Community advisory committees appointed for New York casino bids
Now that the application deadline for three available downstate New York casino licences has passed, state officials are moving forward with next steps.
All eight final bids have been assigned community advisory committees (CACs), per the New York State Gaming Commission. These committees, which were appointed by the governor and applicable local lawmakers, will host public meetings in the coming months. A small portion of those making appointments simply selected themselves for the role, whereas most picked outside representatives.
Per the commission, their job is to “review the application, gauge local support, and ultimately issue a finding determining whether there is adequate support”.
This binding vote of public support for each bid must be held by 30 September, which is also when all entitlement processes (zoning, environmental reviews) must be completed. Only the bids that receive a two-thirds majority approval from their respective CAC will advance for further consideration. Seven of the CACs feature six members – MGM Empire City in Yonkers is the only bid with a five-member CAC.
The state gaming commission informed iGB Tuesday that the committees are currently canvassing schedules to determine meeting availability. There are no guidelines as to how many meetings each CAC must hold before voting, although a chair must be elected at the first.
Racinos in pole position
Due to their existing facilities and fastest speed to market, the MGM Empire City and Resorts World NYC racinos have long been assumed to be frontrunners for two of the three licences. Their CACs are as follows:
MGM Empire City
Maria Fernandez – deputy secretary of education, Governor’s Office
Larry Wilson – general manager, Port Authority of New York and New Jersey
Frank Jereis – executive director, Yonkers Democratic Party
Joe Apicella – executive vice president, MacQuesten Development
James Cavanaugh – executive member, Empire Strategic Planning
Resorts World NYC
Stevens Martinez – deputy director of intergovernmental affairs, Long Island, Governor’s Office
James Sanders Jr – state senator, Queens
Stacey Pheffer-Amato – assembly member, Queens
Donovan Richards Jr – borough president, Queens
Nicole Garcia – borough commissioner, Queens, NYC Department of Transportation
Betty Braton – chair, Queens Community Board 10
Manhattan madness
Of the eight bids, three are in Manhattan, the most among NYC’s five boroughs. Another significant proposal that had been considered in the area, Wynn Resorts’ $12 billion Hudson Yards project, was pulled in mid-May. Thus, the remaining Manhattan CACs include:
Caesars Times Square
Peter Hatch – deputy secretary, human services and mental hygiene, Governor’s Office
Richard Gottfried – retired former assembly member
Matthew Tighe – chief of staff for Assembly member Tony Simone, Manhattan
Chris Carroll – chief of staff for Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine
Laura Smith – chief counsel, advisory committee on judicial ethics, New York Court System
Carl Wilson – chief of staff for NYC Council member Erik Bottcher
The Avenir by Silverstein Properties and other partners
Angel Vasquez – deputy secretary for union relations, Governor’s Office
Richard Gottfried – retired former Assembly member
Matthew Tighe – chief of staff for Assembly member Tony Simone, Manhattan
Madeleine McGrory – director of land use and planning for Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine
Nabeela Malik – deputy director, Manhattan, NYC Department of City Planning
Quentin Heilbroner – Manhattan Community Board 4 liaison for NYC Council member Erik Bottcher
Freedom Plaza by Soloviev Group and other partners
Nichols Silbersack – deputy policy director, Governor’s Office
Sandra McKee – chair, Manhattan Community Board 6
Reshma Patel – board member, Manhattan Community Board 6
Celeste Royo – senior urban planner for Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine
Jennifer Sta. Ines – Manhattan deputy borough commissioner
Molly Holister – former chair, Manhattan Community Board 6
Intrigue in other boroughs
The other bids are in three different boroughs: Bally’s New York is in the Bronx, Metropolitan Park is in Queens and The Coney is in Brooklyn. Previously, Las Vegas Sands had proposed a casino in Long Island at the site of the Nassau Coliseum before pulling out in late April. As such, the non-Manhattan CACs include:
Metropolitan Park by Steve Cohen and Hard Rock
Gregory Anderson – deputy director of state operations, Governor’s Office
Larinda Hooks – assembly member, Queens
Donovan Richards Jr – borough president, Queens
Lin Zeng – director, Queens, NYC Department of City Planning
Francisco Moya – NYC Council member
Notably, one seat on the Metropolitan Park CAC was still unfilled as of writing. This spot was to be appointed by Senator Jessica Ramos, who publicly opposed the project and refused to endorse it. The state gaming commission did not immediately respond to a request for comment on this unfilled spot.
Bally’s New York
Rafael Salaberrios – senior vice president of small business capital access, Empire State Development
Alex Porco – chief of staff for Senator Nathalia Fernandez
Matthew McKay – deputy chief of staff for Assembly member Michael Benedetto
Lisa Sorin – president, Bronx Chamber of Commerce
Paul Philips – director of student communication, Hunter College
Danielle Volpe – vice president and general counsel, Posilico Civil
The Coney by Thor Equities and other partners
Portia Henry – assistant secretary for transportation, Governor’s Office
Jessica Scarcella-Spanton – senator, Brooklyn-Staten Island
Marissa Solomon – director, Pythia Public
Antonio Reynoso – borough president, Brooklyn
Alex Sommer – director, Brooklyn, NYC Department of City Planning
Justin Brannan – NYC Council member
Let the CAC politics begin
Now that the process has shifted into its next phase, the CAC appointees are likely to start feeling the lobbying pressure from both sides of the various bids.
To get to this point, each proposal has undergone some form of review, and each has garnered both support and opposition from various groups. The two-thirds majority approval is a high bar to clear, as stakeholders need support from all but one or two members.
Prior to the application deadline, these politics were laid bare during time crunches related to land-use processes. Some of the projects required rezoning approval from the state legislature, which adjourned on 12 June. Perhaps the most public example was Ramos’ opposition to Metropolitan Park, although Cohen and company got around this by enlisting Senator John Liu. Although most of the project is in Ramos’ district, a smaller portion is in Liu’s, which allowed him to sponsor rezoning legislation instead.
Bally’s Corp faced similar changes, as a key City Council vote was tabled before the deadline, creating a down-to-the-wire finish. In the end, the project got a major boost from Mayor Eric Adams, whose support lowered the council vote threshold to a simple majority instead of two-thirds. Without Adams’ support, the rezoning would not have passed.