Nassau County Exec Edward Mangano “wants to turn Nassau Coliseum into a scaled-down arena with 8,000 to 12,000 seats for family shows, concerts and minor league sports,” according to Brodsky & Marshall of NEWSDAY. Mangano yesterday released the plan “in a request for proposals to firms to redevelop and operate the Coliseum and is expected to unveil it formally during his State of the County address” tonight. The current arena has “more than 16,000 seats.” Mangano released the RFP “after consulting with” Barclays Center developer and Nets investor Bruce Ratner. Mangano said there is "no deal on the table" for the Islanders to leave earlier than ’15. But the RFP “allows for the possibility of a ‘sooner termination’ of the team's lease.” Deputy County Exec Rob Walker said that “many acts decline to play at the Coliseum because they cannot attract crowds to fill the arena” (NEWSDAY, 3/13). In N.Y., Kosman & Calder report Ratner is “set to bid on renovating and operating” the Coliseum. Nassau in recent months “hired Ratner to determine if the Coliseum could be profitable after the Islanders leave.” A source said that Live Nation, AEG and others are “also expected to make proposals” (N.Y. POST, 3/13).
