SUOZZI TO ANNOUNCE LEASE ON THURSDAY
Supervisor Murray, it’s all up to you now
10:25 am - As written exclusively here on Saturday and ignored by the “mainstream,” Tom Suozzi is hosting a press conference on Thursday to announce a finalized lease for the Lighthouse. The project and the fate of the Islanders is now in the hands of the Town of Hempstead. I’ll be in Boston for Caps-Bruins for FanHouse, so follow Nick, Lighthouse on Twitter, Newsday and elsewhere. Also remember that the mainstream is convinced Brooklyn is not an option.
63 Responses to SUOZZI TO ANNOUNCE LEASE ON THURSDAY
Supervisor Murray, it’s all up to you now
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potvin rocks says:
so the project is still doomed
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Does it really matter? Oct 3 is going to come and go with no answer from the TOH. I mean everyone else is on board, except for Murray & Co. because they neglected to read what was given to them. Glad Suozzi is doing his part, but he’s and the others are not the problem. Let’s go Murray.
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Is this a step in the right direction? We know Suozzi has been doing his due diligence, but the TOH consistently demonstrates not.
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goislesgo105 says:
It’s really hard for me to believe that the TOH is not going to allow the Lighthouse to be built and allow the Isles to leave.It makes NO sense! If the Isles leave, they will have an empty Coliseum (which can then rightfully be called the Mosoleum!) and still have to develop the area, this time though without the Isles.Like I said, allowing the Isles to leave makes NO sense!!
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JT says:
Chris: Are you hinting that we should be on the lookout for some Brooklyn news over the next few days?
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Looks like the presser will be at noon – we’ll be armed with more details as they become available.
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I wonder if Wang’s deadline is still Saturday. I hope it is. Put the pressure on Murray and force her to make a decision already. Enough is enough.
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Jack says:
We all know that Murray wouldn’t give an answer by the Wang deadline even if she had one ready. The Newsday article last week made it clear that Wang has refused to pay off the right people from the begining. I think we all know how things work in NY and with our Gov’t. Once again Wang tried to re-invent the wheel.
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Mike from Oceanside says:
I still do not see this as a step in the right direction.
The signed lease, if not approved by the Nassau Legislature, I believe will invoke the “out” clause in the current lease and no prospective buyer of this franchise would consider a purchase of this team with the current lease in place. This opens the door for Mr. Wang to locate a buyer as the franchise becomes more attractive without the burden of the current lease agreement.
Although I still have my (fading) hopes that the Lighthouse Project will pass, this move, if not passed by the Nassau Legislature in 90 days, begins the process of making the Islanders readily available for sale and subsequent relocation.
Although the ToH wants a lease in place to review prior to any zoning changes, the cynic in me believe that this is being done to make the Islanders more attractive to a potential buyer, rather than satisfying a request of the ToH.
As much as I hope I’m wrong, I guess only time will tell.
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Dooks94 says:
Stick to your guns Charles! Murray is playin’ a high-stakes game of poker with you and this franchise. Threaten to move Sunday because you know darn well nothing will happen Saturday. Enough already
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orngfan says:
since our project is now in the hands of the “trustworthy” and “honest” board of the town of hempstead, i think we need to HAMMER HOME our points and call! call! call! the town of hempstead offices and let them know us long ISLANDERS want the lighthouse! 516 489 5000
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mrlbem says:
How long does the lease purport to keep the team here?
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People say we shouldn’t bring politics into this. But this is ALL politics. The only group not to have signed off on this is the town, which is the ONLY group run by Republicans. The State, the County and all the necessary State departments have signed off on this and they are ALL run by Democrats. So this is just the Republicans not wanting to let the Democrats look as if they were the visionaries on this project and the Republicans looking like they are caving into the Democrats. It’s a joke. This is not getting approved before the elections so Murray can win her re-election because for some ungodly reason, Republicans always win in Hempstead. Then it will be approved because it will be two years before she will need to face the Garden City constituents via an election. Move to Brooklyn or Queens already… please!
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BR says:
mrlbem – It’s a site lease for the development, so it may not necessarily address the Isles’ lease on the Coliseum itself.
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Staten Islander says:
Great, this is being left in the hands of Kate Murray. Basille is watching.
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BR, Got it. My understanding is that one of the issues the Town had was how long the Islanders would commit to the Coliseum in the new lease. Therefore, I thought that the execution of the lease on Thursday would respond to that issue (among other things).
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Brother Rat says:
Hm, to bring it back to TOH demands, I wonder if this lease will address some of Murray/TOH’s issues (“specific provisions”) brought up their Sept. 10 letter. Although, according to the Newsday article on it, it seemed to boil down to just requiring the renovation of the Coliseum first to prevent Wang/Rechler from selling dev rights or seeking tax breaks post-approval. While a last minute delay, that is not an onerous requirement to satisfy; in the spirit of absolute compliance and wanting to dot every i and cross every t, I sure hope this Suozzi lease covers all of TOH’s little demands. That would sure take away another reason that the TOH could hide under for a rejection.
