Sands To Make 'Very Compelling Bid' For State Gaming License

UNIONDALE, NY — The fate of the Nassau Hub at the site of the former Nassau Coliseum is still to be determined. However, the Las Vegas Sands entered into a lease agreement with the county to take over the space. They would build a $4-billion hotel and casino, but it is the latter that has ruffled many feathers.

The agreement was accepted by the county, but the state ultimately makes the final decision on which areas get approved for a casino license.

With criticism attached to the casino, Sands officials are downplaying what that would look like.

"It's not going to be a big casino," Ron Reese, Las Vegas Sands VP of Communications, told Patch. "We build integrated resorts."

That would mean a luxury hotel, live-performance venue, top-notch restaurants, a world-class spa and other amenities to attract guests. The gaming portion of the property would be less than 10 percent, the Sands said.

But, it is the casino that has gained the most attention. The advocacy group Say No to the Casino has been the most vocal in its opposition, citing a slew of reasons including a rise in nearby crime and a reduction in property values.

"First and foremost, everybody's entitled to their opinion," Reese said of the criticism.

He said the lease deal has a strong coalition of support, across non-profits, small businesses and unions. The county's Hispanic and African American chamber of commerces gave their blessings. Reese also pointed to Nassau Community College, the closest neighbor to the Hub, which welcomes the project.

Gambling addiction is another quality-of-life concern that is causing community members to balk.

"I am much more worried about [my sons] having online sports books on their phones than I am of them going to a casino and having something bad happen," Reese, who lives within two miles of a hotel/casino in Las Vegas, said.

As the Sands began its interest in the Nassau Coliseum location, Reese said he met with Jeffrey Reynolds, the chief executive officer of Garden City-based Family and Children's Association.

"This is a chance to bring awareness and important resources to address these issues," Reese said.

The Sands expects to fill at least 6,000 jobs and generate revenue beyond its walls.

County Executive Bruce Blakeman, announcing the agreement in April, said it will mean "economic prosperity, tax relief and improved safety here in Nassau County."

Reese said: "Perhaps some of that money can go to tackle drug addiction, gambling addiction, some of the other things that all communities around the country deal with on a daily basis."

Towns surrounding, such as Hempstead, and including Hub site in Uniondale, are facing their own daily struggles.

"Areas that are already suffering from under-employment or unemployment in the neighboring community, we're going to pull our employees from there," Reese said. "We're going to invest in community causes and organizations. We've got every belief based on our experience in other places that it's going to improve the quality of life."

However, the lone "no" vote among Nassau legislators was Delia DeRiggi-Whitton (D-Glen Cove), who disagreed: "I'm in favor of getting money for the county, but at what cost to our quality of life?"

Proximity to Problems

She's not alone in the view. Garden City Mayor Mary Carter Flanagan told constituents in May that she initially thought the Sands proposal was a bad idea.

"I have to realize that it is much worse," Flanagan said.

She cites crime, traffic and addiction as the main reasons for not wanting to see the casino in her backyard.

"That's a simplistic and somewhat disingenuous argument," Reese said. "Perhaps there's proximity, but let's be candid. There are plenty of ways for people in New York to experience gaming, including on their phones."

Reese said those people wanting a gambling fix can already head east to Jake's 58 in Islandia or west to Resorts World at Aqueduct or can pick from a variety of lottery games.

"If someone has that problem, it doesn't matter if they're five miles or 25 miles away," he said. "Instead of focusing on the 1 percent or the small percent of people that do have addictive behaviors, and providing the resources and awareness to help those people, what about the thousands of people that are going to get career-long jobs in this building?"

As for crime coming with the casino, one immediate way to alleviate fears is if the Sands would invest $2 million annually for policing, including an on-site precinct.

Some might say that having the extra police, while providing safety, is a cause of the casino's effect. However, Sands is taking a glass half-full approach.

"It's protecting your investment," Reese said.

But having security in larger settings, especially in today's climate, is a "deterrent, so people who want to do bad things, don't show up and do bad things there," he said.

Reese said their priority is making sure staff and guests are safe. If those guests follow the typical visit to a casino, they won't spend much, if any, time and money outside of the Sands.

"A casino is a vacuum of money and people's time," Say No to the Casino's Allison O'Brien Silva told Patch in April.

"I know what the talking points for people [who] are opposed to what they think a casino property in 2023 looks like," Reese countered. "With all due respect, the talking points probably could stand an update."

Research shows, according to Reese, that unlike the Vegas Strip, visitors to the suburban environs of Uniondale will want to see other sites.

"If you're staying for three, four or five nights, you're inevitably going to go out and explore the local community," Reese said.

However, if guests should decide their premium price is a good enough reason to stay under the one roof at Sands, money is still coming from the community for goods and services that they don't produce on site.

"We don't grow our own flowers. We don't wash our own sheets. We don't bake our own cookies," Reese said. "We're already in the community buying locally from existing small businesses."

He said that mindset will flourish exponentially should the Sands start putting shovels into the ground in central Nassau.

"Where does the fresh fruit come from?" Reese said. "We're not growing it in a garden out in the back."

For larger menu items, Sands is working with local restauranteurs to explore new concepts.

"It's a sort of collaborative nature at every turn," Reese said.

More Than Rolling the Dice

Produce aside, there have been protests against the Sands. Community members and politicians have voiced concern, including prior to the county legislator's vote.

The state will award three downstate gaming licenses. Sands is the only entity seeking a casino on Long Island. The first round of questions is being reviewed, but awarding is uncertain.

Reese believes the clanking of the slot machines has a good chance in Uniondale.

"I think it's going to, most likely, offer the most amount of jobs. It's going to produce the most ...revenue for the local municipalities and the state. We'll make a very compelling bid."

Before that is done, more in the way of bookkeeping, Sands will file a land use application from the Town of Hempstead. Additionally, the hotel operator would need a variance from the town's Board of Zoning and Appeals.

He thinks Long Island sets Sands apart from the several expected bids in Manhattan and the outer boroughs.

"You're just picking off existing tourists. You're not adding to the attractions," Reese said. "For us to have more than 70 acres, to build something compelling that's going to have a lot of amenities to attract people for different purposes, that became an overwhelming part of our decision-making process."

Along the way, Reese and Sands, the mighty outsider, have heard from passionate residents, at 300 community meetings.

"This isn't about our decision," Reese said. "If you talk to people in the communities of color, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for the jobs that this is going to [bring]."

Reese said if a chorus of "Nos" was the prevailing sentiment, "Of course we wouldn't be there." Instead, "we found quite the opposite camp," he said.

Still, Reese understands pleasing everyone is impossible, so the Sands will focus on transparency. They are willing to participate in meetings with the public.

"There [are] minds that won't be changed, and that's ok," he admitted.