Retail and entertainment venues proposed for the 77 acres of land surrounding the Nassau Coliseum will now be joined by housing, the project’s two developers said on Monday
“We are proud to announce a shared vision that will make the Hub a centerpiece for world-class sports, entertainment, dining, recreation, and residential living, which the community has long sought and certainly deserves,” the statement from Blumenfeld Development Group and Brooklyn Sports & Entertainment said.
Blumenfeld was allowed to propose a plan for the property surrounding Nassau Coliseum as part of an out-of-court settlement with Forest City Enterprises, which had worked on redeveloping Nassau Coliseum, reached last month.
Blumenfeld had been among many firms competing to develop Nassau Coliseum itself, before partnering with Forest City Enterprises in 2013. Forest City later tried booting Blumenfeld from the project, leading them into a long legal battle.
The joint statement goes on to say that the two firms are working on a final development plan to be presented to numerous boards.
“BSE and BDG are ready to initiate the next steps to further the Hub development process, including presentations before the County Executive’s Office, the Nassau County Legislature, the Town of Hempstead and various community stakeholders, to ensure we are aligned and then to swiftly finalize the comprehensive development plan for review and approval,” the statement said.
“BSE and BDG are driven by one key principle: The time has come.”
The announcements follow County Executive Laura Curran telling Newsday of her plans to create a task force, to be chaired by Deputy County Executive for Economic Development Evllyn Tsmimis, “to identify the best way to develop the 77 acres around the renovated Coliseum.”
Michael Martino, a spokesman for Laura Curran, was not available for comment, but told Newsday that Curran looks “forward to meeting with the developers to hear more about their proposal.”
Mike Fricchione, a spokesman for Hempstead Town Supervisor, was not immediately available for comment.
