Could Shinnecock and Wang Partner Up for Suffolk Development

PLAINVIEW - A public meeting will be held tonight to discuss whether there is room for 900 new homes, a bank and a supermarket in Plainview.
Islanders' owner Charles Wang owns the 143 acre property off Round Swamp and Old Country roads.
Wang's new plan called "Country Pointe at Plainview" would include about 900 multi-family housing units.
Wang's past proposals, including a Shinnecock owned casino, were shot down.

http://www.news12.com/articleDetail.jsp?articleId=311111&position=1&news_type=news&region_name=LI&regionId=1

This News 12 report mentions how Wang wanted one of the two Shinnecock Casino on his Plainview site.  This fact shows that their have been past talks between the two parties about a joint adventure.  As the article mention that plan was rejected, but one has to wonder if Wang and the tribe would be willing to work together at a Suffolk County location.  The first of the plan casinos is probably to far east for the Islanders to consider, but that doesn't rule out the second casino the tribe wants.
  

YAPHANK - The Shinnecock Indian Nation is considering another possible site for its planned casino, this time in Suffolk County, sources close to the plan say.
The 92-acre parcel of land is just south of the Long Island Expressway, off of Sills Road in Yaphank.
Some Suffolk officials say the news is exciting for the county. The site's proximity to the Long Island Rail Road and the expressway would make it an easy-to-reach destination for travelers, officials say.

http://www.news12.com/articleDetail.jsp?articleId=312066&position=1&news_type=news

Wang and the tribe could be able to work out arrangements for a deal at the second location, which has yet to be determine.  According to Newsday Brookhaven and Brentwood are two locations being consider.  It is believed a site by the new railroad depot in Brookhaven is favored by the tribe.  Why would the Shinnecock want Wang and the Islanders?  Well, New York is blaming to open 7 non-tribe casinos, and Aqueduct raceway is going have a full class three casino and the largest convention center in the county.  The Islanders and an arena (with all the family shows and concerts) would give them something to draw people in with all the new competition that is going be around that will be needed.  Why would Wang want to partner with the Shinnecock?  It will give him the additional development around the arena he would need and it would allow him to keep the team on Long Island.        

Shinnecock Eye Suffolk

At one point it was thought the Islanders and Shinnecok were going to join forces on the Belmont site, but with Cuomo's partnership with Genting that option has gone out the window.  Genting wants at least a 25 mile non compete with their casino at Aqueduct in exchange for the 4 billion dollar convention center they would build New York City.  The question now is weather or not the Islanders could make that rumor partnership and then move it to Suffolk County.

    The tribe, with backing from state and Nassau County Republican lawmakers, spent much of last year trying to build support for a casino at Belmont Park racetrack. But lawmakers abandoned the Belmont plan after Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo threw his support behind Genting, a Malaysia-based casino developer that wants to build a full casino at its Aqueduct Racino.

Now, sources say, the Shinnecocks and their financial backers at Gateway Casino Resorts are focusing on Suffolk County -- an imperative given a 25-mile exclusion zone Genting is expecting to be granted for any full-scale casino at Aqueduct.
Numerous Suffolk sites have been considered, including county and private land near Pilgrim State Psychiatric Hospital in Brentwood, but the Yaphank parcel has several advantages. It is contiguous to the rail spur, providing a transportation hub for potential casino-goers, and also is on the service road of the Long Island Expressway.
A spokeswoman for New York Rail declined to comment. The Shinnecock Indian Nation wouldn't discuss locations for a casino until they are finalized.
Vanessa Baird-Streeter, spokeswoman for Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone, could not be reached for comment.

 http://www.newsday.com/long-island/suffolk/sources-see-possible-casino-site-in-yaphank-1.3610566

Its a long shot, but it seems with Suffolk deficit a large private development would be needed for the Islanders to get an arena in Suffolk at this point

Another Brooklyn Article

 I know some of you are excited about Brooklyn after the interview with Ratner the other day during the Islanders intermission.  While others are concern because of the New York Times article from a few weeks ago where the head of construction of the Barclays Center said the arena will use a horseshoe layout (at least for the lower bowl) for hockey.

 According to Robert Sanna, Forest City Ratner’s executive vice president for construction and design development, the seating capacity will be reduced to 14,500 from 18,000 for basketball, which would make it the league’s smallest rink. Retractable seats will mostly be collapsed on one end, closest to the Atlantic Terminal side, and therefore the alignment around the rink will resemble a horseshoe.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/01/nyregion/at-barclays-center-islanders-to-play-where-hockey-was-an-afterthought.html?_r=3

John Brenan wrote an article on the topic and made a fair point about the layout of the arena.
Meanwhile, that Oct. 2 game will be one of the most important ones in Islanders’ preseason history.

No matter how many studies the Islanders and Barclays Center do, there is no market research that matches having real NHL fans in the building letting you know which sightlines are acceptable and which are not.
The more seats turn out to be legitimately sellable on game nights, the better it is for the Islanders –and for the Barclays Center, which would get some Long Island folks into the building once the Islanders arrived who might not make the trek otherwise. If those fans like the arena, they’ll come back for more events, which means more money for the Barclays Center.

http://blog.northjersey.com/meadowlandsmatters/2228/brooklyn-buzz/

Without a doubt Brooklyn and its design for hockey is a last resort for the team to stay in New York, but I believe that we have reached that point.

Quebecor is ready For Bringing Hockey Back to Quebec

Quebecor has stated that they have all the tools and resources they need to bring the NHL back to Quebec.

Quebecor, owner of Sun Media, made the statement as it reported a surge in income and profits for 2011.
"Quebecor Media now has all the tools it needs to pursue its goals, which are to manage a world-class multipurpose centre and to bring a National Hockey League team to Quebec City," the company said in a statement.

http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Hockey/NHL/2012/03/15/19508811.html
Quebecor CEO Pierre Karl Peladeau has made it clear that he is very interested in buying an NHL team and moving them to Quebec.  He has already 25 year 33 million dollar deal for naming rights on a new arena that is planed to be completed by 2015.  If that year sounds fimilar to you that is since its the same year the Islanders lease ends with Nassau.  At the moment it seems like its going be a two horse race between Brooklyn and Quebec for the Islanders, but there is a chance that a dark horse may come in and win this race.  If not though then make your choice Brooklyn or Quebec.  I know who I am rooting for in this race.