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Ah, I see Newsday had another article detailing a few more of TOH’s “specific provisions” w/r/t the Sept. 10 letter: seeking TOH building permits for construction on county-owned land; hiring local residents for all construction jobs, paying prevailing wages; and making the town a third-party beneficiary of the lease, giving them standing to sue for any breach of the lease. Ok, so these first two seem to be standard–so TOH wants them in writing, fine–but I don’t know enough about NYS construction law to see if this third provision, for Town third-party beneficiary status, is a provision that’s standard or out of the ordinary. I wonder where this new Wang/Rechler/Suozzi lease stands on these provisions….
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Patrick says:
“Also remember that the mainstream is convinced Brooklyn is not an option.” I noticed this too. Not that Cablevision owned Newsday has any conflict of interest hiding public support about a move to Brooklyn. The Nets have a new multi-billionaire owner. Maybe he wants another toy to play with?
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Mick Vukota says:
I’m sure Kate Murray and her cronies will want to schedule another hearing to find out how tall some of the buildings are going to be and how many traffic lights are going to be added to the Hempstead Turnpike.
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big dog says:
I think they played it perfectly..now its in the hands of hungry hungry hippos..
Katey dont spoil your career with a denial..
no lighthouse = career doom for that buffoon.
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West Coast Fan says:
“Ontario 2047 (Seen the Lights Go Out In Nassau)”
(to the tune of Billy Joel’s “Miami 2017”)I’ve seen the lights go out in Nassau
I saw the Lighthouse plans laid low
And life went on beyond the Meadowbrook
They sold their real estate
And left there long ago…We held a concert out at Hofstra
To watch the Coliseum blow
They turned our power down
And drove us underground
But we went right on with the show…I’ve seen the lights go out in Nassau
I saw the ruins at my feet
You know we almost didn’t notice it
The vacant parking lot
Where we were gonna meetThey burned the banners in the rafters
Reminders of the Drive for Five
The flames were everywhere
But no-one really cared
They failed to keep the dream aliveI’ve seen the lights go out in Nassau
I watched as Garden City fell
The trucks were lined up on the LIE
The unions went away
Consigned it all to hellBalsillie came down from the northlands
To pick the Isles up for free
They said that Kate could stay
For keeping Wang at bay
And sinking Rexcorp out at seaYou know those lights were bright in Nassau
But that was so many years ago
Before we all moved off the Island
Before the NHL
Moved on to Mexico
There are not many who remember
They say a handful still survive
To tell the world about
The way the lights went out
And keep the memory alive… -
Jim says:
West Coast,
That is THE best!!!!!!!
I say it’s over let em go. BUT make Kate Pay by voting all incumbent out this fall. -
Healy says:
West Coast Fan (#22) That was awesome, you a write by trade? I hope that song is never sung but its starting to feel like its becoming the reality.
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DonK says:
Bet that Jim Balsille has Wang on his speed dial and calls him on Sunday.
Unlike Coyotes, Gary & Co. have painted themselves into a corner with Isles, saying that the team can’t stay there one minute more than legally necessary. Once Suozzi signs, the clock starts ticking. The NHL has to put a second team in Southern Ontario — there’s too much $$ to be made. This gets NYC area down to a more manageable two teams, takes a team that’s losing money left and right and turns it into a money-maker and lets the NHL move the Coyotes at its leisure.
Of course, it breaks the heart of every hockey fan on the Island — but then again, it’s not like the Coliseum has been overwhelmed by fans every night (to be fair, the team’s been generally awful for 15 years).
By 2012-13, expect the Isles to be gone and the Coliseum a memory (it’s a dump, the county can’t/won’t fix it up, and the rest of the concerts/shows that come here now will opt to go somewhere other than a decrepit relic of a building.
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Eric says:
You “Islanders fans” #23-26 should be embarrassed. Where is your PRIDE? This thing is not over yet, far from it! I have never seen a stanley cup championchip, I have seen one team (1992-93)get past the first round and I have not given up hope. You think Bettman/nhl wants to move the New York Islanders? THey dont! Yes, I Know what Bettman has said that they wont stay there 1 second longer that legally possible and phoenix not moving to Ontario (yet)sure does not help the islanders, but I think when push comes to shove this thing will be approved. I ask again, where is your pride? You make islanders fans look like chumps!
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James says:
For what it is worth Bettman was just on NHL Live, praising Wang, praising the Lighthouse and saying this thing needs to get done and the Isles need to stay on Long Island.
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2277 says:
If you go to Lighthouseli.com it displays a letter from Senator Kirsten Gillebrand to the TOH stating full support from the senate for the Lighthouse, dated August 4!
