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Shinnecock land deal; almost complete
Topic Started: Apr 18 2011, 05:22 PM (5,546 Views)
stevedepot
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WISENHEIMER
Garth will call in yet another favor to another agent who wants to drive his players free agent salary up just like they did with Paul Martin. Works great for both parties involved.
Agent gets positive spin for his client and a lil more from teams he WANTS to play for and Garth got a good excuse to give anyone naive enough to buy it.



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Webb20
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Godfather
Newsday reports that the coliseum will be just by taxpayers monies in floated bonds. $300M for the arena, $50M for a minor league ballpark at Mitchell field. They are still saying Belmont for a Casino, but the County hasn't even talked to the Indians about that site yet.

What info did the press conference yield?
I sold it all, retired and moved to Fabulous Las Vegas!
"They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety."-Ben Franklin
"Government exists to protect us from each other. Where government has gone beyond its limits is in deciding to protect us from ourselves."-Ronald Reagan
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IslandersWin86
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Kate Murray trying to sound like she was on the Islanders side all along
$350M for Isles arena, $50M for minor league baseball
Wang basically taking a loan from taxpayers to build it, with a piece of every dime earned through any events going to the county.
Labor unions liked it. Veterans will be acknowledged i.e. naming.
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Mulefan
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2nd line
Go out and buy your Quebec Islanders jerseys. No way that this ever gets approved by Nassau County voters. There just isn't enough interest in hockey much less the Islanders in Nassau. Most people could care less and don't want to pay another dime for anything in these economic times. Not a snowballs chance in hell. So enjoy the next 4 seasons because it is off to Quebec or Winnipeg after 2015.
Pete
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rifleman22
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I may be the only optimistic fool on this board, but here goes.

This is the first sliver of hope we have in keeping this team here. I hope beyond hope that the referendum passes by a landslide. This, I think, is not a way for the politicos to cover their collective asses, it is a way for Nassau County to finally have a "come to jesus" moment. Either end the torture by voting "no" and regret it for years to come, or vote "yes" and create jobs, tax revenue and tourism in a time when many other places are dying for it. And most of those places that are dying WILL die, especially in this economy.

I want my Islanders to stay where they are and have a new arena. The fate of Islander fans is now OUT of the hands of the politicians and IN the hands of the voters of Nassau County.

I can't see it any other way.

I hope those with vision out vote those old shut ins that don't drive and are afraid of traffic.

:isles:
THE RIFLE

Sometimes you're the windshield,
sometimes you're the bug.
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Islander4cups
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In Garth I Trust
Mulefan,May 11 2011
12:43 PM
Go out and buy your Quebec Islanders jerseys. No way that this ever gets approved by Nassau County voters. There just isn't enough interest in hockey much less the Islanders in Nassau. Most people could care less and don't want to pay another dime for anything in these economic times. Not a snowballs chance in hell. So enjoy the next 4 seasons because it is off to Quebec or Winnipeg after 2015.

This isn't just about the Islanders. If the arena isn't renovated, it will be condemned by 2018. Think about it...

The County was losing money on the arena, so much so they claimed they couldn't afford the 1 mill in upkeep a year. If the Isles move, there goes the only major tenant...then less of an operating budget and more dilapitation...

and soon concerts, the Globe Trotters, Circus and Ice Capades don't come to NVMC either.

This will get passed. The fact that it is a Monday in the summer and that it requires just a MAJORITY yes vote guarantees it. No one is getting on line in August heat to vote no.
I miss these :cup: :cup: :cup: :cup: and want more of them
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25yearfan
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You can call me Joe.
A couple of things on this:

- new Coliseum is going to deliver benefits to constituents beyond just Islanders fans -- concerts, kids events, tradeshows, other events all should benefit; NCAA basketball? Figure skating regional events? US Curling Championships? (ok, too obscure?)

- baseball should do well - we live 5 min from the LI Ducks, usually a good crowd there, probably bigger draw with more population near NVMC

- there needs to be a way for neighbors in Queens, Suffolk who are NYI fans to get involved -- maybe fund a separate entity that feeds back / reduces the bond commitment(?)

- people should rally for some tangible sign of local recovery - why not this?

- this is probably the last, best hope to get something done in a timeframe that's helpful for keeping NYI in Nassau -- they are going to ping pong the Lighthouse to death - this should have been done ten years ago

- pre-vote organization needs massive support from fans beyond Nassau - I'm going to contact the folks I'm friendly with who are tight with Mangano / see how I can put my back into this -- besides writing random / image heavy posts here, I am looking for a way to contribute to a YES vote on August 1.


