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Posted on: September 21, 2025, 11:19h.
Last updated on: September 21, 2025, 11:19h.
- Freedom Plaza is pledging over 1K affordable housing units
- The casino bid is targeting Manhattan’s Midtown East
- The $11B project is from Soloviev Group and Mohegan
Freedom Plaza, a more than $11 billion bid for one of New York’s downstate casino licenses, has amended its proposal to include significantly more affordable housing units.
Ahead of tomorrow morning’s Community Advisor Committee (CAC) vote on the casino resort targeting Manhattan’s Midtown East, Soloviev Group and Mohegan are upping their ante on rent-controlled housing that the complex would bring to New York City.
Freedom Plaza has pledged to construct 1,080 residential units on-site at the casino to be built on five acres of undeveloped land at 38th and 41st Streets between FDR Drive and 1st Ave. Freedom Plaza initially said at least 500 would be made “permanently affordable.” The bid was later amended to include at least 600 affordable units.
Now, just hours before the six-person CAC will decide if Freedom Plaza moves to the New York Gaming Facility Location Board (GFLB), Freedom Plaza says all 1,080 residential properties will be rent-controlled under the city’s Mandatory Inclusionary Housing program.
We are prepared to answer the call from elected officials that New York City is in desperate need of affordable housing. The heartfelt testimony of neighbors — particularly young people — and the thoughtful input of community and civic leaders reinforces this decision,” said Michael Hershman, CEO of Soloviev Group. “Soloviev and Mohegan believe a gaming license is a privilege and an opportunity to leverage its full economic power to deliver social, civic, and community benefits that would not otherwise be possible.”
“Housing is the foundation of stability, and this commitment represents our unwavering investment in New York’s future,” Mohegan CEO Ray Pineault added.
CAC Vote
After three meetings reviewing Freedom Plaza’s development details and fielding community input, the Community Advisory Committee will vote tomorrow on moving the scheme forward at 10 am local time.
If a three-fifths majority, or four, votes in favor of the development, the project will be the first casino bid to be accepted by the GFLB. The GLCB will award the three casino licenses by Dec. 1. The state panel can only consider bids that garner CAC support.
Freedom Plaza’s odds have presumably improved over the past week after CAC votes went against Caesars Palace Times Square and The Avenir near the Javits Center. Those votes left Freedom Center as the last casino bid standing for Manhattan.
Freedom Plaza Details
Freedom Plaza would include two luxury hotels with 1,251 rooms. The resort plan features over 30 food and beverage options, 55,745 square feet of convention and entertainment space, almost 31,000 square feet of retail shopping, a daycare facility, and 4.77 acres of public park space integrated throughout the property through urban landscaping.
Freedom Plaza has not detailed how many slot machines and table games it would house, saying only that the casino floor would span nearly 300,000 square feet. That would make it among the largest casinos in the US.
Freedom Plaza estimates it would create 25,875 construction jobs and 13,403 permanent positions once operational. Soloviev and Mohegan have pledged to provide union jobs for both construction and operation.
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Devin O’Connor
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