A major New York real estate developer itching to build a casino in Times Square has provided important donors to Mayor Adams’ gargantuan $1.3 million campaign haul over the past six months. This is according to campaign finance filings released late Monday.
Marc Holliday, the chairman and chief executive of the city’s largest commercial real estate firm SL Green, gave $2,100 to Adams’ 2025 reelection bid on May 24, the filings from the Campaign Finance Board show. About a month later, SL Green’s founder Stephen Green gave another $2,100, the most you can donate allowed by law in a non-election year.
SL Green is currently in a bidding war to secure a Times Square casino license; they’ll need the support of Adams, along with other NY lawmakers.
In addition to donating, SL Green retained Frank Carone, Adams’ former chief of staff, to do consulting work on its casino proposal, which would involve redeveloping a major chunk of a 54-floor tower in Times Square.
Since he was recently a city official, Carone is barred by law from formally lobbying Adams’ office until next year. However, he can still legally provide SL Green with valuable insight about the Adams administration. Alongside his consulting work for SL Green, Carone is serving as Adams’ de facto campaign manager for his 2025 reelection bid.