Video of the Bruce Ratner Interview

Bruce Ratner Intermission Interview Tonight

Bruce Ratner was at tonight's game and answered some questions about the Islanders and Brooklyn.  The first issued he resolved is when tickets were going to go on sale for the game against the Devils on October 2nd, which is March 29th.  Ratner admits believes that Charles first choice is Nassau, but if that doesn't workout he would love them to be in Brooklyn. When confronted about the sight-lines Ratner said the 14,5000 useable seats will have perfect views of the ice and will be right on top of the action.  In addition, Ratner said that parking will be plentiful around the arena with 8 to 10 parking lots.  Bruce Ratner ended his interview with I love the Islanders and we got to keep them here.  Get it done Bruce and save our team, because Brooklyn looks like the best option at the moment.

Nassau Passes Over 10,000 Seat Arena

At tonight's state of the county Ed Mangano announced the winner of the two proposals for the Mitchell Fields Development.  He decided to by pass the proposal by the Rough Riders soccer team that offer the county a 3,000 seat outdoor arena and a 10,000 seat arena/convent center.  Instead he selected:

Mangano also disclosed that Nassau Sports and Events LLC has won a bid to build a 105,000-square-foot exposition center at the Mitchel Field Athletic Complex in Uniondale . The plan calls for multipurpose fields, basketball and volleyball courts, a rock-climbing wall, a laser tag area and a fitness center.

This may not be much, but by not selecting the proposal that could offer a smaller replacement for the Nassau Coliseum it seems like Magano is holding out hope that the county will keep the Islanders.

Ratner and Wang have Been Talking

According to Bruce Ratner in his New York Times interview, he and Islanders owner Charles Wang have had various discussions.

Q. And what about bringing the Islanders hockey team there?

A. We’d love to have the Islanders. We’ve had various discussions with the owner, Charles Wang. He has to stay where he is, I think, until 2015. I don’t know what will happen.

Another topic in the interview was about the Atlantic Yards Development that will be built around the arena.

 

Q. What is the status of the Atlantic Yards housing? Groundbreaking was supposed to have begun this year.

A Breaking ground on the housing we had hoped would begin this year, and it will begin this year, toward the end of the year. A major reason that it’s gotten delayed is a strong desire to do modular.

Let me just say, there’s a lot of construction going on there besides the arena. Part of what we are doing and had to do was the infrastructure. We also had to move a railroad storage yard. And we’re working on additional infrastructure: the subway tunnel that connects the project, the arena, with existing subways.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/14/realestate/commercial/the-30-minute-interview-bruce-c-ratner.html?_r=2
 That was just a small segment of on Atlantic Yards Development of the interview.  Hopefully, Wang and Ratner have also talked about joining forces on this project as well as having the Islanders play in the Barclays Center.

Brett Yorkman

Reported by Netsdaily http://www.netsdaily.com/2012/3/12/2864774/barclays-to-host-russian-hockey,  Brett Yorkman wrote in an email: 

“Hockey will have a place at Barclays Center,” was all Brett Yormark had to say Monday in an e-mailed statement.

 This quote was part of an article on the KHL's games at the Barclays Center, but you have to think that response has some meaning for the Islanders.  The Islanders were also mention in the article and are playing an October 2nd preseason game against the Devils there.
 http://www.netsdaily.com/2012/3/12/2864774/barclays-to-host-russian-hockey

Flyer Faithful Interview

 http://flyersfaithful.com/?p=8240
Last night i did an interview on Flyer Faithful on the Islanders and the arena issue.  Just so you know I would give this a pg13 rating and my jokes on the Islanders were done out of love.  I mean if you can't laugh about it then you'll cry and go crazy.

Jeff Capellini is Perdicting Our Demise

Jeff Capellini who writes for WFAN is predicting the end of the New York Islanders after the end of their lease in 2015.

 Barring the seemingly more and more unlikely destination of the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, the Islanders would likely need a minimum of 18 months to build a new place to play. Where and how they acquire that piece of property is another issue, one that, as we’ve seen, doesn’t seem all that important to the powers that be right now, even though it should be for all involved the first priority.
A year and a half from this very moment puts us in training camp for the 2013-14 season, exactly one year from the beginning of the Islanders’ final season on the lease at Nassau Coliseum. By doing the construction timetable math it’s fairly easy to see that the franchise has no choice but to get something done in the next year, including, if the Coliseum is to be refurbished, finding a place to play temporarily for a minimum of one season.
Again, knowing what we know and have seen, this all just feels like semantics, like a pipe dream just to hold on to some hope that the once-proud tradition of Islanders hockey will continue in the only area it has ever called home.
To many people, Brooklyn seems like the savior. Fans I know just ask repeatedly “Why don’t they just do that?” It’s not that simple. While the Barclays Center is an attractive notion, regardless of the fact that its NHL capacity would likely fall short of the 16,250 that’s a full house at the Coliseum, Charles Wang has lost approximately $250 million as the owner of this franchise and it has been widely reported, in addition to being extremely logical, that this man has no intention of simply writing that loss off. No matter what he ultimately decides to do, be it a sale or if he holds onto the club, he’s going to get much of that money back. And currently the idea of Brooklyn doesn’t afford him that avenue of revenue. Maybe the development of Atlantic Yards could be part of the deal, but, again, it would be another negotiation in the mechanism, one that would have a million moving parts and one that almost certainly would further slow the political and financial process.

http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2012/03/12/capellini-light-at-the-end-of-islanders-dark-tunnel-fast-becoming-just-a-wish/#comment-487594 Pleas read the entire article.

