Store Owners Write Op-Ed Opposing Wynn’s NYC Casino Bid

A pair of small business owners in New York City wrote an op-ed in last Friday’s AM New York in opposition to Wynn Entertainment’s proposal to build a casino in the city.

Fathy Rady and Robert Sanfiz claimed Wynn’s proposed casino and resort, which would run from West 30th to West 33rd streets in the Hudson Yards area, would “dramatically alter the fabric of our community.” They added the project “is a direct threat to the small businesses that make Chelsea and Hell’s Kitchen unique.”

Wynn is among 11 entities vying for three downstate casino licenses to be awarded in New York, likely before the end of the year. Wynn’s proposed $12 billion casino and resort encompasses 2.7 million square feet of development that would also include a 1,189-foot tower, a residential high-rise with 1,500 homes, and a K-8 school.

Housing units at heart of the matter

Rady and Sanfiz pointed out the original 2009 zoning plan for the Western Rail Yards targeted a more balanced mix of residential and commercial development. Most notably, it called for up to 5,700 new families — nearly four times the amount of Wynn’s proposal. The pair called those families “potential customers who would visit our restaurants, shops, and services.”

They argued the very nature of “a casino and resort designed to keep visitors contained within its walls” with an estimated 10 to 15 restaurants and bars “would mean fewer people exploring our streets, discovering our local gems, and contributing to our neighborhood economy.

“Instead of browsing our shops and dining in our restaurants on 9th, 10th Avenues and 11th Avenues, visitors will be funneled into the casino’s offerings, siphoning away crucial business.”

The two business owners — Rady operates a halal cart in the Chelsea neighborhood and Sanfiz is the executive director of La Nacional on 14th Street — are not strictly opposed to having a casino in Hudson Yards. They feel Wynn’s proposal, though, is “deeply flawed” considering how they claim other projects “incentivize guests to explore food restaurants and vendors in their surrounding areas.”

Rady and Sanfiz are not alone in their concerns about Wynn’s proposal. The Manhattan Community Board 4 rejected plans to upzone the area in January. It also voted unanimously against the casino plan for an undeveloped area near the linear public park on the West Side.

Additionally, New York State Sens. Liz Krueger and Brad Hoylman-Sigal as well as Assembly Members Deborah Glick and Tony Simone are opposed to the proposal.