New Coliseum to honor veterans

The Island Now

Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum’s operator announced Friday that a veterans memorial will be featured in the plaza of the newly renovated coliseum.

“The memorial will honor the thousands of Long Islanders and millions of other Americans who have served their nation in the United States military,” according to a news release from Brooklyn Sports & Entertainment, the coliseum’s operator.

Brooklyn Sports & Entertainment is owned by Mikhail Prokhorov who, in addition to holding the majority stake in the coliseum, owns the Barclays Center and the Brooklyn Nets.

The monument will be positioned in a “highly prominent location” near the front entrance of the newly renovated plaza, the release said.

“It’s a privilege to honor the veterans and a priority to recognize the building’s storied history,” said Dmitry Razumov, chairman of the board of directors for Brooklyn Sports & Entertainment.

The memorial will be a dark granite oval and will be 19 1/2 feet by 16 1/2 feet, raised above the plaza surface, the release said.

The release said  “a delicate, constant water source will bubble from the center of the stone and spread out over its surface, forming a moving film of water which will wrap the edges of the stone as an ‘infinity edge.’ In the center of the monument, emerging from the water’s surface, National Grid will honor the veterans with an eternal flame.”

“The contrasting elements in constant movement — set within a simple, yet dramatic form — will provide a stunning tribute to our nation’s veterans for decades to come,” said Bruce Ratner, the owner of the development group who revamped the Coliseum.

In 2015, Prokhorov bought control of the coliseum from Ratner 

The Coliseum is set to reopen on April 5 with a concert by Billy Joel.

The monument is part of the 20-month, $261 million renovation to the area, which originally opened in 1972.

By Stephen Romano

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