Roc Nation, in partnership with Caesars Palace and SL Green, held the first of two community events to inform local Manhattan Plaza and Hell’s Kitchen residents about their collaborative bid for a state-of-the-art gaming facility in Times Square.
Catered by the renowned Melba’s, The Purple Tongue venue in the neighborhood served free lunch and dinner meals to local attendees, giving them a taste of what the entertainment facility could bring to the neighborhood. During lunch, guests learned more about the bid’s extensive community programs, aimed at powering this new project.
The 10-year plan, representing a $206 million investment, includes an elaborate network of security, sanitation, traffic mitigation, and Broadway plans to revitalize the area and the entire city. It also allocates $10 million for student debt relief, a partnership with members of Actors’ Equity and Local 802, and $20 million to extend childcare services to the Broadway labor force in collaboration with Bright Horizons and Actors Equity.
Notable figures like Roc Nation CEO Desiree Perez, IMPACT Strategies CEO Angela Rye, and New York music artist Fat Joe were present to connect with residents and discuss neighborhood plans.
“An interesting point to Roc Nation’s involvement in the bid,” Angela Rye reflects, “is there is an investment in daycare. There’s an investment in sanitation. Who doesn’t want more sanitation investment in New York? There’s an opportunity for job creation where there are 6,000 jobs and significant economic opportunity.”
“One thing about Roc Nation and Jay-Z is we keep our word,” Fat Joe said. “We are out here constantly giving back, showing New York we’re here for New York. Now is your time to have ownership, go somewhere, and feel like it’s yours. We’re homegrown, I don’t know what more you would want. We’re for the people.
Roc Nation, founded by New Yorkers and entrepreneurs from Brooklyn and The Bronx, is committed to the community’s welfare and economic growth through their partnership with Caesars Palace and SL Green.
The second and final day of the event will take place on Tuesday, 10/17.