Call me naive.
Call me a dreamer.
Call me a middle aged man fairly obsessed with the Islanders, and the hope that my son will get to see them win the Cup, as I did at his age. (Repeatedly.)

Just don't call me late for dinner....
Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die.

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dragoneye
Kung Fu Hockey
I asked Mr. Wang today what he would do if the proposal didn't pass. He said he didn't even want to think about it, and when pressed a bit he said basically all options are on the table again.

All of you in Nassau need to motivate to get this done. Make sure you vote for the new coliseum, and get your friends and neighbors to vote too. If it is true, the bond will act as a loan that will be paid back to the people. There were no specific details as to what percentage of each dollar of revenue will be shared, but it seems promising. They are presenting it as a no brainer and it just might be. Keep the team on LI.
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stevedepot
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dragoneye,May 11 2011
01:44 PM
I asked Mr. Wang today what he would do if the proposal didn't pass. He said he didn't even want to think about it, and when pressed a bit he said basically all options are on the table again.

All of you in Nassau need to motivate to get this done. Make sure you vote for the new coliseum, and get your friends and neighbors to vote too. If it is true, the bond will act as a loan that will be paid back to the people. There were no specific details as to what percentage of each dollar of revenue will be shared, but it seems promising. They are presenting it as a no brainer and it just might be. Keep the team on LI.

This is the first I heard of the one question I WANTED answered.
THANK YOU and great job!

:thumbsup:
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4CUPZ
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HEAD OF SECURITY
dragoneye,May 11 2011
02:44 PM
I asked Mr. Wang today what he would do if the proposal didn't pass.  He said he didn't even want to think about it, and when pressed a bit he said basically all options are on the table again. 

All of you in Nassau need to motivate to get this done.  Make sure you vote for the new coliseum, and get your friends and neighbors to vote too.  If it is true, the bond will act as a loan that will be paid back to the people.  There were no specific details as to what percentage of each dollar of revenue will be shared, but it seems promising.  They are presenting it as a no brainer and it just might be.  Keep the team on LI.

JOHN
YOU SHOULD HAVE ASKED WANG
A FEW YEARS AGO JUST DOING THE COLISEUM WAS SHOT DOWN
HE WASNT INTERESTED AND HE WOULD NEVER GET HIS MONEY BACK
WHATS CHANGED? AND TO LIE SAYING ALL HE EVER WANTED WAS A NEW COLISEUM TO KEEP THE ISLANDERS HERE WHERE THEY BELONG

HE'S FULL OF IT BUT I GUESS HE'S BETTING ON A SHORT MEMORY SPAN
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Webb20
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What's changed you ask?? His investment goes from all to nil. It's all on the taxpayers with a bond issue. Before he had to build a $1B real estate deal to cover the cost of the Coliseum, now he's just a tenant/mangement corp/middle man who will rake in the bucks and pay his lease to the county. Once public funds took over it becomes a no brainer for him.
I sold it all, retired and moved to Fabulous Las Vegas!
"They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety."-Ben Franklin
"Government exists to protect us from each other. Where government has gone beyond its limits is in deciding to protect us from ourselves."-Ronald Reagan
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dragoneye
Kung Fu Hockey
Webb20,May 12 2011
03:11 AM
What's changed you ask?    His investment goes from all to nil.    It's all on the taxpayers with a bond issue.  Before he had to build a $1B real estate deal to cover the cost of the Coliseum, now he's just a tenant/mangement corp/middle man who will rake in the bucks and pay his lease to the county.  Once public funds took over it becomes a no brainer for him.

What has changed is that he won't be financing the plan directly anymore. The way the deal sounds that Wang will give a percentage of future revenue to Nassau county eventually paying back the money. They haven't decided anything about the percentage, and like BD said today the devil is in the details. The details are still up in the air, but at least there is something to work on.

I think the idea is to present it as a partnership between the people of LI/ Nassau County and the Islanders. One where the people can't lose and it is a no brainer. Again, see devil is in the details comment.
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Snowy
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Webb20,May 11 2011
02:11 PM
What's changed? His investment goes from all to nil. It's all on the taxpayers with a bond issue. Before he had to build a $1B real estate deal to cover the cost of the Coliseum, now he's just a tenant/mangement corp/middle man who will rake in the bucks and pay his lease to the county. Once public funds took over it becomes a no brainer for him.

I hate to say this guys, but there's close to zero chance of this happening. This has generated more negativity than even I thought was possible. I figured there would at least be some people publicly who were for this. Doesn't seem like anyone is. Only hope is that this negativity dies down drastically over the next two months and the opposition against this goes to sleep. Probably not going to happen.
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sybo
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Prolly time for a new thread on this...


