Construction on a New York Islanders Belmont Park arena is expected to begin in May and be completed in 2021, according to team co-owner Jon Ledecky.
In December, Empire State Development chose a bid from a contingent that includes the Islanders, Oak View Group, and Sterling Project Development to redevelop land at Belmont Park with a new arena and surrounding development. Planning for that project is currently underway, with the Islanders hoping to complete construction on a new arena in time for the 2021-22 NHL season.
Work is taking place on an environmental impact report, while the project still has to gain final approval before moving forward. Should all of the necessary approvals be granted, Ledecky expects that construction on the venue will start in May 2019, putting it in a position to be ready in time for the 2021-22 campaign. More from Newsday:
Islanders co-owner Jon Ledecky said he expects construction on the team’s arena at Belmont Park to begin in May while adding that he is taking the community’s concerns “very seriously.”
“I think when you’re building a project of that scale, you want to make sure all the different groups have input, whether it’s business groups, community groups, residents,” Ledecky told Newsday on Thursday at Northwell Health Ice Center in East Meadow following a news conference to announce the organization will partner with LGBT Network for an anti-bullying initiative in more than 200 Long Island and New York City schools….
Once all the approvals are granted, Ledecky said he expects shovels to be in the ground in May 2019 and the arena to open on schedule in October 2021.
Empire State Development officials have said an environmental impact report is due out before the end of the year and that residents will have a chance to comment on it. In a statement released Thursday night, Empire State Development said they’ve “fostered robust community engagement at every step of the Belmont Park redevelopment process, and the project has been refined and improved as a result. Through community meetings, and careful review and response to all public comments, we have and will continue to listen to those who will be most affected by this project. The New York Islanders and all of our development partners share our interest in hearing from the community as we engage a variety of stakeholders throughout this processs.”
While awaiting the new Belmont Park arena, the Islanders will split home games in the next three seasons between Brooklyn’s Barclays Center and the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum. The Barclays Center has been the team’s home since 2015, while the Coliseum hosted the club from 1972-2015 and reopened last year after undergoing an extensive renovation.
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