Some sports marketing experts and Nassau County officials are questioning how the new 19,000-seat Belmont arena and NYCB Live's Nassau Coliseum "will coexist -- or if they even can," according to Ferrette & Baumbach of NEWSDAY. The Belmont arena, scheduled to open in '21, will be the new permanent home of the Islanders and "host about 200 games, concerts and other events each year." With luxury seating and high-end retail, backers are "marketing the venue as an international destination that will draw crowds" from N.Y. and Long Island. The 15,000-seat Nassau Coliseum "sits on the last significant tract of developable county property" and provides a minimum of $4M in "revenues each year to Nassau County." Some experts said that there is "more than enough business in a big market such as New York to support both arenas, and point to development plans at the Nassau Hub as a critical economic igniter for the future of the Coliseum site." RXR Realty and development partner Onexim Sports and Entertainment plan to "build a mix of biotech research facilities and housing on the 72 acres surrounding the arena." The Coliseum's smaller size will be "attractive to entertainment acts that may not be able to sell out the Belmont arena's 19,000 seats." The Oak View Group, which will operate the Belmont area, said that its "'alliance' with more than two dozen arenas nationwide makes it more attractive for performers seeking to book across its multiple venues" (NEWSDAY, 10/27).
