On Long Island, John Asbury reports the Hempstead Town Board yesterday "unanimously passed a master plan to renovate" the Nassau Coliseum and "clear the way for building restaurants and retail" on the 91-acre property. The master plan approval "was the final hurdle" for Forest City Ratner Chair & CEO Bruce Ratner to "renovate the 416,000-square-foot coliseum and scale down the arena to 13,000 seats after the departure" of the Islanders. Ratner "plans to add eight buildings, including three restaurants, two retail sites, three recreation centers and a 1,500-seat movie theater on the 188,000 square feet of property east and northeast of the Coliseum" (NEWSDAY, 5/27).
INNER CIRCLE: In Daytona Beach, Clayton Park reports ISC has "expanded its strategic partnership with AEG Worldwide" to include the L.A.-based sports and entertainment company’s AEG Live division, which "specializes in live music and other live entertainment events." ISC Manager of Corporate Communications Gentry Baumline-Robinson said that partnering with AEG Live "could bring concerts and other live entertainment events" to Daytona Int'l Speedway. AEG Facilities will "continue to advise ISC on its latest development projects" including Daytona Rising and One Daytona (Daytona Beach NEWS-JOURNAL, 5/27).
LIKE A ROLAND STONE: BLOOMBERG NEWS' Rossingh & Connan reported a Paris bid for the '24 Games "may end a decade-long standoff" between the French Open and neighbors "over expanding its cramped facilities." Plans to cover the main court at Roland Garros "were first announced" in '04. But "not a single brick has been laid as a loose coalition of local residents, environmental groups and politicians have fought proposals to expand the site." French Open Dir Gilbert Ysern said adding a possible Olympic bid "is an important leverage for us" (BLOOMBERG NEWS, 5/26).
