Exclusive | Teachers union opposes casino in Times Square

The head of New York’s the powerful teachers’ union is flunking a proposal to put a casino in Times Square — in the heart of the beloved Broadway theater district.

“[A casino] would undermine the Theater District and dilute the distinctive power of Broadway, an industry that offers unique educational and career opportunities for our students,” United Federation of Teachers president Michael Mulgrew told The Post.

Mulgrew pointed out the Broadway League’s programs that provide students access to shows, such as Broadway Bridges, which seeks to give every public school 10th grader an opportunity to see a performance before graduation.

United Federation of Teachers president Michael Mulgrew spoke out against a proposed casino in TImes Square. Brigitte Stelzer
A rendering of the Times Square casino funded by SL Green/Caesars Palace and Roc Nation. A Better Times Square

“Broadway is an educational goldmine for the children of our city, and it needs to be protected,” he said.

Mulgrew said he’s personally chaperoned students on trips to the theater thanks to The Broadway League, many of whom had never seen a show before.

There are six public schools in the theater district from West 34th Street to West 55th Street, between 6th Avenue and 9th Avenue  — Star America Preschool, P.S. 212 Midtown West, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis High School, Repertory Company High School for Theatre Arts, Professional Performing Arts High School and P.S. 35.

The casino is being proposed at 1515 Broadway — home of the Minskoff Theatre and “The Lion King” Disney musical — by Caesars Entertainment, SL Green and Jay-Z’s Roc Nation.

Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis High School is one of the six high schools in the Theater District. William Farrington

The UFT is joining the No Times Square Casino Coalition, which includes The Broadway League and 30 other neighborhood and Broadway industry groups.

Mulgrew said The Broadway League, the trade association for 700 theater owners, operators and producers, contacted him about joining the opposition, and he agreed it’s the wrong location for a casino.

The theater district is itself a global tourist mecca, a massive economic generator for the city and a casino is not needed there, he said.

Mulgrew does not object to a casino being approved elsewhere in the city, where it could serve as an economic anchor and jobs producer.

“Put the casino somewhere else!” he said.

The entrance to the proposed Caesars Palace Times Square. A Better Times Square

A spokesperson for Caesars Palace Times Square in a statement said that “The UFT didn’t do its homework on our project.”

“Bringing a world-class entertainment destination to Times Square will actually grow the audience for Broadway shows, and we will provide tens of millions of dollars in Broadway tickets to New York City students and educational programs as part of a successful bid,” the rep said. “The unions representing Broadway actors and musicians support our bid precisely because we will benefit the theater community and Times Square.”

The state Gaming Commission is expected to approve up to three downstate casino licenses by the end of 2025, after reviews by local panels and a statewide siting board earlier next year.

The state will get a minimum upfront $500 million from each bidder awarded a casino license, with proceeds going to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority. 

Other projects include the Wynn/Related Companies proposal to build a $12 billion gaming complex in Hudson Yards; Mets billionaire owner Steve Cohen’s plan to build an $8 billion casino-entertainment complex next to CitiField in Queens; Las Vegas Sands’ pitch to convert the Nassau Veterans Memorial Museum Coliseum into a casino complex; a $3 billion casino and conventional hall envisioned near the Coney Island boardwalk; and Bally’s wish to open a gaming facility next to the Ferry Point golf course it acquired from the Trump Organization, among others.