Anyway...here is Botta's take...for espn.com:
Quote:
 
A summer blockbuster on Long Island
The Aug. 1 arena vote could be the Islanders' biggest save since Billy Smith retired

    *
After nearly two decades of pain and suffering on and off the ice, the New York Islanders and their fans -- the community still proudly known as Islanders Country -- are finally one realistic step closer to having a new home in Nassau County.

A plan was announced Wednesday at an awkward, often cringe-inducing combination press conference/booster club rally/labor union gathering at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum -- which, along with the Joe in Detroit, is one of only two arenas left in the NHL worthy of being called a "barn." The plan, as hatched by Nassau County executive Edward Mangano and Islanders owner Charles Wang, is a little bit devilish and little bit genius. On Aug. 1, the residents of Nassau will vote on a $400 million bond referendum: $350 million for an arena built on the Coliseum property, $50 million for a minor league ballpark -- because, after all, who hasn't been crying for a Nassau rival to Suffolk's Long Island Ducks?

The majority vote has to be yes, or the Islanders will likely leave town when their Coliseum lease expires in 2015.

The majority vote, unless the Islanders and Nassau's political leadership really whiff on this empty-netter, will be yes.

[+] EnlargeJohn Tavares
Jim McIsaac/Getty ImagesExpect to see Tavares and teammates stumping for votes.

The key here is Aug. 1. Think about it. The vote is not going to be on Election Day, when tens of thousands of Nassau residents would be in position for a knee-jerk rejection of a $400 million expense by a bankrupt county. (The fact is, county taxes are not expected to go up if Wang gets the dough for his building on the Coliseum property. The bond will be covered by eventual revenue from the new facility.)

The Aug. 1 date, mandated by Mangano, naturally irks the opposition. Aug. 1 is a Monday in the summer. Think about the people who will be inspired to vote Yes or No, to make the effort to drive to the polling stations to take a stand on one issue on a Monday during a Long Island summer.

The Yeas: Islanders fans, the die-hards and the moderates; the unions that approve of the jobs that will be created, and every friend and colleague the union workers urge to show up to vote; everyone in Nassau who wants to see that asphalt on the Coliseum site finally put to good use; everyone convinced by the county and Islanders' marketing campaign that this will actually lead to lower taxes; lovers of concerts and family shows. (Please feel free to add your categories in the comments below.)

The Nays: People convinced by opposing politicians and a handful (at most) of community activist coalitions insisting that the referendum is corporate welfare and Wang and Mangano are evil. (Got other ideas? Comment.)

In an unusual development, the Islanders are the heavy favorites in this game. On Aug. 1, who is going to make the effort to vote against keeping the Islanders on Long Island, vote against the creation of thousands of jobs and vote against a plan that -- as all the ads will insist -- does not raise taxes? In what figures to be an expensive sales, marketing and public relations campaign, the Islanders have more than two months to get their positive messages out to fans and residents. Mike Bossy, John Tavares and other stars of the past and future will spend part of the summer rallying support. The opposition, with no big names and with likely little funding, will not have much to engage and hold the public's attention.

Of course, Wang can help his cause by improving his hockey club. To gain momentum from his loudest supporters, Wang can finalize a long-term contract with restricted free agent Michael Grabner, the Calder Trophy finalist who scored 34 goals this season and won over fans with his daffy daily life observations on Twitter. Wang can push to sign franchise player Tavares, whose Entry Level contract ends in 2012, to a deal that sends a message to the rest of the NHL that the Islanders are in business and are here to stay. When the unrestricted free agency period begins July 1, and the trade market begins to open up a week or so later, Wang can direct general manager Garth Snow to significantly upgrade the talent and the depth on the roster.

What the Islanders don't want to do is take their fans for granted. More than any home opener in October, dynasty celebration in January or playoff game in April, the Islanders need their fans to show up on Aug. 1. That's politics. That's professional sports. Wang and Mangano must line up supporters to counter everyone who watched Wednesday's Gong Show and thought, "Wow, Charles and Ed are really pulling a fast one with this Aug. 1 thing."

"I'm extremely confident that the creation of a destination center and home for the Islanders will be realized," Wang said at the pep rally.

He has reason to be confident. But if the Islanders and Mangano somehow blow this, they'll only have themselves to blame.
Garth Snow circa 2006:
Quote:
 
but how can you not be excited about DiPietro…Robert Nilsson…Ryan O'Marra…Petteri Nokelainen…Jeremy Colliton…Kyle Okposo…Blake Comeau…Sean Bergenheim…Chris Campoli…and so many others.
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gdprof27
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Can I move in with someone here who lives in Nassau County? I can look after myself and I'll be out by noon on August 1st.




