Residents of Hell's Kitchen rejected the proposal to build a casino at the Western Rail Yards. Now, another ill-suited casino proposal sits before a Community Advisory Committee, comprised of representatives chosen by our state and local elected officials. The Avenir, proposed for the vacant lot on West 41st Street and 11th Avenue, is a $7 billion mixed-use casino, hotel, restaurant, entertainment and public art complex.

• Specifics for HKNC opposition

Now is the time to act - as the Community Advisory Committee's get underway with the review of the casino applications, we implore our local elected officials, including Congressman Nadler, Assemblymember Simone, State Senator Hoylman-Sigal, and Councilmember Bottcher, to oppose the casino. The community's position was clear when Wynn Resorts and Related Companies proposed a casino on the Western Rail Yards site. That position holds true here for The Avenir.