There is one point that I disagree with that Jeff Capellini made, which is how difficult it will be to get in on the Atlantic Yards Development.  The project has already been zoned and approved and is just wait for the financing to get off the ground.  The only thing that needs to happen is for Wang and Bruce Ratner to come to an agreement that makes sens for both parties and makes both of them money.  That doesn't seem like a lot of moving parts and politics to me.  It seems like two billionaire friends helping each other out so they can make more money.

We Need Answers and a Resolution

An another disappointing Islander season is coming to a close the talk is going turn to the teams arena situation.  The fan base is tired of waiting and fail attempts of a new arena.  We are tired of the fear of losing are beloved franchise always hanging over our heads.  We are tired of our Atlantic division rival fans invading our arena and chanting different cities we might relocate to at us.  This off season for the sake of the franchise and to be able to develop as an organization we need a resolution.  We need to know that the team will not be relocating. We need a stable financial base so money can once be invested into the team to make them competitive again.

With that rant out of the way the problem is it doesn't seem like Nassau, Queens, or Suffolk can provide us with a resolution.  Nassau is broke and so is Suffolk.  Apparently Suffolk County  has a deficit of 533 million dollars and are trying to figure out how to get back  in the black for their budget.  We already know that the Nassau taxpayers don't want to pay for a new arena, and that the town of Hempstead doesn't want a large enough development that would all an arena to be fully paid for privately.  Everything we hear about Queens is that the redevelopment around Citi Field is years away because of legal issues.  In my mind there are three options this organization can make this off season.

1) Continue  to play at the Nassau Coliseum and hope somehow an arena lands in our laps by 2015.  This would also mean to continue to run a bare bones operation and having a roster full of undeveloped kids and NHL has beens.  This would mean seeing three more seasons of hockey like the last four we have seen. 
Maybe Wang will come to his senses and realize if the team made a run and sold-out the building every night more pressure would be on Nassau, which will make him make a positive off season move.  Even with that said if Nassau had pressure on them to keep the team I don't think they can afford it.

2) Buyout the lease and use Brooklyn as a short term option.  This would Wang would have to pay the rest of  the money he owes Nassau and SMG from the lease.  The teams future would still be up in the air and they would be 20 miles further west on Long Island.  However, if they ever did this in my mind they would already have a deal with NYC for an arena in Queens, and would be using the Barclays Center as a stop gap until the legal troubles are over in Queens.

3) Make the Barclays Center you permanent home.  Spend the off season allowing fans to adjust to the move and have a huge PR campaign explaining to the Islander Faithful why this happen.  At the same time offer them discounted packages for tickets and to the game and the Long Island Railroad.  Invest in the Atlantic yards Development to offset the the negatives of having   a smaller arena and to show Brooklyn you committed to the area.  Plus it would show Islander fans that the organization is committed to staying in New York.  Spend money this off season on free agents or make a trade, because of your stability, and get people talking about Islanders hockey and the new venue.

Willets Point

This New York Times article is about the possibility of New York City getting a professional soccer team, but one line in the article is important when concerning the Islanders. 

Willets Point, the tumbledown area near Citi Field in Flushing, is targeted for redevelopment, but any plans there could be delayed years by litigation.

http://goal.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/03/08/m-l-s-in-midst-of-stadium-games-in-n-y-c/

The one thing the Islanders are short on is time and these legal issues with Willets Point Development will most likely take this option off the table. 

Really Nassau???

 http://mobile.newsday.com/inf/infomo;JSESSIONID=9B17EFC233188655E171CEF661208E95?site=newsday&view=top_stories_item&feed:a=newsday_1min&feed:c=topstories&feed:i=1.3587382

Nassau County has received two bids to build an enclosed sports and exposition center at the Mitchel Field Athletic Complex in Uniondale -- the first major development in the Hub region in more than a decade, county officials said.

Both proposals would privately finance an athletic complex that would bring in revenue for the cash-strapped county, said Brian Nevin, spokesman for County Executive Edward Mangano. Details on the cost of the projects, and the revenue they would bring in, were not made public.

County officials will make a decision between the two bids by the end of the month and construction could conclude by the end of 2012, Nevin said.

 One bid from the Long Island Rough Riders soccer team envisions an outdoor 3,000-seat soccer stadium. The Rough Riders, who plays home games at Saint Anthony's High School in South Huntington , would return to Mitchel Field after a six-year absence, according to the plan.

The proposal also features a 10,000-seat indoor exposition center with locker rooms, a merchandise store and a physical therapy center.

"It's the best of both worlds," said Rough Riders president Peter Zaratin, pointing to the mix of outdoor and indoor options. "And it would be great if we can have a facility we can call home."

 If Nassau County does select the plan that involves a 10,000 seat arena at the Mitchel Field sitethen to me they have given up on keeping the Islanders.  There is no way the county can have two arenas that close to each other.  A 10,000 seat arena would makes sense for the county if they don't have a professional sports team.  They would still be able to have concerts, family shows, and many other forms of entertainment.  However, if Nassau does select this plan then you can kiss the Islanders goodbye in Nassau.  How can you have two arenas in the same hub, and a 10,000 seat arena is way too small to house an NHL team.  The door is closing on the Islanders time in Nassau. The question now is does the next door lead to the Islanders moving to Brooklyn, or out of the state. (Just to make it clear the county says this plan is separate from the Isles, but I just think having two arenas that close to each other is nuts)

Saskatchewan Government Confirms Interest in NHL Team

 Ken Cheveldayoff, a government official confirms that there are private groups who want to bring the NHL to Saskatoon.  Here is a little piece from CBCNEWS article I suggest you read the rest as well.

Cheveldayoff said it's too soon to say what, if anything, the provincial government might be asked to contribute.
"We have to have a building that's NHL-ready, we have to have a business community that's ready to support this initiative, we have to have individuals that are willing to buy season tickets for the long term, and the NHL has to want it to happen," he said.
Hockey fans tweeted up a storm last week, after TSN commentator Bob McKenzie wrote a column musing about the possibility of an NHL team relocating to Saskatoon's Credit Union Centre.
But Premier Brad Wall warned that talk of an NHL team for Saskatoon is very speculative at this time.

 http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatchewan/story/2012/03/05/sk-nhl-saskatoon-cheveldayoff.html

New York Islanders Fan Central's Interesting Find

The New York Islanders Fan Central has made an interesting find that the Nassau Coliseum has hired a new general manager in charge of booking events.  The article is a must read and has an interesting question: Is Nassau letting Wang out of the lease early, and that is why a new person in-charge of booking is needed. 

