By Brendan O’Reilly
If the Nassau County legislature and the Town of Hempstead approve a plan to redevelop the Nassau Veteran’s Memorial Coliseum, the University could not only gain a new neighbor, but also additional housing and another baseball field.
Nassau County Executive Tom Suozzi announced March 16 that he has chosen the Lighthouse Development Group, a joint venture between the real estate investment firm Reckson and Charles Wang, owner of the Islanders NHL team, to redevelop the area as part of his “New Suburbia” plan.
New Suburbia is Suozzi’s goal of expanding Nassau County’s tax base while preserving the quality of life.
The group will be investing $1.6 billion into the Nassau Hub if the plan is approved.
The project includes a $200 million renovation of the Coliseum and the construction of a 22-story apartment tower.
LDG is committed to making 20 percent of the proposed housing units affordable for the “next generation,” Patricia Bourne, executive commissioner of the Nassau County Planning Commission, said.
Reckson Associates met with University President Stuart Rabinowitz a number of times to discuss how the new development could benefit the University and meet its needs, Scott Rechler, president and chief executive officer of Reckson Associates, said. He pointed to the inclusion of student housing into the LDG plan.
“We’re particularly interested of course in the affordable housing,” said Stuart Vincent, assistant vice president of University Relations, adding that students, faculty and staff have complained about the cost of housing on Long Island.
“They also made a proposal to build a ballpark on county property,” Bourne said.
The stadium could be constructed on the Hub within one to two years, Rechler said. With its construction, a new minor league team will be established in Nassau, instead of moving an existing Atlantic League Baseball team, according to Reckson’s Web site.
The University hopes an agreement can be reached in which the school will be able to use the new baseball field, according to Vincent.
Both of the finalist developers approached the University and took the school into consideration when making their plans for the Nassau Hub, Vincent said.
Bourne said LDG will also invest $55 million in transportation improvement. The planned bussing services are to decrease congestion and make it easier to get to the Long Island Railroad, museum row, the Coliseum, Eisenhower Park and other cultural destinations.
Another part of the plan is the Sports Technology Center.
LDG said the University and Nassau Community College students will have internship opportunities at the facility.
“That would be a real good experience,” Karl Williams, a junior athletic training major, said. “You could build connections for your future career.”