Plans for the approval of the Lighthouse project sit in the Town of Hempstead's office waiting for review. Why is this? Why isn't Charles Wang screaming at the top of his lungs and using every weapon in his arsenal to basically tell the people this. If Mr. Wang does not get this project off the ground then two things will happen. He will sell and the team will move.
He will sell the team and this time it wont go to someone who is willing to deal with insane amounts of red tape and political delay after political delay. Every elected official on Long Island is looking to put his personal stamp on the project and use it to get his or her meaningless name in the paper. I am so sick and tired of hearing some elected official from Nassau County who has his job because he managed to hand out more fliers than his or her opponent tell me that they know better than me what is good for the county. The county is bleeding money. The Islanders are bleeding money. The coliseum is a wreck. The surrounding area is a rotting parking lot. Either let the man build his project or just say no and let the team move already because all of this unknown is driving the fan base insane whether they are for or against the project. Mark my words today - If the deal does not get done there is a very good chance the Islanders will move to Kansas City, who has been eyeing the Islanders as a target for years and guess what, they already have a nice new arena for hockey.
Gary Bettman in his usual "well i cant really say whats going to happen" voice is going around telling anyone who cares that the county better get the deal done. Bettman wants the team on Long Island because of the rivalries the Islander shave with some of his favorite franchises.
It is time to open our eyes people. Either get he damn thing built or kiss the Islanders goodbye.
This time the threat is real.
FCT
3 comments:
Not to beat the dead horse here, but has anyone out there in Islander country gone to that new mall in Deer Park yet? If you have, you got a preview on how 'great' the traffic will be around the Lighthouse. The project has absolutely no provisions for traffic flow in the surrounding (neighboring) communities. Granted, the thousand or so fans that go to the game really don't make a dent in it ,but put office buildings, shops, & the like there & it will be worse that the 'Arches' in DP. As you travel to Roosevelt field this Holiday season & are in that gridlock nightmare traffic coming & going, sit back & picture yourself going to the Lighthouse on any week night to see a game. Mr. Wang, you know, sometimes a parking lot is just a parking lot, build a nice arena & buy the Broadway Mall & re-do it.
MANDATORY ISLE CONTENT:
Great back to back wins, Gordons' system does work when the team plays a full 60. And Joey Mac reminds me of a young Billy Smith without the fiestyness.
I dont think you can compare 8 thousand cars going to an arena at a specific time 41 times a year to the bedlam that is holiday shopping at Roosevelt Field and at that monstrosity in Deer Park. They are just simply not the same thing. When NVMC is full, youll wait to get in, and wait to get out. Youll be stuck in traffic... THAT is life on Long Island. I was a big proponent of the arena moving to Suffolk County somewhere near the 110 corridor. That didnt happen because the County and SMG have a lease. Now we are stuck with the Lighthouse project. The economics around the Islanders are so horrendous no one will renovate or rebuild the Coliseum as a stand alone project. If it were ecnomically feasible it would be done already. Red Tape around the County, the Town of Hempstead, local politicians and the state of the Islanders make it next to impossible to invision the Coliseum renovation as part of a greater project. Everyone who is an opponent of the Lighthouse project is in for a rude awakening if the Islanders move and the Coliseum rots away, then some other developer gets a deal to put housing projects there. The site is going to be turned into SOMETHING. Id rather have it be Wangs vision which at least has a chance to revitalize the local economy.
The islanders are the only professional sports team on long island if the county doesn't approve this there losing something that was brought here to make people happy
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