Email from NYS Senate Times Square Hearing Next Week   Dear Neighbor, Developers for eight casino proposals in the New York City region have submitted their formal applications to the state, including three in Manhattan. You can read more about all of the proposals in the news outlet The City by clicking here. The proposals in Manhattan are: Caesars Palace Times Square, at 1515 Broadway between West 44th and 45th Streets Freedom Plaza, 686 First Ave. between East 38th and 41st Streets The Avenir, on 11th Ave and West 41st St Each application is now being considered by a six-member Community Advisory Committee (CAC), consisting of appointees from the Governor, the Mayor, and the proposed casino location’s applicable State Senator, State Assemblymember, Borough President and City Councilmember. The CACs must hold a minimum of two public hearings and act on applications by September 30th. I have appointed former Assemblymember Dick Gottfried to be my representative on the CAC for the Times Square application. The Avenir is located in Senator Brad Hoylman-Sigal's district, and Freedom Plaza is in Senator Kristen Gonzalez's district. The first public hearing for the proposed Caesars Palace Times Square casino has been scheduled for Wednesday, August 13th, from 10am to 5pm, at Scandinavia House, located at 58 Park Avenue (between 37th and 38th Streets). Speakers will be permitted two minutes to present their statements on a first come first serve basis. Additional details are available online here. The August 13th CAC hearing will also be livecast on YouTube and a recording will be posted online after it concludes. The second public hearing date has not yet been announced. The first public hearing for The Avenir proposal will take place on August 27th at 12pm at the Javits Center, the first public hearing for the Freedom Plaza proposal has been scheduled for August 28th at 4pm at Scandinavia House. If three of a CAC's six members vote against an application, it will not proceed so it is extremely important that you make your voice heard. You do not need to attend a public hearing to share your thoughts with the relevant CAC. You can submit written comments at any time before September 30th but are encouraged to do so as soon as possible. All comments – spoken, emailed and mailed – will be documented and reviewed by CAC members. Information on how to submit written comments regarding the Times Square casino application is below. You can find details on the other CACs and how to submit comments here. Written comments on the Times Square casino application can be submitted by email or standard mail to: Email: [email protected] Standard mail: Attn: Caesars Palace Times Square Community Advisory Committee NYSTEC​ 540 Broadway​, 3rd Floor​ Albany, New York 12207 I have long been clear that I do not support casinos in general, and in Manhattan in particular. Casino gambling can be very addictive, exploit those least able to afford to lose their money, and redirect people's disposable income away from other activities and toward casino owners. As they say: "the house always wins." Last year, I held a Virtual Town Hall on The Impact of Casinos on Urban Communities, during which we heard from experts why a casino in Manhattan would be a losing proposition for everyone except the developers. You can watch a recording of that event here. As always, if you have any questions or need assistance, please email or call my office at [email protected] or 212-490-9535. Liz Krueger State Senator Click Here for Details on the August 13th Public Hearing District Office: 211 East 43rd Street, Suite 2000 | New York, NY 10017 | (212) 490-9535 | Fax: (212) 499-2558 Albany Office: Capitol Building, Room 416 | Albany, NY 12247 | (518) 455-2297 | Fax: (518) 426-6874 Email: [email protected] | On the Web: krueger.nysenate.gov   Senator Liz Krueger | 211 E 43rd St #2000 | New York, NY 10017 US Unsubscribe | Update Profile | Constant Contact Data Notice