The Belmont Park Arena Brings New Excitement to Long Island
Elmont, N.Y. — After nearly two decades of figuring out where they will play, the New York Islanders will finally have a place they can call home. The New York Islanders will be building a brand new arena in Elmont, New York right next to Belmont Park.
Ground broke on the new multi-billion dollar, 19,000 seat arena back on September 23rd. The arena will be surrounded by a number a hotel condominiums and an entertainment village. The plan also includes a renovated Elmont LIRR station.
The new complex is estimated to bring in over 10,000 new jobs and over $850 million in economic activity according to a general statement by the governor’s office.
“I love the fact that the Islanders are going to get a new arena and have a new singular place they can play in,” said co-Islanders producer Grant Francis. “Jumping back and forth between two stadiums isn’t ideal for any team,” said Francis.
A place to finally call home
The Islanders have not had a permanent home since 2014 when they began playing home games at the Barclays center in Brooklyn. Proceeding this was years of failed attempts to rebuild or replace Nassau Coliseum, now one of two interim homes of the Islanders for the next two seasons.
“With them obviously being called the ‘Islanders’, Brooklyn was not really home for them” said co-Islanders producer Sage Camosse. “To keep them on Long Island is a big part of this community and a large part in where they get their support,” said Camosse.
Ongoing Lawsuits against the Arena continue
Although the arena is brought with much optimism from anyone affiliated with the Islanders, their fan base, and county/state legislators alike, two lawsuits have been filed this month against the billion-dollar arena. The lawsuits bring up the factors about the possibility of increased traffic and the overall safety surrounding the community of Elmont residents.
Despite these lawsuits, construction still continues at the Elmont site. Even with a delayed start, the Belmont arena is set to be complete before the start of the 2021–2022 NHL season.
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Check out this slideshow of the current construction at the Belmont Arena:
