'Lazy Answer': Opposition Group To Nassau Hub's Casino Proposal

UNIONDALE, NY — The grounds where the Nassau Coliseum stands could be transformed into a million-billon dollar casino with hotels and an entertainment venue.

The proposal, announced earlier this year, calls for a lease with Las Vegas Sands Corporation to put its famous name in neon lights in Uniondale.

But it's not getting universal appeal.

A group "Say No to the Casino Civic Association" is gaining followers and a voice in opposition to the project.

Allison O’Brien Silva, who lives in Manhasset, grew up across from the Coliseum in East Meadow. "I just could not stand by," O'Brien Silva told Patch.

She said the average person isn't aware of the negative consequences of having a casino. But O'Brien Silva's group has gathered nearly 2,000 signatures for an online petition.

The "Say No" organizers have spoken at public hearings and held two rallies.

"Crime goes up, family addiction and problem gambling rates go up, property values of the neighboring communities go down," O'Brien Silva said of the usual blueprint for casinos in suburbs.

Even though the Sands casino complex would be expected to generate jobs, O'Brien Silva said it wouldn't benefit any other businesses.

"A casino is a vacuum of money and people's time," she said. "If a bus comes in to go to the casino, they're not going to go to the surrounding communities to explore the shops and restaurants."

However, in January, when the Sands announced its bid for the Hub, they said in a statement:

"Our company's track record of driving significant economic benefits to the communities in which we operate and the meaningful relationships and partnerships we have created in each of those communities gives us a unique perspective on what it takes to develop transformative tourism destinations that positively impact the local community," Robert G. Goldstein, Sands chairman and CEO, said.

O'Brien Silva wants something at the Islanders' old home "that has long-term benefits to our county," including high-paying jobs.

"I think it's a lazy answer to bring in a casino," she said.

The "Say No" group also assembled some local politicians, among them the mayors of Garden City and Westbury, and community leaders from across the county.

But with any governmental issue, there is a tangled web of red tape.

It starts with the state granting three downstate casino licenses, but the Coliseum land is controlled by the county. The Town of Hempstead would also oversee an environmental and traffic review for the location, O'Brien Silva said.

Patch attempted to reach Governor Hochul's office for a comment.

Encouraging for O'Brien Silva: "It's by far not a done deal and it's an incredibly complex process."