When will we get news about the Belmont Hub?
The 43 acres of state-owned land at the Belmont Park race course will be developed into an 18,000 seat hockey arena by the New York Islanders.Pictured is an aerial view of the parking lot in Belmont Park where the new arena will be constructed. Credit: Office of Governor Andrew M. Cuo/Kevin P. Coughlin
It’s the end of the second quarter, which was supposed to mark the next time we’d hear big news on the redevelopment of Belmont Park. Instead, the final environmental impact statement, or EIS, isn’t out, and there has been no announcement on a potential new train station on the Main Line, at the north end of Belmont.
But multiple sources familiar with the project tell The Point that there is nothing standing in the way of Belmont’s redevelopment timetable. There are no complications in the studies or documents. Everything is on schedule.
The problem, instead, is a logistical one. Last week was the end of the legislative session. This week, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo (a key player in everything Belmont) has been in Israel. Next week is the July Fourth holiday.
So, expect an announcement, and the release of the final EIS, as soon as the week of July 8. So far, the calendar is clear, with not even a Belmont race on the schedule, since racing there ends on July 7.
Randi Marshall is a member of the Newsday editorial board.
