Forest City Ratner officials said that Chair & CEO Bruce Ratner "will submit a development application to the Town of Hempstead before the end of the year -- the next step in his plan to transform the Nassau Coliseum and its surrounding blacktop into a sprawling sports and entertainment complex," according to Robert Brodsky of NEWSDAY. Town of Hempstead Dir of Communications Michael Deery said that Ratner's team "has met with a group of seven senior staffers from the town, including Building Department Commissioner John Rottkamp and Ray Mineo, chief of staff to Town Supervisor Kate Murray, to iron out details of the application." The application "will include a conceptual master plan for the Uniondale property that focuses on the size and placement of buildings, roads, parking and open space." Barclays Center Exec VP & Chief Communications Officer Barry Baum said that Ratner "has submitted draft plans to the town and is preparing its final application." Construction is "expected to begin" in August '15 after the Islanders "finish their final season at the Coliseum before moving to the Barclays Center" for the '15-16 season. Ratner has said that construction "will take 15 to 18 months." The Islanders "will play a combination of six preseason and regular-season games at the new Coliseum" (NEWSDAY, 9/21).
I HEAR THE TRAIN A COMIN': On Long Island, Alfonso Castillo reported Barclays Center and the Long Island Rail Road are "taking steps to ensure" that Islanders fans "follow their team to Brooklyn -- even if it means going by train." Heading toward the second and final preseason game Friday, Barclays Center "is partnering with the LIRR on several new initiatives to make it easier to get to and from the hockey franchise's new home arena." They "include new direct service to key stations and increased efforts to tell fans in the stands when their train is leaving" (NEWSDAY, 9/21).
