As the final hearing on a proposed Times Square casino approaches this Thursday, marquees at 14 Broadway theaters—including the Majestic, Palace, Samuel J. Friedman, and St. James—will light up from 10:30 a.m. to 12 noon with the messages “NO Crime, NO Chaos, NO Casino” and “No Times Square Casino.” The campaign urges the public to contact their elected officials to oppose a casino in the Theatre District.
At 1:30 p.m., members of the theater community, neighborhood residents, and local nonprofit groups will gather outside 235 West 44th Street to line up for the hearing and hold a media availability voicing their opposition.
A new Tulchin Research poll released Monday found that 67% of voters in the surrounding neighborhood oppose the casino project, while 64% said they would be less likely to vote for a candidate who supports it.
The No Times Square Casino Coalition, a grassroots movement that now includes more than 35 organizations, is leading the effort. Members range from major unions and nonprofits to neighborhood groups, including IATSE (Broadway’s largest union, representing seven locals and 168,000 workers), the United Federation of Teachers, the Ali Forney Center, Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, the Hell’s Kitchen Neighborhood Association, and the Westside Neighborhood Alliance.
Coalition members include:
54 Below • American Bus Association • ATPAM • Audience Rewards • Bar Centrale • Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS • CHEKPEDS • Council of Chelsea Block Associations • Encore Community Services • Entertainment Community Fund • Hell’s Kitchen Block Alliance • Hell’s Kitchen Neighborhood Association • The Hippodrome • IATSE Locals One, 306, 751, 764, and 798 • Joe Allen • NOW-NYC • Orso • Project FIND • Sardi’s • TDF • Times Square Church • The Ali Forney Center • The Broadway League • The Shubert Organization • The Voice of Student Youth & Travel • The West 45th Street Block Association • The West 47th/48th Street Block Association • UFT • United Scenic Artists 829 • Westside Neighborhood Alliance
