Town officials in Hempstead, Long Island, have come up with a counter-proposal to the massive Lighthouse at Long Island plan for the Nassau Coliseum site. The town's proposal calls for shorter buildings and fewer homes than New York Islanders owner Charles Wang wanted to build on the arena's 77-acre parking lot.
Town Supervisor Kate Murray and five of the six other town council members drafted the proposal. The plan would limit buildings to just nine stories, while Wang had wanted to erect two 36-story towers and use them as the centerpiece of his mixed-use complex. The towers would have been the tallest buildings on suburban Long Island. The officials' proposal also would limit the number of housing units to just 500--less than a fifth of the 2,300 apartments and townhouses that Wang wanted to build.
Wang's Lighthouse Development Group almost immediately issued a statement that said Supervisor Murray's proposal appeared to be "economically unviable," although it acknowledged the company hadn't been able to review the details. The opposition puts each side in a negotiating stance as the two proposals go through the public approval process.
Wang would keep the Coliseum where it is, but wanted to take the profits from the real estate development to renovate the 38-year-old arena. He and his business partner, real estate developer Scott Rechler, have gained the support of Long Island business leaders, construction union members, and then-Nassau County Executive Tom Suozzi. Suozzi saw the project's density and mixture of retail, offices and housing as a way to keep young people in Nassau.
But as the Lighthouse project wended its way through the public approval process last summer, many Hempstead residents complained that it would generate too much traffic. Town officials froze consideration of the project while they worked on the plan which was unveiled on Monday. The town board says it will hold a public hearing on the new proposal soon.
For a closer look at the Lighthouse’s proposal and the controversy it has stirred up, check out WNYC's coverage from September 2009.
Comments [4]
The Nassau County Medical Center, ironically right up the block from the Coliseum, is currently the tallest building in Nassau at 19 stories. It's really not that tall. I was surpised to find out it was even 19 stories.
The fact that Republican Rep. Kate Murray is suggesting 9 stories proves it's simply stone walling by the Republicans. One can only wonder if this stone walling would have occurred if Charles Wang had wisely hired former Senator Al D'amato's brother as the former Senator wanted.
Lets see the upside here; our only professional sports team stays on Long Island and is able to attract top free agents again. The County receives more tax revenue. The project creates thousands of jobs; many temporary when we need them most and some permanent. Nassau County has new commercial space available to attract new businesses to Nassau County, while Melville and Hauppauge are currently eating our lunch.
I'm not a fan of the new housing units. That part of the project I don't really support or understand. However, the location next to Hofstra could provide housing to staff or students, whose parents could afford the units and don't want their kids in the dorm.
With the baby boomers (ages 53 to 66) set to retire in droves, I'd rather see a Japanese style retirement community with a combo day care. Many seniors could work at the day care part-time and it livens up the place. Finding good day care is one of the hardest things to do. The combination of inexpensive labor from the seniors and students as part-time workers would be plentiful to make it work.
I like the minor league ball park idea as well. Not sure if they scrapped that, but I think that idea is great and it works even better with the seniors housing who would love cheap baseball (see Spring Training in Florida).
Allow the Town to cut out some of the housing as they wish to do, have Wang/Rechler build a new Police Station for the community right on the site and reduce the towers from 36 each to 30. That's just 11 stories taller than the Nassau Medical Center, and (I'm sure) these buildings would be much more attractive than the Nassau Medical Center.
Lets stop the B.S. stone walling and get this project going already.
f*** you guys Nassau is where it stays its all that f*ckin whore Kate Murray's fault she needs to die so we can get a good supervisor, this sh** failing economy there, and make it look decent but kate murray wants a parking lot there cuz that looks pretty. F*** YOU kate murray!
The Town of Hempstead is as a whole becoming just a hole in the ground. Just look at Hempstead Turnpike west of the Coliseum. How many business's are closed up and probably closing. It's starting to look like bombed out areas like in the Bronx. Murry and the town counsel really don't want them. They probably want to use the parking for the Jets training camp. Oh wait, The Jets are gone too. They need to go to Suffolk. There is so much area out there just off the LIE. I'm sure that towns like Smithtown or Babylon would love to have them.
i hope the islanders leave because Nassau doesn't deserve them . they would rather have 77 -acre parking lot! the hole area is a dump!!!move them to Suffolk .the people would treat Mr.Wang better . and the town of hempstead can rot!!!
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