By GREGORY ZELLER //
Nassau lawmakers are all in – almost – on Las Vegas Sands.
In granting the Nevada-based resort owner a 99-year lease to develop the 72-acre site around Uniondale’s Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, the Nassau County Legislature has offered its overwhelming – but not unanimous – support.
The 19-member board voted 17-1 Monday night in favor of the regional-destiny-altering proposal, with only Legislator Delia DeRiggi-Whitton (D-Glen Cove) – a Hofstra University alumna, former Glen Cove City Council member, lifelong Glen Cove resident and longtime representative of Nassau’s 11th Legislative District, in all its Gold Coast glory – dissenting.
Bruce Blakeman: Right call.
Veteran Legislator Kevan Abrahams (D-Freeport) – the legislature’s minority leader and 20-year representative of District 1, where Uniondale is mapped – bowed out of the vote after announcing last month he would not seek re-election when his current term, his 11th on the board, expires later this year.
With Abrahams out and DeRiggi-Whitton standing alone, it was technically a split decision – but Nassau lawmakers, starting with County Executive Bruce Blakeman, left little doubt about Las Vegas Sands’ $5 billion-ish plan, which comes complete with a glittering casino, world-class hotel, massive entertainment venue and even a housing component, plus shiny promises of economic activity and tons of tax revenues.
“The overwhelming bipartisan approval of lease terms with the Sands by the County Legislature affirms that Nassau County has made the right decision,” Blakeman said Monday night. “I am very pleased with the vote.”
Most pleasing to the county executive: The lease transfer requires Sands to pay Nassau an additional $54 million before the end of July, with a minimum of $25 million in annual tax revenues guaranteed over the next 99 years.
But that windfall comes at a price, according to opponents of the ambitious plan.
Kevan Abrahams: Sitting this one out.
Garden City lawmakers and the Hofstra University Board of Trustees are among those who’ve stepped up in opposition; on Sunday, protestors from across Nassau County rallied to urge legislators – who largely kept their opinions quiet in the days leading up to Monday’s decision – to just say “no.”
Hoisting red-and-white “Say NO to the Casino” signs, the protesters – predicting spikes in local crime, drug addiction and traffic – were joined by Westbury Mayor Peter Cavallaro, who acknowledged the Nassau Coliseum site is “begging to be redeveloped,” but not this way.
“That site should be redeveloped … it should have been redeveloped a long time ago,” Cavallaro told protestors. “But a casino is the exact wrong thing to be putting at that site.”
In a statement released after Monday night’s vote, the Say No to the Casio Civic Association – a grassroots groups formed specifically to oppose Las Vegas Sands’ Uniondale proposal – decried “a demonstration of (the) power of money in government.”
“We are deeply disappointed that our elected officials disregarded their constituents’ concern and approved the lease transfer tonight,” the statement read. “We are alarmed by the lack of transparency in the process and disgusted that the taxpayers will be burdened with the long-term negative consequences of this decision.”
Robert Goldstein: High stakes.
But concern for Nassau County residents has been front-and-center throughout the process, according to Las Vegas Sands Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Robert Goldstein, who referenced “over 300 community meetings” with regional residents, lawmakers and business associations.
“We are proud of the widespread coalition we have built with our new neighbors across Long Island,” the chairman added. “We are grateful for the trust they have placed in us and look forward to continuing to collaborate with the community.”
Las Vegas Sands still has Herculean obstacles to overcome, including Town of Hempstead zoning-change approvals and the acquisition of an all-important New York State gaming license, which is not guaranteed (though Sands has promised to proceed with its cutting-edge resort destination with or without a casino).
Overcome them they will, predicted Blakeman, who assured anxious constituents that their concerns are being addressed – and bright days are ahead.
“This is the first hurdle overcome to provide a world-class entertainment center with a luxury spa and hotel, creating thousands of jobs and economic prosperity for Nassau County,” the county executive added.
