Charlemagne Tha God, Fat Joe Testify in Support of Times Square Casino

Rapper Fat Joe and The Breakfast Club host Charlemagne tha God came to the defense of a Times Square casino proposal.

Wednesday was the first day of a public comment period during which locals could voice their support or concern for the project, which would drop a $5.4 billion facility at 1515 Broadway in Manhattan’s theater district. 

The proposal received its fair share of criticism, but it also got a couple of important nods of approval.

The stars turn out

The casino’s leadership group includes Caesars Entertainment, developer company SL Green, and Jay-Z’s Roc Nation.

While numerous locals poured out to have their opinions regarding the concern heard, the high-profile visitors – including the Bronx-born “Lean Back” hitmaker and one of New York radio’s most recognizable voices – spoke glowingly about the project.

“I’m so excited about the project. New York City is the epicenter of entertainment,” said Fat Joe, real name Joseph Antonio Cartagena, per the New York Post. “Times Square deserves the casino, deserves the jobs… I love to see you guys in Times Square.”

Charlamagne, real name Lenard Larry McKelvey, also testified in support of the casino, which would create an estimated 4,000 permanent union jobs and 3,000 union construction jobs.

Despite getting the chance to intermingle with a couple of the Big Apple’s biggest celebrities, locals were not enthused by the pair’s appearance.

Jason Laks, president of the Broadway League, a national trade association, said the celebrities were allowed to move to the front of the line, while locals had to wait to have their voices heard. He also said the hearing, which ran from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. ET, was during matinee showtimes, which prevented local workers from turning out in full.

Dealing with pushback

The Times Square casino has done its best to meet the desires of the local community. It recently changed its plans for public investment from directing funds to an affordable housing complex to spreading $22.5 million over 15 years and 0.5 percent of the casino’s lifetime profits into the broader Manhattan community.

The casino’s ownership group also promised to host monthly job fairs for theater employees to help pair them with casino jobs to fill the time between their performances.

Despite that, locals said that a casino could alter the emotional integrity of the Theater District.

“We need storytelling — not slot machines,” said Bob Hofmann, vice president of Shubert Organization, the largest owner of Broadway theaters.

Laks also said that crime and traffic would increase if a casino were built in the heart of the city.

“A casino will create a black hole in Times Square,” he said. “It will bring traffic congestion, crime and chaos that we don’t need.”

16 local theaters joined the protest against the proposal, displaying anti-casino messaging on their marquees during the beginning and end of the hearing.

The casino still needs to receive approval from a Community Advisory Committee before it can go to the Gaming Facility Location Board, which will choose three of eight suitors to license.