Tulsa World: Reports Jerry Goldman, who has served as the BOK Center’s assistant general manager since it opened in August 2008, has been hired to be the general manager of the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum.

In that role, Goldman will be responsible for the overall operations and booking of the facility.

Both facilities are overseen by SMG venue management firm. 

http://www.newyorkislanderfancentral.com/2012/03/nassau-coliseum-has-new-general-manager.html?spref=tw

New Barclays Center Video

Additional Developemnt Will Be Key

No matter where the Islanders wind up in New York after 2015 additional development around the arena will be key.  The development will be needed to help fund an arena in the cases of Suffolk and Nassau County as well as giving Wang additional revenue.  When it comes to Brooklyn the development is needed so Wang can make up the revenue he will lose with an arena that only hold 14,500.  If the Islanders do end up in Queens it will most likely be part of the redevelopment plans of Willets Point. No matter where the location is I believe that additional development is needed to make the arena a worth while investment for Wang or any owner the Islanders have.

In my opinion the two most likely landing spots of the Islanders in New York are Brooklyn and Suffolk County.  Brooklyn since it has an arena being built and a green light for development around the arena.  The questions become whether or not Wang is interested in the Barclays Center and the Atlantic Yard development, and if he can get a large enough percentage of the development to make it worth his while.  Suffolk County is the next most likely landing spots, because they have plenty of land for a lighthouse type project.  Wang's dream has been to create a destination center on Long Island, and if he still wants that Suffolk gives him a better chance than Nassau in making that dream a reality.  If Wang is worry about going through the entire development process he might consider jumping on one of the future development projects like the Heartland Town Square or Ronkonkoma Hub. The Heartland project has been proposed for ten years now and is actually part of the site in Brentwood that Wang consider moving the Isles to in 2006.
http://www.brookhaven.org/Departments/PlanningEnvironment/Planning/RonkonkomaHub.aspx
http://www.heartlandbusinesscenter.com/twnsq.htm

 The problem that I see with Queens at the moment is the legal trouble that the Willets Point Development is facing and the fact that the Wilpons are broke.  When it comes to Nassau the taxpayers already expressed that they had no interest in spending a dime for an arena and the Hempstead has made a zoning that won't allow for arena to be profitable.  Unless these problems change soon Queens and Nassau are long shots for the Islanders in my mind.

The French are Coming!The French are Coming!

Just in-case you forgot the Nordique Nation is coming down from French Canada for the Islanders Boston game tomorrow.  This is another attempt to force the NHL hand to bring a franchise back to Quebec and don't think for one second they don't have there eyes set on the Islanders.  It isn't by chance, or accident that they plan to have their new arena completed by 2015 and that the Islanders leases ends the same year.  This should be another painful reminder to Islander fans that they need a local solution soon before an out of market venue steals their team.

Nordiques Nation, a hockey-loving bunch of Quebec crazies, say they'll be here in the Hub for the March 3 game against the Islanders. Their mission is to convince the NHL to bring a franchise back to the land of Le Colisee. Upward of 2,000 of them typically come to games, often sporting Nordiques bleu ....

 http://www.boston.com/sports/hockey/articles/2011/10/02/a_stop_in_wonder_land_before_season_begins/?page=full

Add Saskstoon to the List of Cities that Want an NHL Team

...interested parties in Saskatoon have contacted the league and suggested there are individuals or parties in Saskatoon who would be willing to ante up the required purchase fee while various levels of government in Saskatchewan would make necessary arrangements to expand and make NHL-suitable the 15,800-seat Credit Union Centre.

Even though Saskatoon's actual population is around 250,000 -- which at face value would seem to be far too small to support an NHL franchise -- the Saskatoon interests are pitching that an NHL franchise there would be supported by the entire province and it would be a viable operation. In 1983, the St. Louis Blues almost moved to Saskatoon. Then-owner Ralston Purina were going to sell the franchise to Bill Hunter, who was going to relocate it to Saskatoon. The league blocked the move, took the franchise over when Ralston Purina effectively abandoned it and sold it to Harry Ornest, who kept the team alive in St. Louis.

 http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=389234

What Happen To Suffolk County ?

We heard that Suffolk County was interested in the team after the failed referendum on August 1st. We even heard about a meeting.  The Suffolk County Executive even had a meeting with Wang and the Isles after labor day. www.fios1news.com/longisland/node/6581 

Since that summer meeting a new county executive has been elected and little news about Suffolk's interest in the Islanders has been heard.  Does the new county executive Steve Bellone have any interest in bringing the Islanders to his county?  If he does he hasn't made it public yet.

Should the silence from him and the Islanders about Suffolk County be seen as a negative? Not necessarily, since Charles Wang had mention several times that he doesn't want to negotiate for an arena through the media.  Wang prefers to have his meeting and options to stay private.  For instance nobody had heard anything about last summer's referendum until the press conference for it.

Would Wang have any interest in moving the team further out on the Island.  Well he did in 2006,  when he and Steve Levy agreed on a memorandum to bring the team to Suffolk County,  if Wang's RFP wasn't picked for the Nassau Hub.  The two side came to agreement in principle to have the Islanders move a little further east on the Island.  The rumored site was Brentwood New York and that piece of land they were talking about in 2006 is still undeveloped.

There are many questions about Suffolk County, but it should not be ruled out as an option.  In my honest opinion it is the teams best option to get their own new arena built for hockey in the area.  If you believe that Suffolk County is a good option for the team I encourage you to contact Steve Bellone and tell him yourself.
http://stevebellone.com/

Brooklyn Twitter Update

Reported by BD Gallof::

 Brooklyn has some work to do in convincing #isles ownership it is viable. This will be more than just preseason game show.

