New York Islanders brainstorming backup plan after rejection of “New Arena” proposal –NHL Update
It was a long wait for New York Islanders fans that were disappointed yesterday after their teams idea for a new arena in the Nassau County was rejected after voters took to the streets to use their right in a referendum and voted against the proposal.
Since the team’s lease on the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum will be expiring during the year 2015, Islanders had to think of another way to remain in the city, an idea which was also supported by the County Executive Edward Mangano.
National Hockey League's (NHL) commissioner, Gary Bettman, came to rescue the Islanders on Tuesday as he said that the league was behind the franchise, which was looking to burrow $400million from the county, and would do anything and to keep it from leaving
town.
“We will continue to work closely with the Islanders to explore whatever options still may be available in light of what obviously is not a positive development”, Bettman said. “Our goal is for the team to remain on Long Island and we still hope that objective
can be realized”.
Private sector companies also came into the scene as Mogano expressed the county’s desires for cooperation with people and companies who could provide a practical solution to the problem faced by the NHL team on their quest for a new stadium.
"He has appropriately challenged the private sector to present to him innovative ideas and options that achieve the strategic objective of a new coliseum and synergistic development", said Association for a Better Long Island (ABLI) board member Vincent
Polimeni. "We accept that challenge".
According to specialists in the field, the referendum was rejected on the basis of people who live in the Nassau County failed to realise the importance of a new stadium to them, which was privately owned by a third person, Charles Wang.
The expenditure would have ultimately increased their property tax from $14 to $58 annually, a tax for which the respective residents are already widely known to be some of the highest payers.
While the people have expressed their desire in rejecting the idea, Islanders and New York's officials are working towards a more acceptable solution. Developments on the topic are expected in the upcoming weeks.
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