The future home of the Islanders NHL Hockey team and entertainment events in Elmont Long Island , New York……
After decades of dashed hopes and dark moments for New York Islanders fans awaiting a new home, the steel, brick and concrete that are melding on the border of Long Island and Queens look to be a bright spot.
Even before Friday’s “topping off” ceremony — where the last steel beam was raised — Oak View Group chief executive Tim Leiweke, a partner in Belmont Park’s redevelopment, has been pushing to make the project a symbol and a sign of Long Island’s comeback.
Leiweke has given tours of the UBS Arena to sponsors, media, and more. On Thursday, he spoke to the Long Island Association’s economic development and infrastructure committee, saying he is “very, very bullish on Long Island.”
Leiweke is hoping to have the arena ready to go by November 2021, he said, noting that it remains on schedule despite the work stoppage during the height of the coronavirus pandemic. And the new Long Island Rail Road station at the site is on schedule, too, he added.
“Despite the virus and despite the economy, we plowed straight ahead and we never blinked,” Leiweke said. “We have zero doubts about this project and absolute confidence in Long Island and the support we’ll get with this project.”
The redevelopment at Belmont Park is a joint venture between Oak View, the New York Islanders, and Sterling Project Development, the real estate group controlled by the Wilpon family.
And among those partners, the $1 billion arena is “fully funded,” Leiweke told the LIA, noting that Oak View has put in $250 million in equity into the project, and the debt it needed to secure is “locked down.”….