Blog: Islanders, Suffolk and the Arena

Let me make two unequivocal points right here at the top of this post:  1-I am an unabashed Islanders' fan and 2-the Islanders truly need a new arena to play in if they are to remain on Long Island and be competitive in the NHL.

After that, it is a travesty what is going on in the name of building a new Coliseum in Nassau County and as a Suffolk County resident all I can do is say to my friends and family in Nassau, hold your nose and vote yes-we're all counting on you.

The travesty though really started shortly after Islanders' owner Charles Wang unveiled his ambitious Lighthouse Project to create a true hub in Nassau County with the Islanders and the Coliseum at the heart of a destination.

The plan was big-but big thinking is what is needed and Wang was willing to self finance the entire project.  Yes, he would become the owner of some current Nassau County land-but its land that is largely unused or under utilized anyway and it would go onto the county and town tax rolls.

But rather than create a historic landmark that generations could enjoy-where right now there is a blip in the center of a sprawling parking lot, the Town of Hempstead decided it was time to invoke its rural and suburban roots-and not say no to the Lighthouse Project, but make it so under-scaled there is no way it could ever be profitable.  Not very pro-business for sure.

And so the plans to make Long Island's only professional sports team the anchor of destination hub, complete with transportation and infrastructure (at no cost to the tax payer) died.

In its place, Islander fans now hope Nassau County will bond (and NIFA will support) a $400 million project for a new coliseum and a minor league baseball stadium.

I don't want to be a naysayer-since as I stated I am very pro-Islander and very pro-coliseum, but has anyone seen any economic upside to the stadium in Central Islip where the Ducks play?  You drive to a game, and get out.  There is no destination there.  There is no infrastructure there.  There is a structure, a game and a trip home.

So go to the polls Nassau and do what is right since the leadership in the county and the Town of Hempstead could not.

So that's just my opinion.  Happy to continue this debate here, on Twitter or on my personal blog, Dad the Single Guy.