What’s next for the Nassau Coliseum site? It’s a question that could shape the county for years to come.
Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman acknowledged the county was “going to pursue a different direction” than a casino project for the Uniondale site, Newsday reported. That was practically a certainty after the Las Vegas Sands folded its bid for a gaming license in April.
Sands isn’t going anywhere, though, according to Blakeman. Instead, the gaming company is going to pursue a sports/entertainment/hospitality project on the same site.
“We have a Plan B and Sands is going to be very involved in that,” Blakeman said. He added that the company would invest hundreds of millions of dollars in the county and fulfill obligations tied to the dormant casino proposal.
First proposed in 2022, Sands dropped the casino project in April, citing the economy’s volatility and the rise of online gambling. It said it was talking to a third party about assuming the casino bid — later reported to be online sportsbook DraftKings — but a deal never transpired.
Two years ago, Sands’ $6 billion casino lease proposal was approved by the county, but faced a lawsuit from nearby Hofstra University.
The company has continued to pursue zoning changes for the site; it has a 42-year operating lease and is closing in on a 99-year development lease. One official said rezoning was an “essential step toward realizing a beneficial project.”
The rezoning would permit gambling, a luxury hotel, a spa, retail, restaurants and open space.
As for the three downstate gambling licenses up for grabs, the applicant pool is dwindling as the June 27 deadline approaches. With the racinos outside of the city expected to command two of the three licenses, top competitors for the last license appear to include Steve Cohen in Queens, Thor Equities in Coney Island and bids on the East Side of Manhattan and in Times Square.
— Holden Walter-Warner
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