New York Islanders hopeful for new arena after offer from Suffolk County –NHL News Update
After being rejected by their own county residents where there home arena is situated, through a referendum in which voters denied New York Islanders from borrowing an estimated $400 million from the county in order to build a new stadium. The National Hockey
League (NHL) franchise was reenergised in its efforts when it received an offer from another county on Saturday.
According to latest reports, New York Islanders owner, Charles Wang, was contacted via telephone by Suffolk County Executive, Steve Levy, who conveyed his interest in welcoming a hockey team on his East side of Long Island for the betterment of the team
and the community.
Nassau County has hosted New York franchise since 1972 when the Veterans Memorial Coliseum opened up for their first season. Now as the teams’ lease on the stadium is expiring in 2015, resulting in their departure and in need of a new stadium, a referendum
was held to allow the residents to decide whether the amount should be given or not.
Rejecting the proposition by a landslide, New York Islanders owner, Charles Wang, was forced to think about another option or else the team could be seen as relocating to different city altogether, which also is not a reliable possibility.
Wang, who campaigned for weeks, was very disturbed after having learnt about the outcast by voters which he had spent so much time with since his taking over of the team in 2001.
“I have to tell you I’m disappointed, and to put it very bluntly, I’m heartbroken,” Mr. Wang said.
Not based on any personal motives to oust the team, residents rejected the idea solely on the claim that their money would be going to a private sector business, which would in the end benefit Mr. Wang alone.
“He said he was paying for everything on his own”, Steve Melendez, a resident of Nassau County said. “Why make the taxpayer shell it out, when two years prior to this, he was paying for everything”?
There is still no confirmation on whether Mr. Wang has accepted the offer by neighbouring, Suffolk County, but is most likely that he will with the passage of time, seeing that there is no prospect in the current area.
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