Freedom Plaza Proposal Fails to Advance at CAC Vote

The Community Advisory Committee (CAC) has voted against advancing the Freedom Plaza proposal, the $11.2 billion mixed-use development project led by the Soloviev Group and Mohegan.

At the final CAC meeting on Monday, September 22, members cast their votes with 4 opposed and 2 in favor, ultimately halting the project’s progress. This outcome aligns with the trend across Manhattan, where all casino-related proposals have failed to gain approval from their respective CACs.

The vote followed weeks of discussion and public testimony, with hundreds of residents and stakeholders attending meetings to voice their opinions. Despite developer commitments to 100% affordable housing, open space, and community benefits, concerns around traffic, density, and the introduction of a casino weighed heavily in the decision.

With this result, Freedom Plaza joins all other Manhattan casino proposals that have failed to clear the CAC process, a required step for projects to advance to the state’s Gaming Facility Location Board.