Islip officials help put sports complex in play

The Islip Town Board voted unanimously Tuesday to enter into a $3.5 million sales contract with a developer who wants to build a $45 million sports complex in Central Islip.

The Ultimate Game Indoor/ Outdoor Sports (UGS) would include outdoor turf fields, a 200,000-square-foot indoor facility and a 6,000-seat stadium at 275 Carleton Ave.

Andy Borgia, a Yaphank developer, has since about 2010 held a long-term lease on the 30-acre parcel, which includes Department of Public Works property and Little League Baseball fields. Borgia, who could not be reached for comment after the vote, has expressed interest in purchasing the property to demonstrate his seriousness to investors, town officials said.

"Ownership of this land is exactly what UGS needs to get investors on board with their vision of state-of-the-art athletic facilities in Central Islip," said Councilman Steven J. Flotteron, who spearheaded the initiative.

The officials hope the site, which is west of the home of the Long Island Ducks baseball team at Bethpage Ballpark, would become an epicenter of athletics on Long Island.

Town officials said the sale is contingent upon Borgia's completion of a $2 million project of seven new athletic fields on East View Drive, which would replace Little League fields on the Carleton Avenue site.

"UGS is prepared to make a serious investment in one of our communities that has been most devastated by America's economic crisis," Town Supervisor Tom Croci said in a statement. "These are exactly the types of high-profile projects we need to show other developers that Islip is the most attractive area for new business opportunities on Long Island."

Community groups have applauded the move.

"I'm very excited about this venture," said Debra Cavanagh, vice president of the Central Islip Coalition of Good Neighbors. "It brings to the Central Islip community more job opportunities, positive visibility and greatly helps our tax base."

While town officials did not estimate the number of jobs the project might create, they said the expect it to produce about $1.3 million in annual tax revenue when completed.