Nassau County advances Las Vegas Sands bid to operate Coliseum for years
The Nassau County Planning Commission advanced a lease agreement with Las Vegas Sands for the operation of the Coliseum in Uniondale, teeing it up for a vote by legislative committees on Monday. Credit: Howard Schnapp
The Nassau County Planning Commission advanced a lease agreement with Las Vegas Sands for the operation of the Coliseum, teeing it up for a vote by legislative committees on Monday.
The commission on Thursday approved Sands' 42-year lease to operate the Coliseum, including booking events and maintaining the property, without the right to develop on the site. Local residents objected to the move, saying the company's only objective is to control the county-owned property for the purpose of building a casino-resort should it receive a state gaming license. The company intends to apply for a highly competitive state commercial gaming license.
Occupying the Coliseum without a more permanent agreement in place puts more than 400 workers in jeopardy and makes it difficult to plan events there, Sands officials say. Currently, Sands holds temporary occupancy permits to use the Coliseum.
With Sands seeking to build a casino at the site, the multibillion dollar company is also seeking approval for a separate, 99-year development lease that would require the county to conduct an environmental review known as SEQRA before any construction can occur on the 72-acre Coliseum site in Uniondale.
WHAT TO KNOW
- The Nassau County Planning Commission advanced a lease agreement with Las Vegas Sands for the operation of the Nassau Coliseum, teeing it up for a vote by legislative committees on Monday.
- The commission on Thursday approved Sands' 42-year lease to operate the Coliseum, including booking events and maintaining the property, without the right to develop on the site.
- Occupying the Coliseum without a more permanent agreement in place puts more than 400 workers in jeopardy and makes it difficult to plan events there, Sands officials say. Currently, Sands holds temporary occupancy permits to use the Coliseum.
A special meeting of the county legislature's Rules Committee to consider both agreements is scheduled for 1 p.m. on Monday in the Theodore Roosevelt Executive and Legislative Building on Franklin Avenue in Mineola.
“The company is pleased the planning commission approved the coliseum lease and looks forward to moving forward with a process that will provide important job security to those working at the Nassau Coliseum," Sands spokesman Ron Reese said in a statement after the vote.
Sands, based in Nevada, has proposed a $6 billion casino resort that would include live table games, a day spa, wellness center, concert venue, restaurants and retail.
Supporters say the project would be an economic boon to the area, bringing more than 8,500 temporary and permanent jobs to the area. Detractors say the location is inappropriate for a casino because two colleges, a Catholic high school and residential homes are nearby. They are concerned about increased light, noise and air pollution from visitors to the 24/7 entertainment complex.
Members of Say NO to the Casino, a civic association, said they were "very disappointed" in the planning commission's action Thursday.
In a statement, the group said Sands and the county "claim they are trying to save the jobs of Coliseum workers. Nothing could be further from the truth!"
The opposition group has called on legislators to oppose both leases and to find a new operator for the Coliseum. Group members have rejected the casino-resort proposal since January 2023.
"We all know what the endgame is here," Richard Catalano, a member of the group, said before the planning meeting.
The county's new agreements with Sands are going through the approval process again after a state Supreme Court judge annulled the lease the commission approved in April 2023, siding with plaintiff Hofstra University in an open meetings lawsuit.
The court in November voided the commission's votes and those of the 19-member Nassau County Legislature, ruling the county did not conduct an environmental review before entering that lease with Sands. The county's attorneys are appealing.
Nassau County Legis. Howard Kopel, the legislature's presiding officer and chairman of the Rules Committee, said the county now "will do our due diligence with the best interest of Nassau County residents in mind" once the SEQRA process commences.
The approval was positive news for Valerie Fitts, 58, a lifelong resident of Uniondale and security manager at the Coliseum for the past seven years.
"It's nerve-wracking to live not knowing whether you’re going to have a job,” she told Newsday.
“Yes, their ultimate goal is to build a casino but I don’t think their goal is to close the Coliseum. If there’s nothing at the Coliseum what are you going to have? An abandoned building? That’s not a good look for the community either,” Fitts said. "This community needs the jobs."
Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman — a major proponent of the casino bid — did not respond to messages seeking comment.
Candice Ferrette covers Nassau County government and politics on Long Island. She has been a reporter at Newsday since 2011.
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