouldn’t have been possible without a company and leaders that truly see the potential of its people.”

Union locals again provided strong support for the expansion, eyeing the 6,500 potential construction jobs that would come with the project.

“A project like this will give other young people in Yonkers the opportunity to start their own careers in the building trades,” said Don Foley, a life-long resident and union employee for 40 years. “Hopefully raise their families in Yonkers like I’ve been able to do. This project will be able to make this city better for people to live, work, raise their families, and retire in. That’s why I 100 percent support this project.”

Nuanced opposition

Unlike some other CAC hearings, Yonkers residents opposing the project wanted specific shortcomings addressed. The three recurring themes included traffic concerns, questioning the need for a 5,000-seat arena included in the proposal, and the back and forth regarding additional police funding.

“The reality is that the casino brings large crowds and heavy vehicle flow late into the night that will strain emergency services and law enforcement,” said Alice, whose residence along Cumberland Drive is approximately one mile from the casino. “But the daily risks will fall directly on us, the residents who live here, not on visitors, developers, or decision makers who have not experienced these decisions after hours.

“There is no need for a concert venue in a residential area,” said Julie, who rattled off a list of a dozen total venues already existing in metropolitan New York City. “It’s going to attract large crowds into, again, a residential neighborhood. This, in turn, will cause all kinds of negative impacts on the residents of 10704, not the people who are residents of Yonkers.”

One resident called for MGM to enter a deed restriction covenant that would prevent it from subdividing the site to offer housing, and another called Spano’s warning of the casino closing without the license “a scare tactic.”

“The simple fix is to stop handing out so many tax abatements, stop raising politicians’ salaries,” said Michael Pineda, another life-long Yonkers resident. “Then we wouldn’t be forced to rely on a casino to survive. When Empire came in, taxes went up every single year and nothing got better. Empty promises then, empty promises now.

“Quality of life suffers, crime rises, and families move out. Yonkers should be for the people of Yonkers, not used up and sold out to others.”