Mohegan bid would put casino and ferris wheel near UN building in Midtown Manhattan – New York Daily News

Mohegan has joined a bid to build a casino complex capped by a riverside Ferris wheel near the UN building in Midtown Manhattan, entering the free-for-all sweepstakes for three coveted casino licenses in the New York City area.

The Connecticut gambling giant is partnering with the Soloviev Building Company on the futuristic plan to reimagine a ragged, long-vacant seven-acre lot between 38th St. and 41st St.

The space south of the UN headquarters is Manhattan’s largest undeveloped plot, according to Soloviev, which has for years searched for a way to use the overgrown patch of land along the East River.

The project would place the casino beneath a leafy park, athletic fields and a museum dedicated to democracy.

Soloviev’s blueprint would include a glassy hotel with more than 1,000 rooms on the north side of the hilly park and twin residential towers on the south side.

The developer has dubbed its design the “Freedom Plaza.”

Mohegan, which formed almost two decades ago in association with the Mohegan Tribe of Indians of Connecticut, announced its partnership with Soloviev after weeks of dialogue between the companies.

Ray Pineault, CEO and president of Mohegan, said the high-value location and Soloviev’s designs for a multipronged project drew the casino company into the bid.

“We have always looked for opportunities to engage in projects that are not solely based on the casinos themselves but bring together an immersive experience,” Pineault said in an interview.

Stefan Soloviev, chairman of the Soloviev Group, said in a statement that Mohegan’s entry would “ensure that Freedom Plaza will be ethically developed” and “provide long-term economic prosperity for the local community.”

But the Freedom Plaza plan figures to face community pushback and is just one in a stable of Midtown bids that developers are drawing up to submit to the state.

SL Green Realty, which bills itself as New York’s largest commercial landlord, is working with Caesars on a closely watched proposal to plop a casino in Times Square.

SL Green’s blueprint would put a casino on multiple levels in the 54-floor skyscraper at 1515 Broadway.

The Times Square bid has prompted strong pushback from community members and the Broadway League, a trade group that has warned the casino could destabilize the Theater District and further crowd a congested corridor.

“Of all the potential sites for a casino in New York City, Times Square brings the greatest costs for the surrounding community, with the fewest benefits,” Charlotte St. Martin, president of the Broadway League, said in a statement.

“A casino in what has been described as the most heavily trafficked place in the Western Hemisphere would be a reckless experiment and a losing bet in the long-term,” St. Martin added.

SL Green has in turn argued its casino plan would boost Broadway ticket sales and has pointed to support from organized labor. SL Green also said it has worked to address concerns about congestion.

Brett Herschenfeld, managing director at SL Green, argued that theatergoers may visit the casino complex after seeing shows, shifting peak hours in Times Square.

“It’s a way of mitigating congestion — both by our investments, and by what will happen in terms of people’s desires to stay in Times Square,” Herschenfeld said in an interview.

A third Midtown bid, which is from Related Companies and Wynn Resorts, would deliver a casino to the Hudson Yards area.

That casino would be located next to the Javits Center along the northern end of the High Line. Related is still drafting the designs, but said the location near Penn Station would offer a unique draw for city tourism.

Another bid would put a casino in the clouds: Saks Fifth Avenue’s owners have floated a high-end gambling operation for the top floors of its department store at 611 Fifth Ave. in Midtown.