From the Daily News:Queens leaders are renewing a push to score the New York Islanders after Nassau County voters downed a $400 million bond referendum on Monday for a new hockey arena and minor league ballpark.
A day after the measure for a new Nassau Coliseum failed by a 57% to 43% vote, efforts to lure the Islanders to Willets Point - creating a sports complex with the Mets and U.S. Open - gained momentum.
"I really believe this is the time for Queens County to open up their arms," said Jack Friedman, executive director of the Queens Chamber of Commerce.
Friedman has pushed since 2009 for the city to include an Islanders arena in its vision to redevelop Willets Point, a maze of auto body shops near Citi Field.
A spokesman for City Controller John Liu said the NHL club would fit well in Queens because it has "a strong fan base here."
Friedman suggested the Islanders arena could also be built next to the planned Aqueduct racino in southeast Queens.
This might happen sometime in the year 2075.
17 comments:
Nobody gives a dam about Hockey, its a dieing sport.
The new people in Queens are not interested any stadium will fail miserably into another steel elephant and the bills wont be paid.
Long Island people will not drive Queens or the LIRR Port Washington line for hockey
Yeah try and park in Manhasset or Great Neck LOL !!!
These people involved with all this Islanders nonsense are so clueless it should be a crime. Long Islanders threw them out on their asses.
The special public vote cost the county 2 million dollars results were 9-1 districts in favor of shit canning this 500 million dollar raw deal.
-Joe
Where next to the racino? In the parking lots the they are going to need or is he planning to take homeowners homes that surround the racino?
Long Island residents voted no because they were constantly barraged with the idea that their taxes would be raised significantly. They did not see the bigger picture and the potential benefits of a building which would not of just catered hockey.
I think that the Islanders in Queens would be a good idea. The team has the potential to play well and the rivialry with the Rangers would only get bigger and better. Plus, a building in Queens to house the Islanders would also serve other venues.
Those desperate Willets Point
(Wellington Pointe) developers (TDC) know their ship is sinking and will try anything to keep it afloat.
Sorry you charlatans....our rapidly sinking economy has done you in.
Claire Shulman will croak before she ever sees a shovel put in the ground on this project.
Has a burial plot been set aside for her by the Wilpons at home plate or at least somewhere within the iron triangle?
No more mister ice guy!!!
Has a burial plot been set aside for her by the Wilpons at home plate or at least somewhere within the iron triangle?
She should be cremated. Wherever she's buried will become a toxic dump site. It'll join the rest of the sites she made toxic years earlier!!!
I think many LIers voted no to the isles because of a general mistrust of allowing politicians to handle that much money, and even actually end up on budget. 60 dollars per year is not a ton, especially considering how much taxes they already spend, although principle comes into account with that.
I know you pointy white hats don't want to hear this, but I think they'd make a good fit for the flushing area. I don't want to see the shops in willets point get pushed out though. What ever happened to the days of multi-use stadiums??
"They did not see the bigger picture and the potential benefits of a building which would not of just catered hockey"
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It was all a pack of lies, backed with absolutely ZERO credibility.
A new Coliseum and shopping just would have fallen into the hands of private corporations Like Ticketmaster, Clear Channel, SFX Live Nation, Opt-online etc.
Long Islanders are being murdered with taxes! What family with 2 kids has $500 to blow on a hockey game, a concert, or a family show ?
What happens when all these retailers and producers cry "hardship" and cant make the rents ?
These people based payback of that $400 million "bond" on sellout crowds for every event and ever inch of retail space making a killing, paying the rents and that simply wasn't going to happen. It become another Atlas park only WORSE !!
The deal wasn't transparent as well, lots of backroom deals not for public eyes went on
Let Mr. Wang pay for his own new stadium with fancy corporate booths for millionaires and retail space.
Has anybody been to Uniondale lately, its become a black getto. The local McDonalds bricked over all their windows.
Jobs? what jobs ?
Ticket takers, TGI Fridays, Applebees, cleanup crews and felon security guards in need of part time work to keep receiving sec 8 or keep probation ?
That 20 year bond of $13.80 per household would have ended up over $300 per household in the end.
