NEW YORK (CelebrityAccess) The New York Islanders have been awarded the right to build a new arena in Elmont, N.Y. in Nassau County at the site of Belmont Park bringing the hockey team closer to its traditional Long Island fan base.
The Islanders had been seeking an alternative to the Barclays Center, which became the team’s home in the 2015-16 season.
The Islanders’ proposal, which beat out a submission from Major League Soccer’s New York City Football Club, is for a mixed-use project to include a 200-room hotel, plus 400,000 square feet of dining and retail space.
It is expected to host 41 Islander home games per year as well as more than 150 other events including concerts.
Joining the Islanders in the proposal was the Oak View Group, the parent company of Pollstar and Venues Today, whose investors include James Dolan’s Madison Square Garden Co., which owns its namesake arena as well as the Knicks and Rangers, and Sterling Equities, which owns baseball’s New York Mets.
Sterling Properties, owned by the Wilpon family, owner of the New York Mets, has been selected to construct the new arena.
State officials in July had asked for proposals to develop the site, saying part of their aim was to transform Belmont Park into a entertainment, sports, hospitality and retail complex.
