Field of Light to Honor Veterans This Labor Day Weekend

Active, off-duty, and retired military members will be able to enjoy special tickets at Freedom Plaza’s Field of Light–located just south of the United Nations, at 686 1st Ave.–over the Labor Day weekend. Accommodations at the walk-up line will be available for eligible veterans between Thursday, August 29 and Sunday, September 1.

The Soloviev Foundation is the philanthropic arm of real estate developer Soloviev Group. Freedom Plaza is the result of Soloviev hoping to get one of three downstate licenses to build a casino, which it will do on the site of what was once a Con Edison substation. While it awaits to see if the $18 billion construction project gets approved, in the interim, the company commissioned the lights display on what had been an open construction pit.

It will be partnering with the following groups to create the enhanced experience for eligible veterans: Bronx Fisher House, Operation Gratitude, Semper Fi & America’s Fund, and Give An Hour.

All of these organizations are military-oriented. Bronx Fisher House is part of a nationwide network of free respite centers for military members receiving care at a VA or military hospital. Operation Gratitude delivers care packages to everybody from active troops to first responders.

Semper Fi & America’s Fund is a nonprofit that aims to assist wounded military members, while Give An Hour provides healthcare for veterans struggling with mental illness and the aftereffects of trauma.

The Soloviev Foundation is the philanthropic arm of Soloviev Group, the real estate behemoth owned by Stefan Quinn Soloviev. The Field of Light was designed by the artist Bruce Munro.

Soloviev has teamed up with Mohegan Sun in its pursuit of one of the gambling licenses, which are expected to be granted by the Casino Control Board sometime in 2025. There has already been local board opposition to the Soloviev project, which has happened for other casino proposals in Manhattan. Organized labor groups have generally been supportive, since it would create many construction jobs in Manhattan.

In late October, in a bid to build local support, Soloviev said that 40 percent of the 1,325 apartments it wants to build as part of the project will be made affordable. The below-market rentals would be available to households making an average of 80 percent of the area median income.

In an interview with the New York Times, Soloviev chief executive Michael Hershman said that the 513 low-cost housing apartments would only be economically feasible with the inclusion of a casino.

In addition to the promise of affordable units, the company said that it plans to build a Museum of Freedom and Democracy on the plaza. They also promise to set aside much of the land above the proposed casino, which will be underground, as parkland that will be open to the public. They’ve similarly promised to build a bridge across the FDR Drive, which would give pedestrians access to the East River Esplanade. The late Sheldon Soloviev spent $630 million to buy the former Con Ed substation in 2000, leaving it as a barren pit until it became lit up by Munro. Soloviev Group’s original proposal included the building of a new public school on the site, which has apparently been dropped.

In one plan unveiled early in 2023, the company had also proposed placing a large on-site ferris wheel overlooking the East River. That part of the plan was scrapped after it ran into community opposition.

While Soloviev awaits a final decision on its casino plans, the Field of Light display is clearly a bid to turn an eyesore into an eye-catching display.