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Big Van Vader says:
Eric #27- You are absolutely right. These jokers, I guess, can’t take a little adversity. They fold at the first sight of opposition. Kate Murray LOVES you people. Become Ragger fans. If you aren’t already.
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Brooks Simpson says:
It would be very nice if someone in the know simply spelled out the consequences of this lease signing.
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StevieL says:
You think Suozzi is dropping the first puck Saturday night??
I gotta think this is positive news! The bulls eye is squarely on Murray!! She has to be feeling the heat. I look for a closed door , TOH with Wang and Rechler. to work out a compromise with a huge announcement/celebration to follow! Look for a Kate Murray bobble-head night at NVMC!! -
dose says:
by george, i think JACK has got it. and i think it’s more about greed than politics. after all, isn’t greed what drive most politics.
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Blizzard says: …I agree with # 27. This thing is far from over. As far as two mamageble teams in NY fine move the Devils. The Islanders have been aweful for so long it effects their attendence. Put a respectable team on ice and they will come. The fall out now for TOH officials is huge. The onus is on them. The Island is watching. I predict a last minute go for the LHP.
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IslesHostage says:
Now what affect does the lease paperwork have on the out clause? Wang inserted his out clause into County paperwork, so the 90 days starts once the pen hits the paper, right? Hempstead has to approve it or else? Or just give a decision?
I believe it’s green light Wangville or Wang can relocate.
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art says:
Those who think that Wang’s phone will ring starting on Sunday don’t know the financial realities of owning an nhl franchise.#1 Aside from Hamilton the other Canadian cities all have problems Either the market is too small or there is no arena. Quebec City has the market and no arena. Halifax. and Winnepeg are too small and Winnepeg has failed before. Forget US sites especially KC. Wang would want at least $175M and then the new owner needs to either build an arena or get someone else to back it {private or public financing.
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Gutkowski has money (and partners, and was seen recently). NY has quite a few billionaires (or millionaires like Wang). A new owner can start the development with something money making but far less ambitious (cluttered) the Town would approve (and maybe do it without all the threats).
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PS {private or public financing] now we are up to $375. Now sell expensive seats and get corporate sponsorship in this environment. Tthe hockey model does not make sense today except as a billionaire’s toy. Most franchises in pro sports are thought of as investments but not Hockey. Bklyn or Queens are conversation pieces. Net result the Light House deal will be done!!! Sorry for breaking this up i PRESSed THE SUBMIT BUTTON BY MISTAKE.
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Steve says:
I really believe Islanders should just move to Brooklyn or Queens already. Even if they stay in Nassau county, I believe they will be facing a lot of disadvantages because TOH wants to be a third party beneficiary to the LIghthouse lease. What’s the point of building a development project in a land that the Islanders do not and will not own?
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Bruce Ratner, when the planning was done, wanted a rink in the building. The Phoenix Coyotes situation was caused back in 1987 when the city council gave into Coangelo’s demands for a basketball friendly building and that is what Phoenix built, it was stupid because of the way it was laid out and that is why thereare two buildings there. You think Ratner and the planners want a building that is basketball fiendly and other events not? They also have to knock off potential competition from Queens in a very crowded area that includes two buildings in Jersey, the Garden, the Coliseum and smaller venues in Bridgeport and Trenton. As John McMullen once told me, sports is all about emotion, not rationalty, ration says Brooklyn, if it is built, will have a rink for things like hockey and an ice show.
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vigs says:
I can’t say for sure what the end result will be of all this, but I do believe we will all know the answer (Yay or nay) somwhere between the election in November and the end of the calender year. There is no way Kate Murray is making a decision before the election.
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Kate Murray is waiting till after the election, then she’s gonna sqwash it
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Eric #27
How dare you question anyone’s commitment to the team. Especially anyone posting here. The fact anyone still bothers to post on IBP considering how badly the team has played and been managed in the last 10 years is a credit to the fans.
I am also sorry you can’t tell the difference between bleeding orange and blue and expressing regret over the crooked political process in a clever way. We’re not the ones who sound like “Raggers” fans.
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Gary says:
Murray will be here after the election if this doesn’t pass…
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Key word missing above NOT be here.
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Isles75 says:
I think the October 3rd deadline is more just a date on the calendar at this point and not a real threat. Wang is real close to getting something concrete out of all this mess. He isn’t going to let a multi-billion dollar windfall land deal get away from him because his October 3rd deadline passed. Wang and the Islanders are real close to getting this deal done and he knows it and he ain’t pulling the plug just yet.
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McLovin21 says:
I hate to say it, but I think the lighthouse project is dead. I just hope that Queens and Brooklyn really are legit options.
