Over the past nineteen months, the New York Islanders have worked vigorously to develop a brand-new, state-of-the-art arena at Belmont Park. Finally, that battle may be nearing its conclusion.
On July 9, Empire State Development adopted a report that expressed the impact of the arena on the surrounding community — a crucial step in the approval process. With that out of the way, the Islanders are now closer to putting a shovel in the ground than they have ever been before.
Just hours before the agency adopted the environmental impact report, the state announced its plans to build a full-time, $105 million Long Island Rail Road station about a mile from the proposed arena, which is seen as a pivotal step in decreasing congestion and winning the support of project critics.