New York voters approved a 2013 constitutional amendment allowing casino gaming, and the state is finalizing three downstate licenses with decisions expected by the end of 2025. Environmental and community impacts of proposed casinos must be minimized. The Lower East Side Ecology Center has built urban environmental resilience through community composting programs that diverted millions of pounds of organic waste and through environmental justice advocacy, pioneering community-based sustainability models. Most proposed casinos would demolish existing buildings, producing enormous construction waste and disrupting ecosystems; the EPA reports over 90% of construction debris comes from demolition. The SL Green–Caesars–Roc Nation Times Square proposal opts for adaptive reuse, avoiding many demolition-related impacts.
When we apply that lens to the current proposals for casinos across New York City, one approach stands out above the others. Nearly every project would require demolishing existing buildings to construct new ones a process that generates enormous amounts of construction waste and debris while disrupting established ecosystems. In fact, according to the Environmental Protection Agency, more than 90% of all construction debris is produced by the demolition of existing buildings.
For over three decades, the Lower East Side Ecology Center has worked at the grassroots level to build environmental resilience throughout New York City. From our community composting programs that have diverted millions of pounds of organic waste from landfills to our environmental justice advocacy, we have pioneered community-based models in urban sustainability across our city. We also understand that true sustainability requires both community engagement and smart policy choices. This experience has taught us to evaluate every major development through an environmental lens.
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