The Lighthouse Project
Encyclopedia
The Lighthouse Project, officially named The Lighthouse at Long Island, was a proposed transformation of the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum
and the area surrounding it into a modern suburban area. The project was first introduced by New York Islanders
owner, Charles Wang
. The base of the project is a newly renovated Coliseum for the New York Islanders to play in. Surrounding the Coliseum would be houses, hotels (Long Island's first 5-star hotel), offices, restaurants, and various stores. There would also be an athletic complex, conference and exhibition facilities, and a minor league baseball
ballpark.
The Lighthouse Project was expected to take 8 to 10 years to be completed, and cost about $3.74 billion. The investors expected the project generate $71 million of annual tax revenues, and create about 75,000 construction and construction-related jobs. After the project is finished, 19,000 new permanent jobs are expected to come from it. Many believe the project being approved is the only way that Wang can keep the Islanders on Long Island, rather than selling the team. However, Nassau County
residents voted against building a new arena for the Islanders on August 1, 2011.
The Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum is currently the second-oldest arena in active use by an NHL team (after Madison Square Garden
), and has the second smallest capacity of all arenas in the NHL (after MTS Centre
). Nassau County asked for and received proposals from different development groups regarding how to renovate and build up the coliseum and surrounding area. Islanders owner Charles Wang proposed a plan to develop the area surrounding the arena; his plan originally included a renovation of the Coliseum, a 60-story tower designed to look like a lighthouse, housing, athletic facilities, a new minor league baseball stadium, restaurants, and a new hotel, at a projected overall cost of approximately $200 million. On August 14, 2007, Charles Wang and the Lighthouse Development Group, partnered with Rexcorp, created a new plan downsizing the entire project. The Coliseum design changed considerably, and the 60 story "Lighthouse" was replaced with two 30-story buildings connected by a footbridge.
, which is considered a possible candidate for relocation. There is also a movement to have the Islanders play adjacent to Citi Field, the home ballpark of the New York Mets
, in the Willets Point
section of Queens
should the team leave Nassau County. Wang has said that he wants the team to remain where it is, but has also said that he would be forced to explore other options if significant steps are not made by the Town of Hempstead in regard to approving the project by October 2009. Local papers such as Newsday and the Daily News speculated that this could mean Charles Wang would consider moving the team to an area such as Queens or Brooklyn
, where the Barclays Center is being built for the New Jersey Nets
. Financing documents for the arena released in December 2009 indicate that “The New York Islanders could potentially become a tenant” at the Barclays Center. The Islanders' agreement with the New York Rangers
allows them to relocate anywhere on Long Island, including Brooklyn and Queens.
In May 2009, Newsday reported that Wang had subsidized the team by $208.8 million, an average of $23 million per year since buying it, beyond what he paid for it.
After the October 2009 deadline passed, the Long Island Press
reported that the plug was being pulled on the Lighthouse Project. Wang has denied the report.
In May 2010, Mets COO Jeff Wilpon
has had discussions with Wang about constructing a new arena for the Islanders near Citi Field. Wilpon has also discussed the possibility of buying the Islanders. In June 2010, the website FanHouse
reported that Jeff and Fred Wilpon
, the owner of the Mets, began working with real estate firm Jones Lang LaSalle
(who is also working on the renovation of Madison Square Garden) on a feasibility study of a new Islanders arena in Queens. However, a source from Newsday has indicated that the FanHouse report is not true. There are also reports that businessman Nelson Peltz
wants to buy the Islanders and move them to the Barclays Center in Brooklyn.
On May 11, 2011, the Islanders and Nassau County executives announced that county residents would vote on a referendum for taxpayer funding for a new arena for the New York Islanders on August 1.
On August 1, 2011, voters in Nassau County rejected a proposal for a new arena to replace the Nassau Coliseum. The future of the Islanders in Nassau County is now uncertain.
Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum
The Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum is a multi-purpose indoor arena in Uniondale, New York, United States. Home to the New York Islanders of the National Hockey League, the Coliseum is located approximately east of New York City on Long Island...
and the area surrounding it into a modern suburban area. The project was first introduced by New York Islanders
New York Islanders
The New York Islanders are a professional ice hockey team based in Uniondale, New York. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
owner, Charles Wang
Charles Wang
Charles B. Wang is the co-founder of Computer Associates International, Inc. and owner of the New York Islanders ice hockey team and their AHL affiliates, the Bridgeport Sound Tigers....
. The base of the project is a newly renovated Coliseum for the New York Islanders to play in. Surrounding the Coliseum would be houses, hotels (Long Island's first 5-star hotel), offices, restaurants, and various stores. There would also be an athletic complex, conference and exhibition facilities, and a minor league baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
ballpark.
The Lighthouse Project was expected to take 8 to 10 years to be completed, and cost about $3.74 billion. The investors expected the project generate $71 million of annual tax revenues, and create about 75,000 construction and construction-related jobs. After the project is finished, 19,000 new permanent jobs are expected to come from it. Many believe the project being approved is the only way that Wang can keep the Islanders on Long Island, rather than selling the team. However, Nassau County
Nassau County, New York
Nassau County is a suburban county on Long Island, east of New York City in the U.S. state of New York, within the New York Metropolitan Area. As of the 2010 census, the population was 1,339,532...
residents voted against building a new arena for the Islanders on August 1, 2011.
Proposal
Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden, often abbreviated as MSG and known colloquially as The Garden, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the New York City borough of Manhattan and located at 8th Avenue, between 31st and 33rd Streets, situated on top of Pennsylvania Station.Opened on February 11, 1968, it is the...
