Caesars Palace Times Square Casino Bid Pledges LGBTQ+ Commitments
Posted on: June 24, 2025, 12:32h.
Last updated on: June 24, 2025, 12:44h.
- Caesars Palace Times Square would increase LGBTQ+ health care if the casino project is authorized
- The developers behind the $4 billion project have made $5 million in commitments to Callen-Lorde
- Callen-Lorde provides LGBTQ+ health care to patients regardless of their insurance status or ability to pay out of pocket
The Caesars Palace New York City bid for Times Square would deliver millions of dollars in financial support for Manhattan’s LGBTQ+ communities should the scheme win one of the three downstate New York gaming licenses.
Led by NYC real estate giant SL Green in partnership with Caesars Entertainment and Jay-Z’s Roc Nation, Caesars Palace Times Square is a proposed $4 billion redevelopment of 1515 Broadway in Times Square. If greenlit by state officials, the Viacom and MTV Studios office building would be transformed into a casino resort.
Along with Caesars Palace Times Square, if the developers emerge victorious, they say they’d set aside $3 million to Callen-Lorde Community Health Center for a new Center for Excellence in Sexual Health. Another $2 million would be provided to support Callen-Lorde’s existing services in Chelsea.
The sexual health facility would be built in Hell’s Kitchen, a neighborhood just west of Times Square. The medical center would expand access to rapid, high-quality HIV and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) testing.
Pledges Contingent on License
If the Caesars Palace Times Square is one of the three downstate New York casino winners, Callen-Lorde, which bills itself as “the global leader in LGBTQ+ health care” with clinics in Chelsea, the Bronx, and Brooklyn, would benefit greatly.
Named for Michael Callen and Audre Lorde, who respectively died of AIDS and cancer, Callen-Lorde’s mission is to provide high-quality health care to New York’s lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender communities regardless of a patient’s ability to pay. Callen-Lorde also promotes health education, wellness, and advocates for LGBTQ+ issues.
The Caesars Palace development team cited STI rates being at 30-year highs as a reason for its $5 million pledge to Callen-Lorde should it be allowed to bring slot machines, live-dealer table games, and sports betting to the Crossroads of the World.
At SL Green, we believe that vibrant neighborhoods are built on strong institutions, and Callen-Lorde is exactly that,” said Brett Herschenfeld, senior vice president at SL Green. “We are proud to support the expansion of their critical services in Hell’s Kitchen, where this state-of-the-art facility will dramatically improve access to rapid testing and treatment for New Yorkers most at risk. This is the kind of community-centered innovation our city needs.”
Callen-Lorde CEO Patrick McGovern said the new facility would span 20K square feet and would offer rapid, same-day test results and immediate treatment through an in-house pharmacy.
Casino Sweeteners
Each of the remaining eight bids for downstate New York is touting how their projects would best benefit the communities in which they seek to operate. From affordable housing and public green space to infrastructure upgrades and healthcare facilities, the bidders continue to hype why they are best suited to improve the region.
The New York Gaming Facility Location Board’s application window closes this Friday, June 27. The state agency will then assign each qualified bid a Community Advisory Committee consisting of five members for applications within NYC and six members for applications outside the city limits.
Each CAC must vote in a two-thirds majority before the Gaming Facility Location Board can formally grant the project a gaming license.
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