A shopping village rises in Elmont
The newly finished Belmont Park Village, where some stores are already open, will include 155 shops and several restaurants across 340,000 square feet of what used to be parking lots, on the southern side of Hempstead Turnpike across from Belmont Park's racetrack. Credit: Newsday/Randi F. Marshall
Earlier this month, Floral Park resident Sarah Jordan spent the day with her family at the new Belmont Park Village — a walkable outdoor retail development south of Hempstead Turnpike in Elmont. She and her husband drank cappuccino while their children, ages 2 and 4, ate ice cream. Afterward, they headed to the Park at UBS Arena, which features open space, lawn games and seasonal mini-golf and ice skating, and finished the day with a New York Islanders game, which ended in an Islanders win after a nine-round shootout.
Jordan, 39, has lived in Floral Park for 13 years. She sees the Village, which has just begun to open, not only as a resident, but as someone who's just been hired as its new senior vice president of finance.
"I have the opportunity to literally build something for my neighbors, for my community," Jordan said.
What just a few years ago were large, rarely used parking lots have been transformed into 340,000 square feet of wide walkways spotted with trees and benches and lined by luxury storefronts. The high-end brands may seem more typical of Madison Avenue, but area residents working there see that as an upside.
"It's something the area lacked," said Queens Village resident Max Germain, 44, the Village's new digital director. "It's nice to see investment in your backyard."
It's a different perspective than the anger and fear shared by many area residents after state officials selected the New York Islanders and its partners to redevelop part of Belmont Park seven years ago. But that sunny optimism is still not a universally held view, as traffic and parking complaints persist.
Nonetheless, Jordan said, most neighbors and friends are excited by the possibilities — 1,500 jobs, 30% to be filled locally, tax dollars, and the larger hope of "shining a broader spotlight on this area."
What happened here echoes what can happen in the region when a large new development is proposed: Residents voice concerns, elected officials persist in making sure they're addressed. As plans become reality, fears are assuaged and something beautiful — and potentially economically game-changing — emerges from old stretches of empty asphalt.
Belmont Park Village is owned and managed by Value Retail, the company owned by New York Islanders co-owner Scott Malkin. That ties the retail to the arena, allowing officials to offer perks like a service that will bring shoppers' bags to the arena and store them during games or concerts. That symbiosis also will force officials to resolve challenges like balancing incoming fans with outgoing shoppers in the new parking garage.
Hopefully, that connectivity will keep the community front and center. As the Village opens, chief commercial officer Jason Katz, who grew up in Melville and now lives in Sag Harbor, said he hopes to welcome a local clientele first, before any buzz expands its audience further.
But there's more to do. Belmont Park Village, like the broader development, is a work in progress. Katz and Value Retail president Chris Cabot say they're ready to address trouble spots. Separately — but even more importantly — the long-promised community center is only now moving forward after years of waiting.
If Belmont Park Village gets this right, those now-quiet pathways will soon bustle with economic opportunity, becoming a destination for local residents and tourists alike, and serving as an example of how, with the right mix of big ideas, community input and strong leadership, the region can and should still welcome something new.
Columnist Randi F. Marshall's opinions are her own.
Randi Marshall is a member of the Newsday editorial board.
