Ratner says Nassau Hub not suited for housing, offices, technology companies

Bruce Ratner, the developer tapped by Nassau County to revamp the Coliseum, said Thursday that housing, offices, stores or technology companies aren't suitable for the acres of asphalt surrounding his proposed entertainment complex.

Speaking to journalists in Manhattan, Ratner, who is board chairman of Forest City Ratner Cos., said, "You have more limited choices" at the Hub. "I guess I would have to say it should be sports and entertainment .?.?. that's what is there already."

Ratner told about 60 people gathered at Baruch College that offices "cannot go on that site" adjacent to the Coliseum because Long Island has a glut of vacant offices. He also said affordable housing, while in great demand, wouldn't pass muster with Hempstead Town officials.

Ratner said Nassau County doesn't need more stores. "Long Island is over retailed," he told the Society of American Business Editors and Writers.

Asked by Newsday about the biotechnology campus proposed for the Hub by Plainview developer Donald Monti, Ratner said "it's really hard to start these things" and competition from other states and regions is fierce for technology companies.

Ratner added that the nearby Hofstra University Medical School, which is affiliated with the North Shore-Long Island Jewish Health System, could aid the development of a biotech cluster. But he said, "I hear all this stuff and I know from my own experiences that it's very difficult, if not impossible, just to create overnight."

Ratner touted the economic benefits of sports and entertainment facilities, saying, unlike offices and retail, "it's growing, it's one of the few areas that's stayed pretty consistent .?.?. I think that's probably the right orientation" for the Hub.

"The others are really difficult. You can talk about that stuff but I don't see how it's doable," he said.

In August, Nassau County Executive Edward Mangano selected Ratner's $229-million plan to remake Nassau Coliseum. Earlier, Ratner successfully lured the Islanders hockey team from the Coliseum to his Barclays Center in Brooklyn.