Today Charles Wang announced that the New York Islanders will move to the newly built Barclays Center in 2015. Unable to get a new arena built he was forced to move the team. The Barclays Center was built for the Brooklyn Nets who have relocated from New Jersey just this coming NBA season.
The Islanders have been playing there games at the Nassau Coliseum since there inception in 1972.
In August of 2011 the people of Nassau County voted on the future of the Nassau Coliseum by voting down a $440 million bond issue that would have allowed the county to build a new arena and convention center. On the same land a minor league baseball stadium was also to have been built. An Atlantic League expansion team would have called the stadium home.
If they would have voted for the bond there taxes would have went up approx. $58 dollar for the year. This bond issue would have also brought 3,000 new jobs and would have generated $14 million in tax revenue.
Now the arena will more than likely be torn down and now jobs will be lost and the tax revenue will have to be made up. Most likely the tax revenue will be made up my raising taxes. The county has been meeting with numerous developers on what to do with the land. A new arena was to have been included. I'm guessing Wang was not happy with the proposed plans.
There has been speculation on where the Islander would end up for some time now. At one point back in 2009 reports had them going to Kansas City. In September of 2009 they had even played a preseason game in the Sprint Center vs. the Los Angles Kings. If I remember correctly the game did not draw an overwhelming number of fans. The Sprint Center was built without a tenant and was built to try to attract either a hockey or basketball team. Still to this date the arena does not have a sports team to call it home.
http://www.sprintcenter.com/
More recently a group of fans from Quebec came down to Long Island for a game to show there support for a proposed team. I'm sure they where trying to get Wang's attention. I believe Quebec also had plans to build a new arena.
With the Islander leaving, this will also will take away probably one of the easiest venues for us autograph collectors. For those who are not familiar with the Nassau Coliseum. The visiting teams stay at a hotel which is about 100 yards from the Islander current home. On most days the players walk to the arena. This makes it very easy for us to get autographs. Most players stop and sign. On some days there maybe upwards of 40 graphers braving the cold and windy weather. On days when the weather is bad the players take a van or a bus to the arena.
I only wish I would have started graphing the Islanders along time ago. I will have to make the best of it for the next couple of years.
When hockey does start up again, I think the Islander games will be very easy to get tickets for. Wang should just move the team ASAP because he will probably loose more money between now and the time they are scheduled to move.
Thanks for reading and Check back soon!!!!
The Islanders have been playing there games at the Nassau Coliseum since there inception in 1972.
In August of 2011 the people of Nassau County voted on the future of the Nassau Coliseum by voting down a $440 million bond issue that would have allowed the county to build a new arena and convention center. On the same land a minor league baseball stadium was also to have been built. An Atlantic League expansion team would have called the stadium home.
If they would have voted for the bond there taxes would have went up approx. $58 dollar for the year. This bond issue would have also brought 3,000 new jobs and would have generated $14 million in tax revenue.
Now the arena will more than likely be torn down and now jobs will be lost and the tax revenue will have to be made up. Most likely the tax revenue will be made up my raising taxes. The county has been meeting with numerous developers on what to do with the land. A new arena was to have been included. I'm guessing Wang was not happy with the proposed plans.
There has been speculation on where the Islander would end up for some time now. At one point back in 2009 reports had them going to Kansas City. In September of 2009 they had even played a preseason game in the Sprint Center vs. the Los Angles Kings. If I remember correctly the game did not draw an overwhelming number of fans. The Sprint Center was built without a tenant and was built to try to attract either a hockey or basketball team. Still to this date the arena does not have a sports team to call it home.
http://www.sprintcenter.com/
More recently a group of fans from Quebec came down to Long Island for a game to show there support for a proposed team. I'm sure they where trying to get Wang's attention. I believe Quebec also had plans to build a new arena.
With the Islander leaving, this will also will take away probably one of the easiest venues for us autograph collectors. For those who are not familiar with the Nassau Coliseum. The visiting teams stay at a hotel which is about 100 yards from the Islander current home. On most days the players walk to the arena. This makes it very easy for us to get autographs. Most players stop and sign. On some days there maybe upwards of 40 graphers braving the cold and windy weather. On days when the weather is bad the players take a van or a bus to the arena.
I only wish I would have started graphing the Islanders along time ago. I will have to make the best of it for the next couple of years.
When hockey does start up again, I think the Islander games will be very easy to get tickets for. Wang should just move the team ASAP because he will probably loose more money between now and the time they are scheduled to move.
Thanks for reading and Check back soon!!!!
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