This will be agonizing for Islander fans with no vote in the matter!
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Mulefan
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Islander4cups,May 11 2011
12:58 PM
Mulefan,May 11 2011
12:43 PM
Go out and buy your Quebec Islanders jerseys. No way that this ever gets approved by Nassau County voters. There just isn't enough interest in hockey much less the Islanders in Nassau. Most people could care less and don't want to pay another dime for anything in these economic times. Not a snowballs chance in hell. So enjoy the next 4 seasons because it is off to Quebec or Winnipeg after 2015.

This isn't just about the Islanders. If the arena isn't renovated, it will be condemned by 2018. Think about it...

The County was losing money on the arena, so much so they claimed they couldn't afford the 1 mill in upkeep a year. If the Isles move, there goes the only major tenant...then less of an operating budget and more dilapitation...

and soon concerts, the Globe Trotters, Circus and Ice Capades don't come to NVMC either.

This will get passed. The fact that it is a Monday in the summer and that it requires just a MAJORITY yes vote guarantees it. No one is getting on line in August heat to vote no.

In these economic times??? Are you serious??? Tax payers, especially those who could give a rats ass about hockey will show up in droves for that vote. 90% of people I know could care less about hockey and could care less about having a new arena for Ice Capades, Harlem Globetrotters or anything else like that. What they do care about is having some of the highest tax rates in the nation, rising food and gas prices, and other forms of inflation. They will show up and shoot this down in a NY minute if not for anything else than making a point that enough is enough and they aren't coughing up another dime for something like a hockey arena.

As far as being repaid through future profits there is no way to guarantee that there will be any profits. I don't think a new building will mean sell outs every night if at all. People like me can't even afford to go under current prices. You think all of a sudden with much higher admission prices, concession prices, and parking prices that people in these economic times are gonna fill a new arena on any kind of consistent basis??? Maybe if you have the 1982 Islanders or 1985 Oilers playing there in Islander jerseys. Just take a look at the brand new just built Citi Field. I bet they thought that would be filled for years despite what the team did just because it was a shiny new building but it is empty. Even attendance at Yankee Stadium is down and they have a consistent winner. People can't spend what they don't have!

I would love to see it happen but if you are footing the bill to Nassau County residents who are already completely fed up with what it costs to live there then it is a dead deal. You think voters won't show because it is a Monday???? We will see but I highly doubt that. In these times I think this will get shot down by a landslide, not approved by one.
Pete
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Mulefan
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dragoneye,May 11 2011
02:25 PM
Webb20,May 12 2011
03:11 AM
What's changed you ask?    His investment goes from all to nil.    It's all on the taxpayers with a bond issue.   Before he had to build a $1B real estate deal to cover the cost of the Coliseum, now he's just a tenant/mangement corp/middle man who will rake in the bucks and pay his lease to the county.  Once public funds took over it becomes a no brainer for him.

What has changed is that he won't be financing the plan directly anymore. The way the deal sounds that Wang will give a percentage of future revenue to Nassau county eventually paying back the money. They haven't decided anything about the percentage, and like BD said today the devil is in the details. The details are still up in the air, but at least there is something to work on.

I think the idea is to present it as a partnership between the people of LI/ Nassau County and the Islanders. One where the people can't lose and it is a no brainer. Again, see devil is in the details comment.

There is no way to guarantee that the new building will be profitable, especially in these economic times so it is basically a crap shoot by the taxpayers with no guarantees. I don't see the voting public taking that chance. I hope I am wrong and it is passed but I just don't see it happening. Why can't Wang pay for it and then pay himself back later??? Why isn't he willing to take that chance while Nassau residents are expected to take it???
Pete
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sybo
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Mulefan,May 11 2011
03:49 PM
Why can't Wang pay for it and then pay himself back later??? Why isn't he willing to take that chance while Nassau residents are expected to take it???

Because he doesn't own the land...the county does.
Garth Snow circa 2006:
Quote:
 
but how can you not be excited about DiPietro…Robert Nilsson…Ryan O'Marra…Petteri Nokelainen…Jeremy Colliton…Kyle Okposo…Blake Comeau…Sean Bergenheim…Chris Campoli…and so many others.
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gdprof27
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sybo,May 11 2011
03:55 PM
Because he doesn't own the land...the county does.

= square 1
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Rub Ur Ducky
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I dont think it will get approved either cause hockey isnt popular enough...Sadly I think theyre gone if it doesnt...This is game 7...wish I could vote
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