Brooklyn is going to need to come up with something big to sweeten pot, whether it can include Nets equity, dev rights, profit assurance

Like I mention several times I think that Wang getting part of the Atlantic Yards Development is key for the Islanders moving to Brooklyn.

Twitter Update on Nassau Rumor

BD Gallof reported on twitter:

Based on speaking to a Nassau source: renovations to coliseum being discussed... But not a wholesale overhaul. #isles

 These discussion described as rumblings. But nothing far reaching or wholesale renovations is stressed by Nassau county source

I wouldn't put much not it right now, but there is truth to rumors being asked by a few on something afoot. I wouldn't aspect much

https://twitter.com/#!/BDGallof/status/173873962697244672

Rumor About Work Being Done On The Coliseum This Summer

There is a rumor on Islandermania that the 100 sections will be replaced this off-season and that handrails will be added to the 200 and 300 hundred sections.  Apparently Wang went through the lease with a fine toothed comb after the referendum failed to get this work done.  If this rumor is true this might be away for Nassau to get private investors interested in the hub with the arena.  If a developer doesn't have to pay for the entire renovation, since the county is paying for part of it, a group that is able to get Wang involve might be able to develop a plan where they can make a profit with Kate Murray's zoning.  It should be interesting to see if these renovations take place this summer.

http://www.islandermania.com/index.php?showtopic=27197&pid=1224933&st=0&#entry1224933

Bueller Bueller

Edward Mangano's search for a private developer willing to build a new arena at the hub is similar to the scene in Ferris Bueller's day off when the teacher is taking attendee.  Its time for Mangano and Nassau to realize that nobody is going come forward and build them an arena under the current conditions.  That they need to get the town (Kate Murray) to expand her zoning, or be willing to pay for part of the arena.  Sadly neither option seem likely and Islanders fans are left hoping that the team moves to the Barclays Center instead of Canada or Seattle. 

http://www.theislandnow.com/williston_park/news/article_d7c49f0e-5e47-11e1-ab1c-0019bb2963f4.html

Mangano’s primary objective for the Hub development remains retaining developer Charles Wang and his New York Islanders NHL hockey team to anchor the new coliseum needed to keep them there.
“We continue to work with the Islanders to achieve that purpose,” Mangano said. “No one has come forward with a privately financed deal.”
Wang has said he would move the New York Islanders hockey team at the end of the team’s lease in 2015 unless a new arena is built. He has estimated that construction of a new arena would take 30 months.
Speculation has centered on Wang moving the Islanders to Canada or to the new Barclays Center, which will house the New Jersey Nets NBA team next season.
“We continue to talk to anyone,” Mangano said.
At a press briefing last month, Mangano said he was on the verge of revealing a new plan to develop the 77-acre Hub site, which he has called the centerpiece of his plan to spur economic development in the county.
He shifted gears to seek a private company or companies to develop the site after a referendum to fuel development of the Hub with public funds was soundly defeated in August.
“The coliseum plan has been the victim of ‘No’,” he said this week, referring to both the referendum and the much earlier rejection of the original Hub development plan by the Town of Hempstead under Mangano’s predecessor Thomas Suozzi.
Mangano’s office has fielded informal proposals for various commercial projects on the Hub property since he issued the invitation to all comers in August, according to Mangano spokesman Brian Nevins.
But responses to the RFP for the expo center would be the first formal proposals of any kind received for the Hub property since voters rejected the notion of using public money to keep the Islanders on ice in Nassau County.  

Wang and Barclays Center Have an Open Line of Communication

Barclays Center's CEO Brett Yormark called Islanders owner Charles Wang "a friend,'' and added, "We have an open line of communication with him.'' But for now Yormark positioned the October game primarily as a "sampling opportunity'' for all concerned. "We'll see where it goes,'' he said.

Evident around the perimeter of the arena floor in the heart of Brooklyn is the outline of a hockey rink, the one that on Oct. 2 will host the first sports event in the building -- an Islanders preseason game against the Devils.


The complications are above the playing service, where an emphasis on the most intimate, symmetrical seating bowl for basketball means some seats on one end would not be suitable for hockey because of obstructed sightlines.

That will limit the capacity for hockey to about 14,500, smaller than any current NHL arena. The basketball capacity is about 18,000.

Arena officials hope most people use mass transit; parking in the vicinity is limited. But many Long Islanders comfortable with taking a train to Penn Station and Madison Square Garden will require education about reaching Brooklyn.

http://mobile.newsday.com/inf/infomo;jsessionid=471F385D505BD574F2BA.3216?site=newsday&view=sports_item&feed:a=newsday_5min&feed:c=sports&feed:i=1.3550252

Hey Nassau the clock is ticking and the next move is yours.

Update On Wang's Options

With the Islanders lease getting closer to expiration the amount of options Wang has for the Islanders continue to grow.  We already know that the current arena in its current condition is not an option Wang will consider.  Some people still wonder why this is the case.  The answer to this question is simple the Nassau Coliseum is an antiquated arena that does not offer Wang the revenue streams he need to keep the Islanders competitive.  Reports has shown that in his ten plus years of owning the team he has lost close to 250 million dollars.  In t  his post I will list the possible municipalities Wang could move the Islanders to.

Local Options:

 Nassau County: 

Is still Wang's first choice, but time is running out.  Either the county has to be willing to pay for part of the arena or the Town of Hempstead has to increase their zoning for the hub to keep the Islanders.  I don't find either of these things likely to happen, but would love to be proven wrong.  Kate Murray has made it clear that she does not want a large mix use project in her town, and Nassau residents have also made it clear they don't want to spend their money to keep the team.

 Brooklyn:

Of all the local options Brooklyn is probably in the lead to get the Islanders.  Even with the Barclays Center small capacity for hockey it offers Wang amenities and revenue stream the Coliseum can't. Other positives Brooklyn has in its favor is that the arena is already being built, and if Wang still wants a development deal he can jump aboard the Atlantic Yard Development. This may not be the dream situation for Islander fans, but we'll take it if it means keeping our team.


