In a speech titled “Destination: Yonkers,” Spano said getting a full gaming license for MGM Empire City Casino is “make or break” for Yonkers. Empire City, which currently operates as a slot machine parlor, is already Yonkers’ largest private employer. MGM has been working on a more than $2 billion plan to renovate the casino, and if it gets one of three gaming licenses issued by the state this year, it would make way for gaming tables and a full-on concert venue.
Spano, a Democrat, says the upgrade would generate thousands of local jobs and more than $1 billion in economic activity.
“If Yonkers does not get a full gaming license, and it’s allowed to go to other locations in the New York City area, then unfortunately it’s very unlikely that Empire City will survive long-term," says Spano.
So far, at least 11 different locations in and around New York City are vying for the three licenses. The Empire City expansion has drawn concerns from neighboring residents about a potential increase in traffic. Spano says the city is working on a “community benefits” agreement with MGM.
As the “Hollywood on Hudson,” Spano says Yonkers is already a destination for filmmaking. Yonkers is home to studios like Lionsgate, Great Point, and Mediapro, and Spano says two more studios are planned for the former Rising Ground campus. He says the city hosted 124 film days generating more than $1 million in permit fees last year. The Yonkers City School District also cut the ribbon on its specialized Robert Halmi Sr. Academy of Film and Television for grades 6-12.
“It only opened this year, but imagine: by 2031, RHA will graduate a class with seven years of hands-on film experience that will transfer their skills to the workforce or use for their post-secondary education," says Spano. "Our students can go from graduation to a new school or to great job at our newest studio.”
More generally, the mayor used his speech to celebrate a more than 30 percent drop in crime since 2011.
La Mora Senior Apartments, an affordable senior housing community with 60 units, opened over the summer, and Spano says construction is underway on another senior housing complex: the “Willow at Ridgeway,” consisting of more than 90 units at the site of the former Cottage Place Gardens.
Spano says the city is also working on a pilot homeownership program. Two low-income homes are being built for eligible families, one of which will be at least partially subsidized with a Section 8 voucher.
“We’re empowering residents to build their future financial stability," he adds. "A city is a destination when all find places that are affordable.”
That’s not all: the city is also planning a new school at the former Mulford Gardens public housing site, and eyeing the Lincoln Park Jewish Center for a fourth branch of the Yonkers Public Library.
Spano says the Yonkers City School District received more Foundation Aid this year, but not as much as other upstate cities. He urged the state to adopt a list of changes to Foundation Aid recommended in a recent study by the Rockefeller Institute of Government.
“I’m asking the state to heed the advice of the Rockefeller Institute’s report. They recognize that the rising cost of living in Westchester’s largest city is much higher than a city 100 miles north of us," he notes. "So please join me in supporting our state delegation in their efforts in changing that formula. Because this is necessary if we want to make Yonkers a true destination for families.”
