The Nassau Coliseum is now 45 years old but I am not sure we should hold a birthday celebration for Long Island’s biggest and oldest arena.
The Coliseum as we know it, has been home to numerous sports teams ranging from hockey, basketball, wrestling and a few others that didn’t last long.
It was the home of the Nets basketball team and was also home to the Islander hockey team from 1972 to 2015.
In 2017, the building was re-opened to the public after a $165 million renovation. It is a newer and brighter version of the old facility but the real question is is it modern enough to survive a number of challenges that it will face in the next few years?
The first and biggest dilemma is whether it can play home to the Islanders during the construction of their new home at Belmont Race Track.
National Hockey League Commissioner Gary Bettman paid a suprise visit to the Coliseum a few weeks ago to see if it could handle a major league team for what could be a three-year period.
Once upon a time, the building could handle 18,000 fans and in its prime the Islanders had many sell-out crowds. But Brooklyn developer Bruce Ratner chose to downsize the building to 13,900 seats, which just may not be enough for the team to get NHL approval.
Over the years there have been numerous proposals made to tear down the existing building and replace it with a state-of-the-art structure that could accommodate a major league basketball or hockey team.
Developer Charles Wang had proposed a new arena as part of his Lighthouse project but the Town of Hempstead shot the plan down for a variety of reasons.
The major obstacle to the plan, beyond its size, was that a Republican Town wasn’t interested in a project that could attract Democratic voters to the 2,000 planned housing units.
When the competition to build or renovate the Coliseum took place three years ago, some of the developers proposed that the structure be torn down and that a brand new arena be created on the site.
But the Ratner plan was approved and that resulted in a smaller size building.
There is no doubt that the rebuilt Coliseum is welcoming and bright and is now hosting a number of major attractions. But can it survive over the years if it can’t accommodate a prestigious sports team?
Professional sports associations have very high standards in order for them to approve a location for one of its teams.
They are concerned about the number of luxury boxes, concession stands and bathrooms. Teams have to make money and every inch of space inside has a dollar sign attached to it. If the arena can’t make enough money than it won’t pass the test for approval.
The creation of a new Islanders arena at Belmont is an even bigger challenge to the Coliseum. There is no doubt that a second facility less than 20 minutes away will have its own series of attractions and will be in direct competition with the Coliseum.
The Belmont facility will have the backing of the Madison Square Garden organization, which will go head to head in competition with the Barclay Center’s attractions. That promises to be a bruising contest.
Can Long Island support two entertainment facilities? I think it can but additional money has to be spent at the Coliseum to help it keep pace with Belmont.
Barclays has to bring many more big names to entertain local ticket buyers and a few more concessions and bathrooms wouldn’t hurt. No developer likes to throw money after a completed project but some new amenities could spell the difference between success or failure.
The approved plan for the Belmont site is a major economic happening for Long Island but the Nassau Coliseum must be kept alive and well. For too long the Coliseum was a facility that was dark many nights a year. It has to survive because the bi-county region can and will support both arenas.
