Projects designed by BIG and KPF among eight vying for New York casino licenses
BIG, Gensler, and KPF are among the architecture studios involved in ongoing bids for three casino licenses set to be awarded later this year for developments around New York, with multiple including skyscrapers.
Currently, eight projects throughout Manhattan, the Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens, and outlying Yonkers are vying to win one of the licenses that would allow them to build casinos as part of larger developments that contain hotels, restaurants, parks, theatres, and even horse-racing infrastructure.
It follows a 2013 vote by New Yorkers to expand casino gambling in the city and a state budget passed in 2022 that approved three casino licenses to be awarded "downstate".
Currently, two "racinos" already exist around the city – Resorts World New York City and MGM Empire – which combine horse racing and slot machines, and both are hoping to expand into full-fledged casinos if awarded the licenses.
Other projects, such as Freedom Plaza by BIG and Metropolitan Park by SHoP Architects and Field Operations, would be ground-up builds.
Currently, each project faces approval by local committee boards for a 30 September vote, after which a shorter list will move forward for further approvals. A final decision is set to be made by New York's Gaming Facility Location Board by 1 December, 2025.
It's unclear if the developments will move forward if not awarded a license, although local protests have already slowed down the projects.
Read on for the eight projects currently vying for the licenses.
Freedom Plaza, Manhattan, by BIG
Developed by Soloviev Group, Mohegan and Banyan Group and located just below the UN Headquarters campus along the East River, Freedom Plaza is a four-tower, mixed-use development that would include a spiral-shaped museum set in front of two linked skyscrapers.
Its casino floors are set to be below-grade, according to BIG, and would link hotel spaces on-site.
Find out more about Freedom Plaza ›
The Avenir, Manhattan, by CetraRuddy
Conjured up by a team led by developer Silverstein Properties, The Avenir is a proposed 785-foot-tall (239 metre) building set to be located just north of the Javits Center on Manhattan's West Side.
The scalloped building is set to contain a casino located on the second floor, where it will be exposed to natural light as opposed to traditional subterranean or shut-in casino spaces, according to the team.
Find out more about the Avenir ›
Caesars Palace Times Square, Manhattan, by KPF
Developed by local company SL Green and backed by Jay-Z's Roc Nation, Caesars Palace Times Square is set to be located in a pre-existing office building at 1515 Broadway in the heart of Times Square.
The several gaming floors would be located above a street-level theatre, and restaurants, bars, indoor venues, a spa and a hotel would take up the other stories.
Bally's Bronx, The Bronx, by HKS and Gensler
Located on a golf course formerly owned by US president Donald Trump, the Bally's Bronx Casino stretches out over a tiered building located at the base of the Whitestone Bridge.
Casino-entertainment company Bally's currently owns the golf course, so it is looking to win a license to convert the area into a gaming complex, emphasising protection of the surrounding site, which is designated as parkland.
The Coney, Brooklyn, by FXCollaborative
Developer Thor Equities, the Chickasaw Nation, and Saratoga Casino Development and Legends are part of the entities behind The Coney, which encompasses the development of several buildings along the Coney Island boardwalk.
A casino is proposed for the corner of Surf Avenue and Stillwell Avenue and is shown surrounded by retail spaces and a hotel.
Metropolitan Park, Queens, by SHoP Architects and Field Operations
Set to be located on a current parking lot next to MLB team the Mets stadium, CitiField, in Flushing Meadows-Corona Park, the Metropolitan Park proposal includes a hotel and an expansive park surrounding its casino, which sits at the centre of the campus.
The project is backed by Mets owner Steve Cohen and Hard Rock International, and its design "pays homage to Flushing Meadows-Corona Park's iconic World's Fair history and architecture", according to its website.
Resorts World New York City, Queens, by Perkins Eastman
Located just outside JFK Airport, Resorts World New York City currently offers an abbreviated version of a casino, including slot machines and thoroughbred horse racing at the Aqueduct Racetrack.
Under developer The Genting Group, the project team is seeking a license to expand the "racino" into a sprawling complex that would include live tables for games such as blackjack and poker and hotels, restaurants, and conference centres.
JCJ Architects designed the original building, while Perkins Eastman is involved in its expansion.
MGM Empire City, Yonkers, by JCJ Architecture
Backed by MGM Resorts, the MGM Empire City proposal expands the current Empire City Casino and Yonkers Raceway racino located in Yonkers.
If awarded a license, the gaming complex would gain additional spaces such as restaurants and a theatre and "entertain the human race for another hundred years", according to its website.
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