), and has the second smallest capacity of all arenas in the NHL (after MTS Centre
MTS Centre
The MTS Centre is an indoor sports arena and entertainment venue in downtown Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada and home of the Winnipeg Jets of the National Hockey League. It is located on the former Eaton's site and is owned and operated by True North Sports & Entertainment. The 440,000 square feet ...
). Nassau County asked for and received proposals from different development groups regarding how to renovate and build up the coliseum and surrounding area. Islanders owner Charles Wang proposed a plan to develop the area surrounding the arena; his plan originally included a renovation of the Coliseum, a 60-story tower designed to look like a lighthouse, housing, athletic facilities, a new minor league baseball stadium, restaurants, and a new hotel, at a projected overall cost of approximately $200 million. On August 14, 2007, Charles Wang and the Lighthouse Development Group, partnered with Rexcorp, created a new plan downsizing the entire project. The Coliseum design changed considerably, and the 60 story "Lighthouse" was replaced with two 30-story buildings connected by a footbridge.
Developments
In February 2009, local media speculated that Charles Wang, frustrated with the slow pace of obtaining approval for the project from the Town of Hempstead, would consider relocating the team. The team would be eligible to move when its lease with Nassau County ends in 2015. The Islanders played a 2009 preseason game for Kansas City, MissouriKansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...
, which is considered a possible candidate for relocation. There is also a movement to have the Islanders play adjacent to Citi Field, the home ballpark of the New York Mets
New York Mets
The New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League...
, in the Willets Point
Willets Point, Queens
Willets Point, also known locally as the Iron Triangle, is the name currently applied to a neighborhood of Corona, in the New York City borough of Queens....
section of Queens
Queens
Queens is the easternmost of the five boroughs of New York City. The largest borough in area and the second-largest in population, it is coextensive with Queens County, an administrative division of New York state, in the United States....
should the team leave Nassau County. Wang has said that he wants the team to remain where it is, but has also said that he would be forced to explore other options if significant steps are not made by the Town of Hempstead in regard to approving the project by October 2009. Local papers such as Newsday and the Daily News speculated that this could mean Charles Wang would consider moving the team to an area such as Queens or Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
, where the Barclays Center is being built for the New Jersey Nets
New Jersey Nets
The New Jersey Nets are a professional basketball team based in Newark, New Jersey. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association...
. Financing documents for the arena released in December 2009 indicate that “The New York Islanders could potentially become a tenant” at the Barclays Center. The Islanders' agreement with the New York Rangers
New York Rangers
The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the borough of Manhattan in New York, New York, USA. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Playing their home games at Madison Square Garden, the Rangers are one of the...
allows them to relocate anywhere on Long Island, including Brooklyn and Queens.
In May 2009, Newsday reported that Wang had subsidized the team by $208.8 million, an average of $23 million per year since buying it, beyond what he paid for it.
After the October 2009 deadline passed, the Long Island Press
Long Island Press
The Long Island Press is a free newsweekly serving Long Island with extensive coverage of arts and entertainment, sports, and alternative political viewpoints. The newspaper started in 2003 after its parent company, Morey Publishing, bought The Long Island Ear, which was a free bi-monthly...
reported that the plug was being pulled on the Lighthouse Project. Wang has denied the report.
In May 2010, Mets COO Jeff Wilpon
Jeff Wilpon
Jeffrey Scott Wilpon is the COO of the New York Mets baseball team and the executive vice-president of Sterling Equities. Jeff is the son of New York Mets principal owner Fred Wilpon. Jeff and other Wilpon family members invested with Bernard Madoff's ponzi scheme that collapsed in 2008...
has had discussions with Wang about constructing a new arena for the Islanders near Citi Field. Wilpon has also discussed the possibility of buying the Islanders. In June 2010, the website FanHouse
FanHouse
FanHouse is a sports website owned by AOL. Launched in September 2006, FanHouse is considered the Internet's most linked sports blog by aggregator BallHype, won Editor & Publisher's 2008 EPpy Award for "Best Sports Blog", and was named as a finalist for the award in 2009.In January 2009, FanHouse...
reported that Jeff and Fred Wilpon
Fred Wilpon
Fred Wilpon is a real estate developer, baseball executive and the majority owner of the New York Mets.-Biography:...
, the owner of the Mets, began working with real estate firm Jones Lang LaSalle
Jones Lang LaSalle
Jones Lang LaSalle, Inc. is a multinational financial and professional services company specializing in real estate. Global headquarters are located in Chicago, with an operational remit covering the Americas regional market...
(who is also working on the renovation of Madison Square Garden) on a feasibility study of a new Islanders arena in Queens. However, a source from Newsday has indicated that the FanHouse report is not true. There are also reports that businessman Nelson Peltz
Nelson Peltz
Nelson Peltz is an American businessman. He is a board director of Wendy's Group, the franchise parent of T.J. Cinnamons, Pasta Connection and Wendy's. Peltz is the former owner of Snapple.- Background :...
wants to buy the Islanders and move them to the Barclays Center in Brooklyn.
On May 11, 2011, the Islanders and Nassau County executives announced that county residents would vote on a referendum for taxpayer funding for a new arena for the New York Islanders on August 1.
On August 1, 2011, voters in Nassau County rejected a proposal for a new arena to replace the Nassau Coliseum. The future of the Islanders in Nassau County is now uncertain.