State Breaks Ground On New Islanders Arena At Belmont

New York state officials, local government representatives and some die-hard hockey fans broke ground today on the Islanders new arena at Belmont. At the ceremony, the Islanders also announced that they would be playing more home games at Nassau Coliseum while the new arena is built.

The new arena is the main attraction of the $1.3 billion redevelopment of Belmont Park. While it's under construction, the Islanders will be playing 28 home games at Nassau Coliseum — seven more than previously planned.

"The Islanders belong on Long Island — and today we start building the state-of-the-art home this team and their fans deserve while generating thousands of jobs and billions in economic activity for the region's economy," Governor Andrew Cuomo said. "With seven more Islanders games at the Coliseum this season, fans will have even more opportunities to see their favorite team and generate momentum for the move to their new home in two years. At the end of the day this project is about building on two great Long Island traditions — Belmont Park and the Islanders — and making them greater than ever."

Announced in December 2017, the Belmont Redevelopment Project will turn 43 acres of parking lots at Belmont Park into a sports and hospitality destination, including a new 19,000-seat arena for the Islanders and other events, a 250-key hotel and a retail village, office and community space. In addition, developers New York Belmont Partners will build two local parks in the surrounding community.

Through a public-private partnership, the developers will also help fund a new full-time Long Island Rail Road station in Elmont — the first new, full-time LIRR stop in nearly 50 years. This new station will allow riders to access to new arena, hotel and retail village from both the east and west, while providing a new commuting option for locals.

The new arena is scheduled to be completed in time for the 2021-22 hockey season. Over the next two years, construction of the arena, hotel and retail village is expected to create 10,000 jobs and generate $2.7 billion in economic activity. By 2024, the project is expected to sustain 3,200 new full-time jobs, produce $858 million in annual economic activity and generate tens of millions of dollars in new annual tax revenue, Cuomo said.

"We are proud of the great benefits this project will bring to Long Island — from jobs and new tax revenue to a permanent home for the Islanders — and are excited to break ground today," said Eric Gertler, acting commissioner, president and CEO of Empire State Development. "This project has gone through an open, robust collaborative process, and I'd like to acknowledge those New Yorkers who participated, helping create a better project here at Belmont, which we all can be proud of."

In addition to the groundbreaking, the Islanders announced that the team would be playing more games at Nassau Coliseum while the Belmont arena is being constructed. The team will now play nearly 70 percent of its home games at the Coliseum, instead of at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn.

Despite all the celebration, not everyone is on board with the project. Some residents of Elmont have filed a lawsuit to stop the development. According to Newsday, they contend that the state does not have the right to designate the land at Belmont for private development.