Skip navigation
Favorites
Sign up to follow your favorites on all your devices.
Sign up

What do the Islanders need for a new arena? More cowbell!

Islanders and Nassau County Agree on New Arena Plan

UNIONDALE, NY - MAY 11: New York Islanders owner Charles Wang and Nassau County Executive Edward Mangano announce a referendum that will build a new arena and keep the Islanders in place through 2045 during a press conference at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum on May 11, 2011 in Uniondale, New York. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

Bruce Bennett

With the vote for a new arena on Long Island is only ten days away, the Islanders are pulling out all the stops. The team announced they’ll be hosting an event outside Nassau Coliseum with current and former Islanders players, ice girls, and a free concert featuring Blue Oyster Cult. There will also be various speakers including Islanders Owner Charles Wang and County Executive Ed Mangano helping spread the word for a “Yes” vote for a new arena on August 1st. Clearly, Charles Wang doesn’t fear the reaper.

Lead-singer Eric Bloom and the rest of the Blue Oyster Cult have a personal connection to Nassau County, the Coliseum, and the August 1st vote:

“We’re really looking forward to playing the Nassau Coliseum again. It’s the building closest to home for us. We support the effort to get people to vote yes for a new arena. We played many great shows there and living in Nassau County, we all know this area needs a new building that can become a true destination for concert goers, families and hockey fans.”

For those outside the Long Island area, Nassau County residents will vote whether or not they want to borrow money to build a new arena and minor league baseball stadium on August 1st. Wang and the Islanders have repeatedly tried to build a new arena in Long Island to replace the outdated Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum—but have been repeatedly rebuffed by the Town of Hempstead and opposition groups. The newest proposals for a new arena are nowhere near as impressive as the ill-fated Lighthouse Project from last year, but still would provide a $400 million bond to get the new arena project off the ground.

Newsday published a report from Camoin Associates that described the economic nightmare a new arena isn’t built and the Islanders leave town:

“Nassau County’s economy could lose $243.4 million annually if the New York Islanders leave the region after the club’s lease at Nassau Coliseum expires in 2015, according to a new report from the county’s economic consultants.

If the Coliseum were to shutter, it also would take with it 2,660 jobs and nearly $104 million in annual earnings, said the report, expected to be released Monday. Nassau also would lose about $8 million a year in tax revenue that would be generated by the arena in 2015 and beyond.”


Nick Giglia has been doing a great job following the story at both Lighthouse Hockey and Let There Be Light(house). He’s explained how the local media has ignored a report that concluded the new arena would only cost homeowners $0.26 per week and how to argue with an arena skeptic. While people around Islander Nation seem to be some of the most educated on the issues, we’ll have to wait until the evening of August 1st until we find out if the electorate passes the arena deal. Until then, the Islanders are doing what they can to get the word out to help educate the public on the economic impact a new arena could have on the area.

Unfortunately, there’s no word if Christopher Walkin or Will Ferrell will be on hand to lend the band a helping hand with any financial forecasts.