 Suffolk County:

We know that Wang and Suffolk County have been talking since the August 1st let down, but beyond that we have no clue.  There isn't enough information for a plus/minus, but whatever keeps the Isles in NY is fine by me.  The question is how have the recent political changes in Suffolk County effected the negotiations.  In my mind Suffolk County could be the dark horse that comes out of nowhere to land the team.  However, one has to wonder how Suffolk would fund an arena.  My guess is that the county might be more receptive to a Lighthouse type project than Nassau, but still consider Suffolk County a long shot.

OUT OF STATE  


Seattle:

They have plan for a new arena and a person interested in bringing hockey to Seattle. According to SportsNet  Don Levin the owner the AHL Chicago Wolves has expressed interest in owning a NHL team in Seattle.  Seattle is currently working on getting a new arena to bring both the NBA and NHL back to their city.  The city knows that it a huge mistake to let a sports franchise walk and they seem willing and ready to correct that mistake.  In addition, out of all the potential markets Bettman and the NHL seem to be most intrigue by Seattle.


Quebec:

Ever since Winnipeg has come back into the league this has become the trendy and sexy pick for the next city to get a team.  The fact that funding for a new arena has been worked out already doesn't hurt that opinion either.  If you want to hear something really scary they plan to have their new arena built 2015.  When does our lease end again? Oh yeah 2015!  Make no mistake about Quebec is pushing hard for a team and they have their eyes on the Islanders.  They came to Long Island last year and now they are invading Boston this year to see the Islanders again.



 Kansas City:

 

Since the death of the Lighthouse project, Kansas City has been chanted at Islander fans.  We have given KC little thought, since their poor preseason showing a few seasons ago, but KC just doesn't seem to go away.  I guess selling out a preseason game this year has brought life back to this option, but can they really support a team for 41 home games?

The arena situation still hasn't hit its lowest point yet. Sadly I don't see a deal being reached in Nassau, but I still believe the team will stay in New York by moving to the Barclays Center. Either Wang moves the team there himself and gets a sweetheart from the Barclays Center, and if he wants a piece of the Atlantic Yards Development. If he wants to sell I don't see a local buyer buying the team and building the arena right away. I could see someone buying the team moving them to Brooklyn (with a favorable lease). The goal of the owner would be to turn the team into a winner, and try to get the city to build the team a new arena in Queens, or get the Barclays Center renovated and a larger portion of the profits.

Coyotes Are Staying Put

http://www.king5.com/sports/Coyotes-may-no-longer-be-option-for-Seattle-NHL-team-139562608.html

PHOENIX -- An investor may have stepped up to buy the NHL's Phoenix Coyotes, potentially preventing a possible move to Seattle.
Dave Zorn of Metro Networks Arizona reports, former San Jose Sharks CEO Greg Jamison has been approved by the NHL to purchase the Coyotes.  Former Coyotes star, Jeremy Roenick, is reportedly part of Jamison's group.
The Coyotes are no longer financially supported in Glendale, where they are losing money.  Seattle sports fans saw the team as a potential tenant of the city's newly proposed NBA/NHL arena.
Members of the Phoenix Coyotes Coalition told KING 5 News they will celebrate when they hear it from the NHL, the current owners of the team.
An announcement from the NHL is not expected until Monday at the earliest.

 With the Coyotes off the open market for cities who want a sports team, the Islanders are going become those markets first choice.  Don't be surprise to see a hard push from Seattle and Quebec to land the Islanders.  If this doesn't put more pressure on Nassau nothing will, and sadly I think that is the case.  The Islanders fate in New York will most likely come down to if the NHL and Wang considers the Barcalys Center a suitable NHL arena.

Seatttle's Arena Plan

http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Hockey/News/2012/02/16/19391076.html

SEATTLE - Political leaders unveiled a $500-million proposal Thursday to build a new arena in Seattle, paving the way for a possible return of an NBA franchise as well as an NHL team.
Details of the arena proposal by billionaire San Francisco fund manager Christopher Hansen -- including a public-private financing deal -- were released by Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn and King County Executive Dow Constantine, a regional government leader.
Hansen and an unidentified group of investors will raise $290 million to acquire an NBA team and line up a partner to try for an NHL team -- in apparent competition with Quebec City.
Governments will own the land and the arena and put up $200 million.
The public debt would be recovered by charging the pro sports teams rent to use the arena and by charging fans new taxes.

Hey Nassau that notes from the Seattle situation.  They were dumb enough to let the Super Sonics walk away a few years ago and now they are begging for a new team to fill the financial  gap. Don't make the same mistake they did.  Seattle seems like they will be lucky enough to get new teams, but Nassau won't have the same luck, since the market is already jam packed with sport teams.  If Nassau County truly wants a sport team they need to come up with a solution now, but if you don't tell us now.  If you don't envision the Islanders as part of the county's future let them move on and work with other local options while there is still time.  

Seattle has Someone Willing Bring Hockey Back

 According to SportsNet  Don Levin the owner the AHL Chicago Wolves has expressed interest in owning a NHL team in Seattle.  Seattle is currently working on getting a new arena to bring both the NBA and NHL back to their city.

Don Levin, owner of the American Hockey League's Chicago Wolves, has expressed interest in bringing an NHL franchise to Seattle, according to a report in the Globe and Mail on Thursday.
Chris Hansen, who is a prominent hedge-fund manager in the San Francisco Bay Area, is reportedly working on a deal to build a new sports arena in the city of Seattle.
If Hansen is successful in the arena project, Levin would love to get involved with the ownership of an NHL franchise.
"If he's successful, I'd be very happy to be involved," Levin told the Globe and Mail. "I told [Hansen] if he has something put together I would be interested."
NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly confirmed to Dave Shoalts of the Globe and Mail and Chris Daniels on KING TV in Seattle that the NHL will be closely watching what transpires in the arena announcement on Thursday.

 http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/2012/02/16/seattle_nhl_levin/

A Great Article on Today's Meeting

Below is just a small sample of the article from savetheisles.blogspot.com I recommend that you read the rest.

