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In January, Las Vegas Sands Corp. announced its intention to develop the 70+ acres where the all-but-defunct Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum currently stands, to build a world-class integrated resort. While this development is still being designed, and community input is still being collected, we know the finished product includes a high-end hotel and spa, celebrity-chef restaurants, a performance venue, a casino (at less than 10% of the square footage) and new, green, outdoor spaces.
Nassau County has a critical need for this site’s redevelopment. In the Coliseum’s heyday, it brought thousands of concert-goers and Islanders’ fans who spent money at local shops and restaurants, buying food, drinks, souvenirs and more. Since the Coliseum’s failed makeover, rendering it too small for professional sports teams or major performances, it became little more than a glorified parking lot. Combine that with three years of COVID, and you get stretches of once-bustling businesses now struggling to stay open.
There is no question that the Nassau Hub is ripe for redevelopment. What seems to be in question is whether Sands is the right partner to get the job done. As president of the African American Chamber of Commerce, I believe it is.
One of the things that truly impressed me about Sands is their approach to building in our community. They sought to identify concerns, which they address proactively. For example, they recognized the need to support women, minority and veteran-owned entities, going above and beyond to connect with, inform and prepare them. To help raise awareness, Sands leads by example, contracting with local organizations such as Minority Millennials and Strategic Pathways. Both are minority-led, with deep understandings of our small-business landscape. Sands even surpassed the obvious threshold of working with existing companies, and set up resources to help aspiring entrepreneurs achieve MWBE-status ahead of the procurement processes, ensuring that anyone that wants to participate in this project is able to do so.
Additionally, Sands is collaborating with Nassau Community College and Long Island University, so today’s Long Island students can become tomorrow’s local workforce. Sands is creating pathways for two and four-year degrees in industries that complement their development. Hospitality, culinary arts, and yes – even gaming – have endless career opportunities for young people. These are not low-paying, temp jobs. These are salaried, long-term careers that can put Long Island back on the radar for young talent, allowing our graduates to truly prosper. We have moaned about the “brain drain” for years. This is a chance to reverse it.
Sands also offers Long Islanders something we have long-sought: a central entertainment district that returns excitement and vitality to Nassau. It will attract people from all over to once again enjoy our shops and restaurants, and world-class performances. It will serve as a premiere space for business conventions and meetings, making Nassau a worthy destination for new industries and visitors. Long Islanders would finally have somewhere to live, work and play.
This development stands to bring to Nassau and Suffolk counties millions in annual revenue that could go towards much-needed property tax relief, the betterment of our schools or countless quality-of-life programs. It’s lovely to hear alternative ideas about what could or should go in that space, but let’s remember, we’ve heard ideas for over 20 years, and the result has been a vacant parking lot. Companies of the Sands’ caliber don’t come along every day, offering to spend $4-5 billion on a state-of-the-art development to create real and tangible benefits for the entire region. They have demonstrated their ability to deliver a quality project in Las Vegas, and Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, and they are showing a willingness to work within our community’s needs. We must not let this opportunity pass us by.
Sands has a long road ahead with approvals needed from various levels of government, but I hope each hurdle is cleared faster than the last. It’s time for a fresh start at the Hub, and the African American Chamber of Commerce is proud to support this transformational and innovative project.
Phil Andrews is president of the Long Island African American Chamber of Commerce.
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