The fight to save the Islanders

by James Mirtle on Aug 5, 2009 12:33 AM CDT Comment 9 comments

Aug4suozz_medium

You know when you have the commissioner of a professional sports league say something like the following, during a fan rally, there's a real problem in your market:

I think it is clear, and I say this perhaps as a matter of observation, as a matter of fact, there is probably no worse major league facility in North America than the Nassau Coliseum. This facility must be replaced because I have no doubt that the Islanders cannot and will not stay in this facility one second longer than they are legally bound to. The future of the Islanders on Long Island depends on this project going forward and this team getting a new arena.

That's Gary Bettman on Tuesday, addressing the Islanders masses at a large rally aimed at drumming up more support for the Lighthouse Project (video here), an enormous proposal to redevelop the NHL team's arena and 150 acres surrounding it.

(And for those in the dark about all this, Isles guru Chris Botta provides a solid run through of the particulars, beginning with Charles Wang buying the Islanders and ending with, well, the rally. And Sean Leahy has a good Q&A with Botta about the details of the project as of now.)

As crazy as it sounds, what was supposed to be a public hearing "on the Draft Generic Environmental Impact Statement for the Lighthouse Project" drew a turnout of about a thousand rabid Islanders supporters — fans of a franchise that hasn't won a playoff series in 16 years and which has had oh so little to cheer for in recent decades.

What I can't grasp — and I know I'm not the only one — is where the real opposition to this development is and why it has been held up for so long. It sounds as though things may finally get moving, especially given some of the high profile support that's emerged, and Wang has said he wants to see an approval by puck drop in October.

Otherwise, we might be looking at the end of the line.

Right now, Wang is losing more than $20-million a season while relying on a nearly 40-year-old rink and being forced to contemplate relocation in the same way the Penguins and Mario Lemieux went through that process a few years back. And we all know what the stories in preseason will look like when the Isles visit Saskatoon and Kansas City next month, the latter of which Wang will be in attendance for.

0 recs | Comment 9 comments | Add comment | Share

Story-email Email Printer Print

Comments

Why hasn’t it happened? Despite living in the Gotham area, the politics of the Island are foreign to me but I think there has been some foot dragging on the part of some of the political leaders out there. Also, this is a HUGE project that is being proposed which requires a lot of environmental impact statements and zoning considerations. This just isn’t a rink but a huge condo/mall/IROC dealership entity.

In his conversation with Francesa on WFAN, Wang admitted that it would take “only” (as compared to the LP’s projected costs) $400 million to build a new arena with current amenities on the same spot but Wang sounded like he didn’t like that option. Despite his love for the Island and the Islanders it sounded from the interview that its either this huge complex (which he is a part owner of the hotels and everything else going there), or basically “all options are on the table” (i.e., Kansas City).

I really think it would be a terrible shame if the Islanders with all their history (save for the last decade) could move to other markets.

The population of Pominville keeps rising!

by Blackcapricorn on Aug 5, 2009 9:43 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Also: The lease

Why hasn’t it happened?

Really, for anyone wanting a basic grasp of the what and why, just read the bullet points at the beginning of the Botta link mentioned above.

It’s a complicated process — blackcapricorn is right to note the large scope of the project and all that entails — but to add to the complexity, you’re not dealing with what typically drives stadium deals (i.e. a typical sports city/urban core with a single mayor/power source, or (sometimes) a growing suburb seeking to lure a team away from the city by building a new venue.) You’re dealing with multiple suburban jurisdictions, not to mention different generations of Long Islanders who have different perceptions of what life should be like.

The only thing I would add about “why hasn’t this been done?” is the onerous 30-year lease on the current building, which runs through 2015. That lease was signed by Nassau Coliseum (which owns the land/building) with SMG and handcuffs the team. It’s widely regarded as an awful lease for a sports team to be stuck with, and its terms — and the inability to alter them — have been a cloud hanging over every sale of the Islanders in the last two decades. A far-off termination like that has a way of enabling the status quo, despite ownership’s best efforts. Now that 2015 is finally on the horizon and Wang has a bit of leverage to say “now or never,” we’ve finally seen movement.

Lighthouse Hockey: Side effects may include Weight gain and frequent game loss.

by Dominik on Aug 5, 2009 10:49 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Thanks for further clarification Dom. What do you think about the impact of this huge project on the Island? Do you think all the side businesses, residences, etc. can be supported? Certainly the Isles need a new stadium but does the Island need the LP? Also, what is the latest on the infrastructure plans for the LP? Is there finally going to be rail service out there as part of the plan? For me, going to Isles games is always taxing due to the transportation issues. I usually drive out there from Jersey which is a bit of a trek.

The population of Pominville keeps rising!

by Blackcapricorn on Aug 5, 2009 10:56 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

I’m neither native nor resident, so I try not to opine what Long Island needs for itself, but there is a compelling case that this “birthplace of suburbia” in the post-WWII era needs a new forward-thinking vision. A big issue natives I know complain about is that young Long Islanders flee in their 20s and never come back because the opportunities and affordable housing aren’t there. (A related complaint: That older locals/retirees are content with things staying the same.)

For more on this perspective, I’d recommend this excellent Let There Be Light(house) blog, written by a young professional who is a native and obviously passionate resident.

Totally agree with you on the mass transit issue — that deficiency makes it maddeningly difficult to get to games. There is no rail service as part of the Lighthouse plan, but that is because that’s a larger issue for Nassau County and its “hub” dream, an issue it has tried to tackle in the past and will likely continue to chew on. (In other words, if Wang and partners tried to dictate mass transit as part of their plan, they’d be wading even further into areas where multiple legislative bodies have their say.)

Lighthouse Hockey: Side effects may include Weight gain and frequent game loss.

by Dominik on Aug 5, 2009 11:47 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs