Court Voids Nassau Coliseum Lease Transfer for Sands New York Casino Plan
Posted on: November 10, 2023, 04:57h.
Last updated on: November 14, 2023, 09:16h.
A New York State Supreme Court justice Thursday annulled a previously agreed to lease transfer of Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Uniondale, NY — the site where Las Vegas Sands is looking to construct a $4 billion casino hotel.
In May, the Republican-controlled Nassau County legislators voted 17-1 in favor of granting Sands a 99-year lease to develop county-owned land on the Nassau Hub site. Sands revealed in January that its quest for a New York City-area gaming license would be centered on Nassau County. This year, Sands has paid $241 million to the former leaseholder, Nassau Live Center LLC, and $54 million to the county as the lease accord requires.
Sands’ effort to procure one of the three yet-to-be-awarded New York City-area casino permits is widely supported by Nassau County politicians of both parties, and the plan is mostly favored by locals. Hofstra University is a vocal critic of the proposal.
In April, the university near the Coliseum sued Nassau County, alleging county officials held talks on the Sands casino without informing the public of those discussions. If true, that violates New York’s open meeting laws.
Hofstra has demonstrated that the failure to post the resolution was not merely technical, but rather was ‘an attempt to avoid public scrutiny’ of the proposed lease transfer,” wrote Justice Sarika Kapoor in her decision.
Sands said the ruling doesn’t affect its New York plans nor believes the decision will impact its odds of winning a gaming permit in the state.
Nassau County Has Some Work to Do
In her ruling, Kapoor asserted that Nassau County focused more on the technicalities of the Coliseum lease transfer to Sands and less on allowing public comment on the issue and how a gaming venue could affect nearby communities.
Sands has touted the job-creating potential of the proposed gaming venue and its ability to bolster receipts for Nassau County and the state. The company has also highlighted plans to lure convention business to the hotel, entertainment and restaurants — traits that diminish the argument that it would be a gaming-centric establishment.
However, the Say NO to the Casino Civic Association, a group opposing the Nassau County casino effort, argued that not only have locals not heard their voices, but a gaming venue could increase crime, environmental harm and traffic. The group is calling for environmental and traffic impact studies to be conducted following the Supreme Court ruling.
In her decision, Kapoor noted because the county “engaged in improper segmentation by not considering the future development planned by Sands, the Court finds that the Nassau County Legislature did not take the requisite ‘hard look’ at the relevant areas of environmental concern raised by the lease transfer…”
A traffic study has yet to be conducted, and Sands chose to focus its New York efforts on Long Island to avoid contributing to motor vehicle congestion in Manhattan. In August, Sands submitted a land-use application to Hempstead — one of the towns that could be affected by the casino hotel. That town is conducting an environmental impact review as required by state law.
Ruling Adds to Already Chaotic New York Casino Process
In 2022, New York lawmakers approved three downstate casinos — a decision that has lured some of the industry’s biggest names to the fourth-largest state to try their luck. Since then, the process has become increasingly hectic.
It was originally expected that regulators there would decide on the three winning bidders in 2024, but some analysts believe that decision will be pushed off to 2025. Additionally, bids by MGM’s Empire City Casino in Yonkers and Genting’s Resorts World New York in Queens could be hampered by former executive Scott Sibella’s alleged role in an illegal sports betting ring.
Thursday’s court ruling on the Nassau County lease transfer adds to the chaos. The Say NO to Casino Civic Association views the decision as a warning shot for other New York casino efforts.
“New York State officials should take note of this ruling by Judge Kapoor when making decisions on awarding the gambling licenses, as it highlights (Nassau) County Executive (Bruce) Blakeman’s contempt for his own constituents, and his blatant disregard for federal, state, and even county laws, as well as the right of every Nassau County resident to understand the wide-ranging, long-term impacts that this massive project will have on our way of life,” according to the group.
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Last Comments ( 9 )
Where will the meetings be held? Will there be enough handicapped parking spaces for Nassau County residents who require use of wheelchairs to attend? If meetings are at Supreme Court in Mineola, paying to park is inaccessible for those who use wheelchairs, (if there are not enough handicapped parking spots.) Which newspapers were the required 2 legal notices placed in (two weeks prior to meeting,) and were the legal notices printed in at least size 14 font? Will there be an American Sign Language interpreter present at the meeting and will the meeting(s) be televised so that people who are home-bound can participate in real-time discussions? How can residents obtain the minutes of the meetings if they cannot attend due to outside commitments, etc.? Will people be able to post comments on-line real time or before meeting begins? Will there be follow-up meetings?
Your article states most locals (your typo says vocals) favor the casino. In each conversation I have had since the January announcement, the large majority of locals do not want a casino. Sands correctly notes the job opportunities but unemployment is already low and we already have a casino, Jake’s 58 thirty miles to the east and soon Resorts World New York will be awarded a gaming license. It is just eighteen miles west of the proposed Sands Casino. Long Island does not need or want three casinos. New employment opportunities have just been addressed when Bruce Blakeman announced there will be a new medical facility built in the same area near the Hib: a joint venture by NYU Langone and Nassau Community College. This is responsible growth all of us can support for Nassau County. Not a casino which brings social problems like addiction, crime, more crowded roads, a strain on our water supply in our fragile aquifer, and pollutuon. We are thankful that Justice Kapoor has called for an independent Environmental Impact Assessment. The huge volume of water required and the waste produced by this massive complex (70+ acres?) to air condition a land-locked casino/resort will degrade our precious water supply and will cause massive waste run-off. The environmental review alone should squash this wasteful, unnecessary venture. Keep Nassau County peaceful.
Let's take a look at the story behind the story here: why did Bruce Blakeman and the Nassau County Legislators violate both open meeting law and SEQR law in their rush to transfer the Coliseum lease to the Las Vegas Sands corporation. Why were they so desperate to, in the judges words "avoid public scrutiny" ? Were they upholding their duty to represent the best interests of Nassau County residents? In a word: No. They know that the overwhelming majority of residents do not want this casino. They know that the negative impacts far outweigh any "benefit" - - because there will be NO long term benefits from this project. In the end, it will cost Nassau taxpayers money and we will be saddled with a host of social problems and choked with traffic. The big beneficiaries will be Las Vegas Sands, NY State, and various political campaign funds. This whole thing is a Sucker Bet.
@Kalah. Your suggested remedy for problem gamblers apparently includes scolding them by saying "You need to be an adult and just suck it up! Your addiction to gambling means you have no self-control!" Keep in mind the following, my friend. As gambling debts build up people turn to other sources of money such as theft, or the sale of drugs. A lot of this pressure comes from bookies or loan sharks that people rely on for capital to gamble with. Also, a gambling addict that does not receive treatment for pathological gambling when in their desperation phase is likely to contemplate suicide. A total of 20% of pathological gamblers do consider suicide. Should we just scold them and affix a label that they failed to find and demonstrate self-control?
@Daniel. Or, perhaps society should quit pandering to those who can't control their urges. There used to be such a thing as personal accountability. Just because you can't control yourself doesn't mean everyone else should pay the price. Being a gambling addict means YOU (the generic you, not necessarily Daniel) have no self-control. Perhaps it's time to suck it up and be an adult.
Data from the Hofstra University Office of the Registar shows that back in 2020 and 2021, most of the university's undergrads were still in high school. They probably heard much more about substance abuse than they did about gambling addiction. Most likely if gambling addiction was ever mentioned, it was probably only once. Here are the facts they never heard. Compulsive gambling, also called gambling disorder, is the uncontrollable urge to keep gambling despite the toll it takes on your life. Gambling means that you're willing to risk something you value in the hope of getting something of even greater value. Gambling can stimulate the brain's reward system much like drugs or alcohol can, leading to addiction. If you have a problem with compulsive gambling, you may continually chase bets that lead to losses, use up savings and create debt. You may hide your behavior and even turn to theft or fraud to support your addiction. Your life will no longer be charming. Rally together and fight this proposed casino in Nassau County! Don't just hope for the best that someone else will do it.
Hats off to Hofstra on the winning the lawsuit. By calling out the blatantly corrupt legislative process, Hofstra protected not only their students, but also our nearby communities against a casino that no one wants who is not on the payroll of the Sands (sadly, it’s a very long list). It’s shameful that Hofstra ended up ‘de facto‘ protecting Nassau County while our elected representatives ignored the will of their own constituents. I look forward to a fair and transparent process that will start from the beginning. When Blakeman’s thumb is no longer on the scale, I am confident the casino will be affirmatively rejected by a wide margin.
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If Sands' proposal was really in the community's best interest, they should welcome a proper public hearing because the community would genuinely support them. Instead, their proposal privileges a few who are already rich and powerful at the expense of everyone else -- and everyone knows it. Sands' proposal cannot withstand the scrutiny of even a single fairly conducted public meeting, which is why they are working with Blakeman to railroad this proposal into existence without any opportunity for meaningful public input. Put the development of the casino up for a vote!