A development team led by the Islanders will invest $1B in private funds to "transform Belmont Park into a state-of-the-art sports and entertainment destination, including construction of an 18,000-seat arena that will bring the hockey club permanently back to Long Island," according to Robert Brodsky of NEWSDAY. The team announced yesterday that the Belmont Park proposal was selected as the winning bid. The Islanders "hope to break ground on the year-round arena" in the spring of '18, with the building "expected to open" in '20. New York Arena Partners, the Islanders’ partners in the development -- which includes Sterling Project Development, a real estate firm run by the Mets’ Wilpon family, and Oak View Group -- will "finance the entire project." The group will "sign a 49-year lease with the state" and pay a total of $40M in rent. Islanders co-Owner Jon Ledecky said, "For our fans, this day is for you." The arena is "expected to host up to 150 events per year, including concerts, college sports, conferences and family events." The plan calls for 435,000 square feet of "retail stores, restaurants and a movie theater; a hotel with 200 to 250 rooms and nearly 6 acres of outdoor recreation space, including 10,000 square feet of community space." The Belmont Long Island Rail Road station would become a "full-service station" (NEWSDAY, 12/21). In N.Y., Leonard Greene notes the development will "feature a full-service hotel with views of the iconic racetrack, which is home to the third leg of horse racing’s Triple Crown" (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 12/21).
NO MORE SHARING: In N.Y., Allan Kreda notes Ledecky "did not say how much the arena itself would cost." However, he said that it "would be privately financed." Ledecky: "We’re not looking for government funds." Yesterday's announcement was a "victory lap for Ledecky." He has "sought a way out of the team’s unhappy marriage with Barclays Center in Brooklyn." Sharing Barclays Center with the Nets "has been difficult." Fans have "not shown up in numbers needed to make the arrangement worthwhile." The Islanders are last in the NHL in attendance this season, with "about 11,500 fans a game, and they were near the bottom the previous two seasons." The Islanders or Barclays Center "can opt out of their lease in January." The addition of yet another arena in the N.Y. area "represents a different kind of challenge in an already crowded marketplace." The Islanders’ new home would be the "fifth arena in the area" (N.Y. TIMES, 12/21). Also in N.Y., Mike Vaccaro writes Barclays is a "great place to watch a basketball game." It is a "first-rate facility to catch a concert." But as a hockey venue, it "always felt forced, like trying to shove a trapezoid into a circle" (N.Y. POST, 12/21).
TEMPORARY HOME: New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said that the state will look to negotiate with the Islanders to play as many games as possible at Nassau Coliseum while the new facility is being built at Belmont Park. The Islanders moved to Barclays Center from Nassau Coliseum in ’15, which re-opened in April following a $260M renovation. NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman, who has previously said that the arena is not a suitable option for the team even after the renovation, said that the league will further look if that is possible. In a statement, Brooklyn Sports & Entertainment, which operates both Barclays Center and Nassau Coliseum, said that it is “awaiting a response from the Islanders to our proposal to bring NHL games back home to the Coliseum on an interim basis. We understand the required approvals from all parties involved to make that happen, and are prepared to facilitate any necessary enhancements" (Ian Thomas, Staff Writer). Bettman said that he would "think about having the Islanders return to the Coliseum for a few games if 'Billy Joel thinks about being the opening act at the new arena'" (NEWSDAY, 12/21).
NEVER FORGET: On Long Island, Arthur Staple notes Bettman "made sure to mention" former Islanders Owner Charles Wang, whose similar goal of "building a new facility on Long Island never came to fruition." Bettman: "Wang had a clear vision for the Islanders. Nobody should take anything away from Charles, because frankly, the Islanders wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for Charles." Wang, who was not in attendance for yesterday’s announcement, owns a 15% share of the team after "selling a majority stake" to Ledecky and Scott Malkin in '14 (NEWSDAY, 12/21).
WAITING GAME: NEWSDAY's Staple notes yesterday was a "time to celebrate a true milestone in Islanders franchise history." They will "finally have an arena to call their own and the credibility that comes with a stable future." From now on, the focus turns to Islanders C John Tavares and whether yesterday's announcement will "have an impact on his future" with the team. It is "no secret that two-plus years of commuting by train or car from the Island to Brooklyn for games hasn’t been fun for Tavares or his teammates, none of whom live in the city." Tavares’ decision to "wait on negotiations for a contract extension this past summer had to do primarily with the future home of the Islanders, but also other factors" (NEWSDAY, 12/21).
