Gambling, traffic, pollution are nothing new around the Nassau Coliseum
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Opponents to the proposed Las Vegas Sands casino at the Nassau Coliseum -- primarily private Hofstra University and tony Garden City -- complained vehemently at the first hearing of the Nassau Legislature two weeks ago about the $4 billion plan for a casino, hotel and resort in the Nassau Hub.
Hofstra president Susan Poser, who lives in a $4 million university-owned mansion in Garden City, said "It would create serious damage and hazardous conditions for our community -- gambling addiction, crime, traffic congestion and pollution."
Garden City Mayor Mary Flanagan, and other Garden city residents, said much the same thing.
But wagering, traffic congestion, pollution are nothing new around the Coliseum.
Roosevelt Raceway operated just north of the Coliseum site from 1940 until it closed in 1988. The once popular harness racing track attracted large crowds, who wagered on the horses, created traffic jams in cars with no pollution controls while the large stables also had their own unmistakable odor.
The New York Islanders played at the Nassau Coliseum, just south of the Raceway, from 1972 through 2015. In its heyday, the national hockey team also drew large crowds driving cars that jammed nearby Hempstead Turnpike and Meadowbrook Parkway with air-polluting traffic.
Simultaneous events were not uncommon.
In comparison, Hofstra opened in 1935 in an old estate house that still stands on its campus, according to its posted history.
And Garden City was founded in 1869.
So both Hofstra students and Garden City residents have been around pollution, traffic congestion and wagering long before the casino plan surfaced.
Poser suggested the county-owned 72-acre Coliseum site could be developed as a technology and life sciences hub.
Sure. Such economic development plans have been envisioned for the HUB for more than three decades.
Nobody ever stepped forward with real plans to develop them.
The Hempstead Town Board even created a grand master development plan for the 174-acre Roosevelt Raceway site when it closed -- even though it was privately owned.
But what ended up at the former Raceway: Mostly big box stores, condominium and apartment complexes.
Perhaps Poser can find developers with big pockets willing to create a technology and life sciences hub at the HUB.
For now, as the legislature's Office of Budget Review said in a report last about Los Vegas Sands proposal:
The facts are that the Coliseum has been a burden to the county for decades. Former county leases always seemed to contain loopholes that allowed the operators to shift the costs back onto the county for such things as maintenance and utilities, while delaying rent payments and other revenues.
Here is OLBR's chart of revenues over the past 11 years.
In comparison, the Las Vegas Sands offers an unrefundable $54 million upfront payment in one year -- far more than the county was able to get in 11 years.
Sands officials have promised millions more to the county and surrounding communities.
Maybe there are loopholes in the lease that allow the company to escape those commitments, like past leaseholders.
But that would be nothing new for Nassau County.
The county legislature has scheduled another hearing -- and a possible vote -- on transferring the lease to the Sands on Monday.
Garden City should worry about the problems in the village. St Paul’s is a three decade white elephant. Doing away with a paid fire dept catastrophic results. Wasting money in a spat about a few handicapped parking spots. Let’s not even get into the destroying of greenery at the Merillon Station with new construction looking like someone’s bad acid trip. I would think the villagers have enough to worry about in their own backyard. Finally let Hofstra give up it it’s non profit status if it wants a voice
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