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Ratner has been working with the county on this for months so he had the inside track. Typical bag job. Will be interesting to see if he actually delivers on what's been proposed - he has a track record of the ol' bait and switch.
This. Remember Roosevelt Raceway and how people with "friends" in high places made out on that deal.
Here is why it costs less. Ratner is just going to "fix it up" (as in, and I quote the story "renovate," "redo," "refurbish") and make significantly smaller (losing almost 5K seat), not demolish and build a new one. I wonder how that's going to work out as the current Coliseum is asbestos hell, as per the 100+ lawsuits going on against Nassau County, the Islanders, and SMG (the old management company) right now. Ratner is sneaky. He tries to act like he's "building a new coliseum" in some of his quotes, but he's really not. He's going to get the exact same parking deal that the old management company had (the county would receive 8 percent of gross revenues and 12.75 percent of parking fees with escalating minimum guaranteed payments over the initial 34-year lease term) and Ratner will barely have to do anything really. Certainly nothing big. He's only promising 13,000 seats in the renovated arena which will be surrounded by a complex that will include an ice skating rink, a bowling alley or a movie theater. NOT all three, just pick one.
So basically he's going to replace the wood paneling and shag rugs from the '70s and give the place a paint job and new screen doors. Nice.
This is the problem with LI. When someone not politically connected like Wang proposes a game changing idea that the insiders are not "in on", they push that idea aside and LIers have to settle for some more shopping outlets and a bowling alley.
I can't wait until George Maragos chimes in to tell us that each order of potato skins at the new sports bar and every shoe rental at the new bowling alley will generate $80 kajillion in county revenue.
With a sports arena, like the Coliseum, what else can you do with it that does not require you demolish completely? You have the foundation of course, but everything on top of it is kind of useless unless for entertainment directed at either the center or off to the side. Are they going to turn this into some theatre?
How many Sesame Street Live, Circuses, American Idols, and Disney on Ice can they book in a year? Barclay's has the cool Brooklyn appeal happening. No one worth their salt is going to want to schlepp to Oniondale.
I think the parents dont want to drag their kids to Brooklyn. Isnt this the only venue on Long Island? They can do high school, Hofstra, and Stony Brook graduations there. Where does Hofstra and Stony Brook play ball?
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