The Islanders' proposal to "build a new arena at Belmont Park ... was selected as the winning bid" to develop the area, according to sources cited by Baumbach & Brodsky of NEWSDAY. The Islanders' bid "includes an 18,000-seat, year-round arena that would host 150 events annually as well as 435,000-square feet of space for retail, a hotel with 200 to 250 rooms and a 10,000-square foot 'innovation center' that would be developed with resident input." The Islanders' partners in the development "include Sterling Project Development, a real estate firm run by the Mets' Wilpon family, and Oak View Group, an arena development company partially funded" by MSG. The proposal was "selected over" NYCFC's bid, which focused on a "26,000-seat open-air stadium in addition to 400,000 square-feet of space for retail, a 5.2-acre community park and a 2-acre soccer facility." The Islanders left Nassau Coliseum in '15 to play home games at Barclays Center. The venue was "not built for hockey," and the Islanders have been "unhappy with the quality of the ice, the marketing of the team and the atmosphere for fans." The Islanders or Barclays can "opt out of their 25-year licensing agreement" next month. Islanders co-Owner Jon Ledecky said that the team will "continue to play at Barclays Center through next season as they are contractually obligated to do so" (NEWSDAY, 12/20). In N.Y., Draper & Kreda note Ledecky has been a "proponent of the Belmont Park plan and is adamant that the Islanders' next home be similar to the new state-of-the-art hockey-first arenas in Detroit and Edmonton." Moving back to Nassau County would also "represent a compromise of sorts" for Islanders fans, who have been "clamoring for the team's return" to Long Island (N.Y. TIMES, 12/20). Also in N.Y., Larry Brooks writes under the header, "This Is The Islanders' Best Day In 34 Years" (N.Y. POST, 12/20).
TOO CLOSE FOR COMFORT? On Long Island, Robert Brodsky reports business experts and area business leaders "fear the Belmont arena could cannibalize show opportunities at the recently renovated Nassau Coliseum," which is just 14 miles away. The Coliseum reopened in April after an 18-month, $160M renovation. Plans for an adjacent retail and entertainment center have been "tied up in litigation, and a proposed biotech center next to the arena has failed to materialize." While the Coliseum does "not have a professional sports team as an anchor tenant, the arena has attracted a steady flow of musical acts." Construction at Belmont is "expected to take two years," and county officials recently said that they "hope the arena can build a loyal following that will allow it to withstand the competition" (NEWSDAY, 12/20).
