Sunday, November 06, 2011

Mayor: Detroiters Should Build Their Shinnecock Casino at the Nassau County "Hub" not Belmont Park

Mayor Thomas J. Tweedy
MAYOR'S MESSAGE
11.04.2011

Mayor’s Message Village of Floral Park: November 4, 2011

When newsmakers release a report late on a Friday afternoon, chances are it’s usually not something that puts them in the best light. Stories released in the classic “Friday afternoon dump,” as the cynical strategy is called, are purposely intended to be a one-day story published over the weekend. Such may well be the case of the Long Island Economic Council’s release on late Friday Oct. 14 of its proposal it subtitles “Nassau Hub Transformative Project,” but which could be subtitled “Dump into Belmont Park All Pet Projects.”

Hofstra University President Stuart Rabinowitz, who has apparently ignored the call to step aside as co-chairman of the Long Island Economic Council, must take some “credit” for the plan his group released on a recent Friday afternoon. Hofstra University’s 220 acres of not-for-profit property on Hempstead Turnpike is adjacent to the 77-acre site of the Nassau Coliseum that is owned by the taxpayers of Nassau County. The Long Island Economic Council’s report is proposing that the Nassau Coliseum site be changed to a new research and development complex. Even more disturbing is the suggestion that the Nassau Coliseum, which since 1972 has been the heart of the entire development, could be moved from “the Hub” to Belmont Park!

The suggestion that Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, built for under $32 million in 1972, should make way for Hofstra’s grand vision for its own neighboring 77-acre site is incredible! As our Statement of Principles on Belmont Park has already referenced; when Yankee Stadium was replaced, it was rebuilt across the street and when the New York Mets home was replaced, it was replaced in its own existing parking lot.

The current Nassau Coliseum, which originally contained 409,963 square feet of floor area, can be replaced at the same place it already exists by a state-of- the-art entertainment center. Representatives of the Shinnecock Indian Nation have also expressed interest in obtaining a portion of the Nassau County “Hub” site to construct a casino. What was predicted at its opening in The New York Times to become “the Disneyland of Nassau County” could finally become a reality. There are also over 6,000 parking spaces at Nassau Coliseum. So the proposal by the group, led by Hofstra’s president, that $150 million from New York’s taxpayers should be used to build a new 6,000-space parking garage at the very same site where they already exist, sounds absurd.

Belmont Park, which opened in 1905, has been called the Taj Mahal of American Racing by Sports Illustrated and was envisioned by August Belmont, Jr., William Whitney and other horse owners to be enjoyed by future generations as much as Central Park, Prospect Park or Van Cortland Park. The “vision” of Hofstra University Rabinowitz’s group, however, is to turn Belmont Park into an all-you –can-eat buffet line full of half-baked ideas.

The less than 400 words that the Long Island Economic Council dedicates to Belmont Park in its 32-page report demonstrates the lack of consideration they have given it. Their report even rather sloppily refers to Belmont Park as “Belmont Raceway.” Any thoroughbred horse fan knows a “raceway” is for trotters or NASCAR races, while the sport of kings is run on a track. The cursory references to Belmont Park also suggest that a casino be built as well as a stadium for a semi-professional soccer team. Perhaps the planning group also does not realize that the 10,000-seat stadium at Mitchel Field was built for a professional soccer team. Once again, why recreate at Belmont Park what already exists at the Hub? If a semi-professional soccer team is interested in playing in Nassau County, perhaps Hofstra’s president could offer the use of the 13,000-seat stadium at Hofstra University, since it has disbanded its highly regarded football team. The new soccer team could even use the practice facilities where the New York Jets used to play, since they are no longer at Hofstra either.

As to the suggestion for the location of a casino in Nassau County, if Nassau County planners are eager to obtain a steady revenue windfall from a casino, then the first place it should be built is on land already owned and controlled by Nassau County. Just because Hofstra University President Stuart Rabinowitz does not want a casino at the Hub near Hofstra does not mean it cannot be done there.