 Financing Discrepancy?

At the hearing today, Deputy County Executive Robert Walker was the first person to speak and he spoke for upwards of 90 minutes. One of the points he stressed was that the Coliseum would be 100% privately financed. However subsequent speakers said the ROI (Return On Investment) on such an investment wouldn't be great enough for a developer to actually take something like that on so some sort of public element would be needed.

They said that the state could pay that part, however Kevin Law who is the Co President of the organization who handles that which was created by Governor Cuomo said the biggest award issued last year to a single place was 6 million dollars. Now 6 million dollars is a lot of money, but no where near the amount that would put even a small dent in something like this.

Both Walker and Mike Picker said that talks were ongoing between the County and the Islanders, and I have a feeling this is something being talked about because they have two totally different views on this and beside getting the approvals this is the most important thing so your not going to go anywhere without it.

 http://savetheisles.blogspot.com/2012/02/recap-of-my-afternoon-at-legislature.html

Wang Will Get First Shot At The Hub

According to Newsday Ed Mangano will give Charles Wang a time period to come up with a private development for the site.
Nassau County Executive Edward Mangano has offered Islanders owner Charles Wang an exclusive period to come up with a privately financed plan to redevelop the 77-acre Nassau Hub before the county seeks other options for the site.

"I look forward to receiving a privately financed plan for a new Coliseum from the New York Islanders ," Mangano said.

In the absence of such a plan, "we will have no choice but to go in a different direction," said Deputy County Executive Rob Walker.

Islanders Senior Vice President Michael Picker told a county legislative committee Tuesday that he hopes the county and the team can develop a plan for a new arena funded with public and private money.

But Picker said in an interview that if the county were to put the site out for public bidding, Wang likely would not participate. "We would have to evaluate it, but I don't think so," Picker said in an interview.

http://mobile.newsday.com/inf/infomo;jsessionid=39F8AE72748D67622241.3216?site=newsday&view=business_item&feed:a=newsday_1min&feed:c=business&feed:i=1.3530452

Live Link Hub Meeting

http://nassaucountyny.iqm2.com/Citizens/Default.aspx

Key Facts

1) New Arena over renovated because it would be cheaper.

2) County Legislators does not want use any Nassau Public Money

3) Picker says public/private partnership needed

4) Nassau still Islanders first choice

5) Kevin Law says town needs to expand zoning to get site built and everyone needs to meet.

6) Arena first and rest development should be consider second stage.

7) Walker says Nassau needs plan by end 2012, because Islanders will most likely make decisions by then.

8) County Legislators keeps saying they don't want to give a dime towards the projects.

The main thing I take from this meeting is that Nassau wants everything for nothing. They want the Federal Government, State, private investors, and the Islanders to pay for it, and at the same time reap all the benefits. If they really want this done they need to give their ounce of blood as well.

Is Nassau Ready To Move On From The Islanders

 According to BD Gallof several developers are preparing plans for the Nassau Hub without the Islanders/Coliseum included in them. 

 CBS 2 has learned several developers are drafting proposals that imagine Long Island’s future without the Islanders.
Hockey fans in Nassau don’t like the idea of their island without the Islanders, which at one time was the greatest U.S.-based franchise in the National Hockey League and has been a source of suburban pride since 1972.
“Moving them is a big mistake,” one Long Islander told CBS 2’s Carolyn Gusoff.
“I would be very upset if they left. I hope they don’t,” another added.
But some heavy hitter developers say get used to the idea. In fact, they are developing Plan B — Long Island’s future without the franchise that has won four Stanley Cup championships during its up-and-down existence.

http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2012/02/13/long-island-developers-planning-to-develop-nassau-hub-with-or-without-the-islanders/
 It kills me to say this, but it looks like the door on Nassau is closing.  Of course the politicians like Jay Jacob and Ed Mangano say they want to keep the Islanders, but what do you expect them to say.  Nassau has fumbled this issue for so long that they don't know how to come up with a solution.  The private option is dead because Kate Murray and the town of Hempstead had to kill the Lighthouse Project.  How that project failed, which could of done so much economic good for Long Island will always be a sore spot to me.  In addition to the private option being dead, the public private partnership is dead thanks to Jay Jacobs and the Democrats using scare politics to get the referendum defeated.  Long Island politicians seem to be great at killing ideas and terrible at creating them.  With the private option gone and the public/private as well what is left?

The only real option on the table for keeping our beloved Islanders in New York is Brooklyn.  I admit that Brooklyn does have its negative aspects: arena capacity, lack of parking, and who wants to drive in Brooklyn, but its still better than Quebec and Kansas City.  In my mind the Islanders fate in New York is going come down to weather or not Wang can get the deal he wants from Brooklyn.    
http://newyorkislandersadrift.blogspot.com/2012/02/14500-can-work.html
http://newyorkislandersadrift.blogspot.com/2012/02/10-reasons-why-i-think-move-to-brooklyn.html
http://newyorkislandersadrift.blogspot.com/2011/10/how-brooklyn-can-become-permanate-home.html
http://newyorkislandersadrift.blogspot.com/2011/11/is-brooklyn-our-only-real-option.html

Chris Botta's Article

According to Chris Botta, Charles Wang is listening to all offers in and out of New York.  This should not come as a shock to anyone who has payed close attention to this situation.

http://www.islanderspointblank.com/2012/02/while-nassau-fiddles-with-another-meeting-wang-is-listening-to-offers-from-municipalities-in-new-york-and-elsewhere/

The One Man Who Can Keep The Islanders In Nassau

The one man who holds the Islanders fate in Nassau in his hands is Ed Mangano.  Mr Mangano needs to create a plan that will allow owner Charles Wang to get a new or renovated arena and make a profit.  At the same time he has to take in to account the town of Hempstead's zoning for the site and the revenue the county can get from the development.  This will not be an easy task for him, but one that he needs to accomplish if he wants his time in office to be successful.  This upcoming Tuesday Mr. Mangano has a meeting with Governor Andrew Cuomo.  This meeting his going go a long way in deciding the Islanders future in Nassau, since the county will most likely need  state money to revamp the Coliseum.  Whatever Mangano has planned he needs to get it motion soon and make sure it all comes together, since this will be Nassau last chance to keep the Islanders.