There is nothing structurally wrong with the current Nassau Coliseum. It can be redone with as small theater on the side for a tiny fraction of what Wang wants or even the cost to demolish it
Hockey? Where are we? Canada? Dis here is Queens - mahjong, cricket, and futbol.
Structurally nothing is wrong, but functionally and esthetically it is a piece of shit.
the chinese and koreans in flushing really love hockey .
NOT.
the chamber of commerce has an idiot as a leader.
he was an idiot,when on the CSB 26 in n.east queens also.
he was chief of staff of weprin's political member item tax give-aways.
A spokesman for City Controller John Liu said the NHL club would fit well in Queens because it has "a strong fan base here."
Sure Liu would say this. Anything to please the construction unions.
"Functionally and esthetically it is a piece of shit"
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Nothing that cant be fixed for under 50 million. (VS $400-500 million)
I have been on production crews for KISS, Pink Floyd, Rodger Warters in that place.
It has plenty of recent new electric service for concerts and lights, fibre optics, 120 ton trusses, perfect visibility from anyplace.
You can hang a 8 car subway train or any show, lights, sound system from the ceiling.
Production and TV Equipment today is 1/3 the size and light years ahead with efficiency.
I passed it yesterday. It was covered in NASTY ugly "Opt online" corporate signs and the parking lot looks like the map in old NYS Pavilion, that's why it looks like shit.
Nothing that can’t be remedied. Anybody remember the REALLY CRUMBLING old Jones Beach Marine theater looked like in 1987 before the rebuild
(all that only cost $40 million not 400 or 500 million)
This whole thing was a sham and the public knew it
People bitch about the Nassau Coliseum seats being too small. How about these beer belly sport fans with the 180 pound 12 year olds turn off the friggan TV's computers, McDonalds, Pizza and lose some weight and get healthy ?
People walked in (and up) and fit fine in the seats back in 1977 and disabled people used the elevators (if they wished).
Sh*t Andre the Giant walked those hallways fine liked do drink at the "secret" bar as Ace Frehley (still in his makeup and platform boots)
The Islanders and all the corperate cook backers want a stadium that can hang more LED billboards, plasmas, signs. Lets Not forget 1 dozen huge fancy privacy glass, private entry, private elevator for folks like Nike, ESPN, Mike Bloomberg and his friend including the Dolan mob the taxpayer will never use.
Too add: All that crap obstructs 60% of **paying** affordable ticketholders view just like that new crumbling piece of crap in Queens.
-Joe
Liu approves it because he's a boner-fide suck-a-puck!
"Oooh....what a delicious mouthful of juicy union contributions when I run for mayor".
Nobody gives a dam about Hockey, its a dieing sport.
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Fuck the islanders, but NHL revenues are actually up every year for the last several years.
The Islanders are going to stay in the City - probably in Willets Point - whether you like it or not.
1) Neither the City or the NHL want to lose a professional sports franchise; especially one that's been fairly successful in it's lifetime (4 championships) and has the potential for further growth. Hockey is at it's highest popularity in years. NBC just signed a long term agreement with the league. The league needs to keep thier teams in the largest TV market.
2) The City wants a winter tenant for Willets Point and no one is better. There's no competition with the Mets in the winter and you can have concerts at the new arena year round.
3) Retail is dead due to the economy, so a retail mall is not the answer for the area. Don't beleive me? Ask New jersey how well that "Zanadu" mall is doing.
4) The project has union and political support...
5) ...Not to mention the Wilpons want them thier as well (cross marketing between the two teams)
6) The City is solvent enough to meet it's current debt holdings. The bonds for Citifield and Yankee Stadium are being paid, no one has complained.
7) Most Long Islanders would rather go to Queens than go to Hempstead - for reasons described in earlier post.
8) Aside from the Garden, there is no other major arena in the NYC area. And the Garden is only getting a facelift. It would not be as "state of the art" as a new area would be.
So for all you people on this thread who complain this is not going to happen, keep that thought in mind as they start to pour the concrete. This is going to happen...and I'm buying my season tickets as soon as they do. BELIEVE IT!!!
Last time I checked, the Islanders played in Nassau County, not the City. And Willets Point ain't happening, I hate to tell you.
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