Hearing on Nassau Hub plan next month
Nassau voters reject Coliseum plan
Nassau County voters emphatically rejected an Aug. 1 referendum to authorize $400 million for a new Coliseum, a minor-league ballpark and other projects in the vicinity.
It was a dispiriting setback for Islanders owner Charles Wang, whose commitment to the arena and the area runs only through 2015, when his lease expires.
Sports Business Journal recently polled its readers on the pro sports facility most in need of renovation or replacement. The Coliseum “won’’ comfortably.
Charles Wang: Ups and downs | Full coverage
Credit: Jim McIsaac
The Nassau County Legislature will hold a hearing next month on plans to develop the 77-acre Hub property.
The Economic and Community Development and Labor Committee will hear from county officials and regional planners on Feb. 14.
Committee chairwoman Denise Ford (R-Long Beach) said the focus will be broader than just building a new Nassau Coliseum.
“The focus is on what can be done with the entire property so that we can obtain state funding,” Ford said
Deputy County Executive Rob Walker will attend the hearing and speak on behalf of the county. Long Island Association president Kevin Law and Hofstra University president Stuart Rabinowitz, who co-chair the Long Island Regional Economic Development Council, and John Cameron Jr., chairman of the Long Island Regional Planning Council, have also been invited.
Nassau County Executive Edward Mangano is preparing a request for qualifications from potential developers for the Hub property in coming weeks.
Taxpayers in August rejected a plan to build a publicly financed Coliseum.
Photo: The current Nassau Coliseum.
