The case to save Nassau Coliseum, even without the Islanders
On Monday, August 1st, 2011, voters in Nassau County voted against a proposal to spend tax dollars on a new arena in Uniondale, NY for the New York Islanders.
The Islanders lease at their current arena, Nassau Colieseum expires at the end of the 2014-15 season, and they have no intention to renew it. If the team cannot get a new or renovated arena in their current location, they may move elsewhere, whether its in the NYC area (Brooklyn, Queens and Suffolk County have been reported as possibilities) or somewhere else.
The widely held assumption is that if the Islanders leave Uniondale, that Nassau Coliseum will close.
I don’t think that’s the case. I say sell (or create a marketing agreement) with an existing entertainment promoter to book the Coliseum with concerts and other events. Perhaps also get a minor league hockey team. Madison Square Garden had previously run the former Hartford Civic Center with great success, and now is in the process of buying the LA Forum, where the Lakers and Kings played prior to the opening of the Staples Center.
I saw Phish at Nassau Coliseum on October 7-8, 1999. Hopefully there will be more concerts there in the future, whether the Islanders are there or not.