Barclays Center's Head of Construction Team Talks Hockey

 Mike Barry interviewed Bob Sanna the head of construction about the Islanders and hockey at the Barclays Center.  Below is a small piece of that interview.  Click the link to see the entire article.

The media coverage last week on the prospect of the Islanders moving to Brooklyn in 2015, after their current lease expires at the Nassau Coliseum, focused on the logistical hurdles Barclays Center would purportedly face in accommodating an NHL franchise. That’s not the case.
“We have a complete ice floor in the building,” Sanna stated. “The format of the ice floor actually becomes the format for every other thing that goes on in the building, including concerts.” Barclays Center can, however, only seat 14,500 hockey fans whereas it will house up to 18,000 for basketball when the National Basketball Association’s (NBA) New Jersey Nets move to Brooklyn in the fall of this year.
Sanna added that FCRC has examined closely how facilities such as Bankers Life Field House in downtown Indianapolis adjusted to allow both the NBA’s Indiana Pacers and the U.S. Hockey League’s Indiana Ice to play there.

 http://www.antonnews.com/columns/barry/20884-islanders-plan.html

Barclays Center Falls Behinds Schedule

According to Netsdaily the Barclays Center has fallen behind schedule, but it shouldn't effect the opening events for the arena.

With the Grand Opening of Barclays Center scheduled for September 28, it looks like things will be a little tight. The latest report by engineering consultants for the arena bondholders is projecting a completion date of September 5, a little more than three weeks before the Jay-Z concert.
The next significant milestone in the construction timetable is installation of the arena scoreboard and video boards which is expected to start March 6 and the installation of ice rink systems starting 10 days later.

 http://www.netsdaily.com/2012/2/9/2787981/arena-falls-a-bit-behind-schedule-scoreboard-ice-rink-next-on-list

14,500 Can Work

EVAN WEINER of the NEWJERSYNEWSROOM.COM wrote a must read article explaining how a 14,500 seat arena could work in the Islanders and ownership favor.  Below are just a few pieces from the article.

a professor at the University of Central Florida and sports economics consultant, coined the phrase the "Fenway Principle," to describe how a ballpark or arena with reduced capacity can create a shortage of tickets, forcing customers to purchase tickets months in advance if they want to attend a game. Sutton based his theory on Fenway Park, the home stadium of Major League Baseball's Boston Red Sox.

Fenway Park has one of the smallest seating capacities in Major League Baseball which makes getting a ticket to a Red Sox game difficult if a purchaser doesn't buy a ticket plan prior to a given season.
Red Sox tickets become subject to the law of supply and demand. If you want a ticket you better buy them in advance and be willing to pay up front a pretty good price because of scarcity. Of course tickets are available on the secondary market but a team wants to sell all tickets in advance and not deal with a walk up crowd.
Depending on how a deal is structured, Wang might be better off with a smaller ticket inventory than what he presently has at the Nassau Coliseum. The Fenway Principle could play out in Brooklyn, where Islanders fans will not only vie for fewer seats, but will pay more for them

The on-field, on-ice product drives ticket sales. Wang's Islanders have been terrible and need to get better.
If the team does improve, there figures to be more interest and a small seating capacity might cause businesses and corporate interests to have a sense of urgency to buy the Islanders product up front in Brooklyn and improve Wang's bottom line.

http://www.newjerseynewsroom.com/professional/will-the-islanders-follow-the-nets-to-brooklyn

Queens Twitter Update

 

BDGallof BDGallof

  @randimarshall i always wondered on Cuomo where he wants casinos at Aqueduct. Can a sports team fit there?

 @BDGallof Cuomo has no plans to include sports team at Aqueduct.

https://twitter.com/#!/randimarshall/status/166035268531535872 

4 Memebers of a Better Long Island Have Plans for the Hub

Four developers who are part of The Association for a better Long Island plan to joint together to develop the hub.  They said that they are willing to do so with the Islanders part of the site or without them.  This should come as no surprise to anyone, since the main reason this organization opposed the August 1 referendum was to get their hands on the hub.

  The quartet -- which met with County Executive Edward Mangano last week -- plans to craft a plan to revamp the Nassau Hub, regardless of whether the New York Islanders stay at the Coliseum, said Garden City developer Vincent Polimeni.

"It could be a tremendous home run," Polimeni said of the plan, which will be formulated if and when a request for proposals to develop the site is filed by Nassau County.

Mangano will discuss his plans for the Hub at a meeting with Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo in the next two weeks, although he declined to elaborate. The county executive said last month that he would produce a new proposal in coming weeks.

"The clock is ticking," Mangano said. "We are at another crossroad to bring people together to build up the Hub."

Separately, the county issued an RFP last week to build an exposition center at nearby Mitchel Field in Uniondale .

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 .

" 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."

http://mobile.newsday.com/inf/infomo;JSESSIONID=DB8411570C8BCB184C1F.3220?site=newsday&view=business_item&feed:a=newsday_1min&feed:c=business&feed:i=1.3505257&part=0
 They accused Charles Wang of trying to pull a land grab on August 1st, but The Association for a Better Long Island was really the group attempting the land grab, with their all out attempts to prevent the arena deal.  The sad part is that they might succeed and reap all the rewards of their plan.   

Twitter Update on Suffolk

@BDGallof Have you heard anything about Queens and Suffolk joining the mix with Brooklyn and Nassau
 @danburyislesfan nothing. Suffolk has new exec. one thinks they might at least kick a tire or two. have to do more than that really.

I have also asked the Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone if he is trying to get the Isles to his county.  We just have to wait and see what his response is