One of the major groups who helped block Wang's Aug. 1st arena bond vote,were a group of LI developers.They wanted the arena land for themselves and they may get it.
Wang controls the arena land until 2015 and would have to agree to any plans for the land before that time.Could Wang work with that group?
More meaningless nonsense. Reads to me like a subtle dig at Wang in response to the Barclays exhibition, at worst. I'd expect plenty more of this wasted print space for months to come, with no real news coming until 2013.
I don't know if its just me but I read this as they are rebuilding the hub without the Islanders.
+1
All signs point to Brooklyn
"Polimeni is partnering with Garden City developer Jan Burman, Syosset developer Ed Blumenfeld and Jericho developer Mark Hamer. All four are members of the Association for a Better Long Island, the real estate group that opposed a failed referendum last year to build a publicly funded Nassau Coliseum. Polimeni, Burman and Blumenfeld bid on the Coliseum property in 2005, but lost to New York Islanders owner Charles Wang."
Nassau politics at it's best
"The Hub with the Islanders and with the Coliseum is a needed thing on Long Island," Blumenfeld said. "The Hub without the Islanders can be an economic engine also."
first time publicly the Islanders are being minimized
Wang has said he won't stay at the Coliseum past 2015. Last week, the team announced it will play a preseason game at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn. Barclays officials have said they want the Islanders to play in Brooklyn permanently.
“The Hub with the Islanders and with the Coliseum is a needed thing on Long Island,” Blumenfeld said. “The Hub without the Islanders can be an economic engine also.”
The quartet’s effort is not contingent on the Islanders remaining in Nassau, Polimeni said.
It reads to me as if they're already making plans for the isles moving.. These guys have been about one thing the whole time.. Putting money in their pockets. The ABLI could care less about the franchise all they see is a gigantic plot of undeveloped land and $$$$.
At this point I don't care anymore. The politicians in Nassau have forced me to lose hope about seeing a new arena in Uniondale. Would it be nice that they finally come to their senses? Of course, but it's not happening. Pretty obvious these developers are ready to move on. Just waiting for Brooklyn at this point.
It reads to me as if they're already making plans for the isles moving.. These guys have been about one thing the whole time.. Putting money in their pockets. The ABLI could care less about the franchise all they see is a gigantic plot of undeveloped land and $$$$.
Yay another mall
Maybe they can add a cheesecake factory and a chili's let's not forget some cheaply built but expensive town homes.
This is a reaction in part to Wang's veiled threat (and Barclay's) pre-season game.
Sure as "bull cookies," Nassau/Suffolk POLs are great at playing games. What they are not good at are solutions.
I have long since put Nassau in the past, and knowing Suffolk Politics intimately, I want the New York Islanders OUT of Nassau or Suffolk. Queens has been my personal #1 for a long time. Brooklyn would be fine — better then Quebec, KC, LV or any other place.
At this point I don't care anymore. The politicians in Nassau have forced me to lose hope about seeing a new arena in Uniondale. Would it be nice that they finally come to their senses? Of course, but it's not happening. Pretty obvious these developers are ready to move on. Just waiting for Brooklyn at this point.
New York has so many regulations, zoning rules and legal hurdles. There's polical cronies, labor unions and nepotism, I'm now convinced it's not going to happen. The Islanders only option is Brooklyn, if they don't move there, you can expect they'll leave the state.
I remember the Jets wanted to build a stadium on the westside of Manhatten. Everywhere they turned, they were stopped by some special interest group (Mr. Dolan spent some money fighting it too). New York has become a place, where if a transexual, siamese twin, nun is offended by something, it will be tied up in the courts for years and will end up being financially unfeasable after years of litigation
Face it, it's Brooklyn or bust!
By the way, I'm in California and it's even worse hear!
That, however, was understandable...the traffic situation around that area of Manhattan would have been a logistical nightmare. As for the Islanders, I could see them being sold to Mikhail Prokhorov (although he has said he doesn't want the Islanders, that could change) and they would play at Barclays, with access to arena revenues.
For those that think this group of developers are blowing smoke remember unlike Mangano who spends other people's money this group is spending private money on this proposal. Dirty politics yes, slap at Wang? They have made Wang irrelevant.
Well the easiest thing to say right now is "no Islanders in Nassau County come 2015". At least we could get THAT out of the way. I can't say I would at all be sad to see them go. Nassau doesn't give a damn about the Islanders. I'd rather they be in a county that cares about them.
So, be it Queens, Bronx or wherever, I'd still go to see them. And I'd be happy if it WASN'T in Nassau County.
And knowing how Wang operates, he won't be working any deals with this group. They tried to get the land from him once before and lost. So they pushed to block the referendum. There is no way Wang comes to them looking for peace.
I hope that these ABLI ******** offer to buyout the remainder of the Isles lease with Nassau (as well as SMG) so the Isles could go to Brooklyn starting next season.
The fact that the Nets approached the Isles first regarding the exhibition game in Brooklyn along with Wang not talking to Mangano after the referendum failed suggests the Isles have another option.
