In recent comments, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman indicated that he expects a proposed New York Islanders arena at Belmont Park to break ground in the coming months.
Through a partnership with Oak View Group and Sterling Project Development, the Islanders are planning to build a new arena and surrounding development on land at Belmont Park. The organization has been seeking to break ground on the venue this summer, in hopes of completing it in time for the 2021-22 NHL season.
Currently the project is under an environmental review stage, which the state agency Empire State Development could complete along with all final approvals by the end of next month. Bettman said on Friday that he expects an Islanders’ arena groundbreaking to occur in the coming months, which could keep the project on track. More from Newsday:
“I’m expecting to be at a groundbreaking sometime in the next few months,” Bettman said at the Associated Press Sports Editors meeting in Manhattan on Friday.
Bettman said in February that he expected the arena’s groundbreaking to occur in May or June. When the commissioner was reminded of those comments, Bettman said on Friday, “May, June, July — we’re somewhere in that range.
“It’s still coming. I have no reason to believe it’s not.”…
Empire State Development, the state agency coordinating the project, has said the review and all of the necessary approvals will be completed by the end of June
The scope of the project calls for more than an arena, as the venue would anchor surrounding development. Among the amenities in the works include a 250-room hotel, plus 435,000 square feet of retail space.
Rendering courtesy New York Islanders.
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