Keep the Nassau Coliseum where the Nassau Coliseum is now. If Nassau County wants a casino, it should be built on its own land at the Hub and not at Belmont Park.

No comments:

TVT has welcomed more than 178,000 unique vistors

TVT, founded in December 2006, has averaged more than 20,000 visitors annually. It is produced with the support of scores of individuals from coast-to-coast, each a volunteer citizen activist/jounalist, who review tips and compile the verifiable details and documents that are the hallmark of our content.

Since our first post, more than 178,000 visitors have accessed the details compiled uniquely at TVT.

The citizen activists behind TVT wish to extened a big "THANK YOU" to all those who have provided "tips" -- contributed pictures, documents, link suggestions, leads, reports, insight and comments. Your trust and confidence in TVT has allowed us to create a comprehensive resource that thousands of others -- including bloggers, journalists, Members of Congress and other local citizen activists around the country -- have come to rely upon.

We invite feedback and constructive comment and want you to know you are welcome to do that here in "comments" or by contacting us directly and confidentially via allverifiable@gmail.com

Google News: Indian Gaming

NEWS: Bay Mills Indian Community & Casino Proposals

NEWS: Shinnecock Indian Nation (Gateway Casino Resorts) Casino Proposals

NY Times: Shinnecock Indian Nation

NEWS: Los Coyotes Indian Tribe

NEWS: Los Coyotes / Barwest Barstow Casino Proposals

NEWS: Michael J. Malik, Sr.

NEWS: Marian Ilitch

Muckety.com: Mapping Social Networks

Play with the interactive tool here or visit Muckety.com

TIP: Search for multiple entries in the Muckety.com database simultaneously by separating their names with the word and

certainly must reads!

Ilitch has backed loosing sports teams and pizza, but casinos in Detroit? Forbes.com 10.09.06 ● Marian Ilitch #1 on "25 Most Powerful People" to Watch 2006” global gaming business o1.oo.o5 ● My Kingdom for a Casino Forbes 05.08.06 ● Big Lagoon’s casino dream awakens north coast journal 07.28.05 ● Shinnecocks launch legal claim to Hamptons land newsday.com 06.16.05 ● Ilitch Plans to Expand Casino Empire RGTonline.com 07.05.05 ● Ilitch outbids partners MichiganDaily.com 04.14.05 ● Ilitch enmeshed in NY casino dispute detnews.com 03.20.05 ● Marian Ilitch, high roller freep.com 03.20.05 ● MGM Mirage to Decide on Offer for Casino in Detroit rgtonline.com 04.16.05 ● Secret deal for MotorCity alleged freep.com 02.15.05 ● Los Coyotes get new developer desertdispatch.com 02.08.05 Detroit casino figure to finance Barstow project LasVegasSun.com 07.07.03 ● Indian Band trying to put casino in Barstow signonSanDiego.com 06.04.03 Pizza matriarch takes on casino roles detnews.com 10.23.02 ● Vanderbilt gets short straw in negotiations for a casino Lansing Journal 10.06.02 ● Indians aim to drive family from tribe in vicious dispute san diego union tribune 04.09.00 ●Malik owns 2000 Michigan Quarter Horse of the Year Michigan.gov 01.01.00 ● Detroit Team to run Michigan’s newest Indian casino detnews.com 05.23.99 Tiger ties tangle Marian Ilitch detnews.com 04.29.99 ● Three investors must sell their Detroit casino interests gamblingmagazine.com 04.25.99 ● Partners’ cash revived election; They say money was crucial to Prop-E detnews.com 04.25.99 Investors have troubled histories las vegas review journal 04.27.99 ● Investor served probation for domestic assault on 12 year old boy detnews.com 04.25.99 Can a pair win a jackpot?: local men hope to... crainsdetroit.com 03.17.97

The Verifiable Truth