Sands Files Town Application For Hotel/Casino In Nassau

UNIONDALE, NY — Bringing a casino to Nassau County is moving forward. The Town of Hempstead received an application from Sands New York for the property at Nassau's HUB.

"The application will be subject to a thorough review," Town of Hempstead spokesperson Greg Blower said.

The Sands has a 70-acre, $4 billion deal with the county to provide a high-end hotel with all the amenities. But the most controversial is having a casino as part of the lease agreement.

“After disingenuously implying in their talking points that the casino will be small, by emphasizing the gaming floor will be only 10% of its footprint, Las Vegas Sands reported in the zoning application that its behemoth casino will be 393,726 square feet. - the size of seven football fields - which would make it the second-largest casino in the country," Rich Catalano, of the group "Say No to the Casino," said.

Critics complain that the casino would send nearby crime rising and property values plummeting.

"There [are] minds that won't be changed, and that's ok,"Ron Reese, Las Vegas Sands VP of Communications, told Patch last month.

The zoning application is the latest step for the Sands to create the hotel and casino at the former Nassau Coliseum.

The assessment from the town will include how factors such as parking and air pollution would impact residents.

"The review will be conducted with full transparency, including public hearings,” Blower said.

Ultimately, the Sands needs to apply for a gaming license from the state.