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Healy, thanks. Gotta give the credit to B. Joel, though – I just replaced some of the key words…
Eric (#27), sorry you see it that way. I’ve been a fan longer than you’ve been alive, and my personalized CA plates even say “ISLE FAN”. So I’m pretty committed to the team. This was just my way of venting a little frustration with the political process, and maybe trying to add to the sense of urgency regarding what’s at stake. Sorry if it offended you…
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joe fred says:
I still believe Mondello is not on board with this and based on his past behavior he will continue to find stall tactics and put the blame back on Wang for drawing a line in the sand. The TOH excuse will be Wang did not have the patience to see this through. I believe 75% that this does not happen. It is beyond personal and the Republican party could care less about adding jobs or if the Isles leave. they would have loved to point the finger back at Suozzi with the lease but now that can no longer be a reason. The TOH will think of something else. And to #30, no way I become a Ranger fan. I would follow this team no matter where they go and stick with them no matter where they play!
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West Coast Fan @23 – Great post!
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Leviticus says:
Isles hostage #27, you remain woefully ignorant of the financial realities….’no one is as blind as those who won’t see.’ Your personal animosity toward CW, for whatever reason, does not allow you to see the facts!
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Hockey Guy in Canada says:
With the State, the Senate and the County solidly behind the Lighthouse project and with Wang now committing the Islanders to a lease good until 2030 (see Nick’s blog) how could the Town possibly not see the benefit of gowing with the flow? If McKelroy gets her act together and starts any kind of campaign, Murray will be on this bandwagon faster than May 1980. The odds are that deal is going to get done. Way better odds than taking Tavares. Let’s see some optimism. Who’s running this bench anyway?
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#48 I actually love that song and it was a nice piece. It wasnt so much you as the following comment.
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TM says:
D,amoto and the republicans don’t want this so it won’t happen. If it gets scaled back, that will take even longer for approval. Nothing will happen until election day for an answer.
The mainstream is clueless about NYI and Brooklyn. They also said Atlantic Yards would never happen and it will. J Liu’s recent victory and soon to be official in November speaks well for moving to Queens as Wang is friends with him. And Brooklyn is still a very real option. TOH wanting 3rd party access even if approved means trouble for Wang and the LH.
End the charade and move to QUEENS OR BROOKLYN already!!
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anthony c says:
hey #26 donk. You think the NHL wants to have to deal with the unbelievable amount of scrutiny from the fans, media and hockey traditionalists if they would let a team not just from new york, but a team that has 4 stanley cups and a pretty damn good history pack up and move? While they have been trying to save a team without any championships or solid history (aside from when they were in Winnipeg) stay where they are not in a hockey market and the majority of their fan base (which is abysmal) could basically care less what happens. Come on, wake up and get with the program pal.
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Irish Isle says:
I wonder if Kristin McElroy will be at the press conference today?
Kristin McElroy in ’09
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Fist of Gillies says:
I don’t get the point of this press conference.
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RHL Vin says:
CB or anyone that knows….
If the Lighthouse project is approved, are the Islanders still going to rebuild the current Coliseum or will they just build a new arena somewhere next to the current Coliseum? If they are rebuilding the current arena Im wondering where the Islanders will play while this renovation takes place. Anyone know??
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Nick says:
Suozzi’s involvement in the Lighthouse is its death knell. It makes the project inexorably connected to party politics. Every time Suozzi opens his mouth, its another step towards the grave as Repubs will not give him any election year victories.
I think Murray, Mondelo and D’Amato are thugs but I think the same of the Dems. Does anyone here think Suozzi got involved with this out of the goodness of his heart? It was to have sway over what contracts go to his union buddies if the LH is approved. Suozzi is a politician and he knew beforehand that his loud advocacy of this project would probably force the Repubs to kill it… but even if it is killed Suozzi wins because he looks like hes fighting for renewal and union jobs.
Thank cynical politics on both sides, as well as Wang’s over-the-top-we-need-more-million-dollar-condos plan. Why cant we just have a new stadium like the Devils?
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JT-27 says:
I concur w/54. Liu is friends w/Wang. His election win to city comptroller just gave Queens a boost. The soon-to-be new Nets owner from Russia gives Brooklyn a boost as well. Only ToH is not willing to follow through. End the charade already. If Murray won’t do anything move them to Queens or Brooklyn.
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Jones says:
I mostly agree with #60. Suozzi is a dishonest politician who is milking this issue to try and save his job. He has made Nassau County worse – an independent report is out which crucifies him. Suozzi also sat on the LHP for many years instead of moving on it quickly. Actually the TOH is moving faster by comparison. There are serious issues that have not been addressed by Wang and the democrat cronies. If the Islanders go away, I blame Suozzi more than anybody else. However, I believe it will all work out. There will be approval in 2010 on a scaled back LHP. Wang needs to keep his ego and partisan politics out of it and all will end up cool.
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DUMP SUOZZI
I guess any step in the right direction is good, but the point seems moot without the TOH on board.