THE FATAL THREE WAY BATTLE OVER NASSAU COLISEUM: Mangano, Wang & Town of Hempstead
BDGallof | Jul 10, 2010 | Comments 19
Welcome to the new chapter in the battle!
Mangano is pushing a casino, despite his group not having any studies, research nor solid footing besides just trying to attract Shinnecock attention. Ed has been staring at an almost $300 million gap which his TAX REVOLT strategy seems to put him in a corner on now that he won. He has put eggs in a basket of a casino to fill that huge shortfall.
Charles Wang’s Lighthouse Project went dark in November, with a lot of hot air about Queens. Per a source, nothing is solid in Queens at all despite the stories, blogs and statements. That comes from Queens government folks.
Town of Hempstead has FP Clark continue the development plans, and made a 59-61% reduction of size and scope to the Lighthouse Project plans. These plans HAVE NOT been seen by Charles Wang. He has ignored repeated calls and even offers of a meeting, but reportedly has already sent back word that it is not “economically viable”. ToH sources cite that despite the size scale, mixed use remains, just on a more feasible scale.
Mangano has tried to halt these plans, for fears it will hurt his chances to land the Shinnecock Nation at the area. This is despite that, per ToH sources, that many residents of Uniondale and Hempstead have called to complain about the casino (this sourced info predates this new battle by almost a month). Hofstra, per a source, “is very against the casino. They are furious”.
Per Botta’s new blog, Mangano and Wang have tied themselves together. However, this is a new face-turn, where Wang and Mangano have only met recently. Before these plans were coming out, word was Wang was not quite onboard the casino. Now that rumors of those ToH plans are a large reduction, yet still sight unseen, now suddendly they are a team? Don’t buy this team on solid footing.
This framework of a battle will hit the wires just past midnight tonight. Tomorrow it will be in all discussion, sadly will bury all the NY Islander prospect game story and further free agency capitulations. What is lacking to all these battlelines is that Mangano wants one thing, Wang wasn’t his plans, and ToH wants their plans. My own take is that NY Islander fans likely just want this all ended with solid plans, and the further political mechinations here only create more agita for fans.
The political mechanics in play here are not so clear cut nor white vs black. These are all shades of mud to a bog called Nassau Coliseum that seems to suck down Long Islanders spirit.
Per one source, D’Amato’s hands are all over this, including lots of money that have gone to Democrats lately, causing a lot of silence on the casino. D’Amato’s money is even buried on the main state Democrats and the upcoming battle there. So don’t expect a Democratic bailout of this Republican splintering mess on Long Island. Meanwhile, the Shinnecock Nation has stipulated that they will not come to where they are not welcome. So Wang tying himself to Mangano seems like a possible stepping on a mine as the Nassau Exec tries to push us all into a minefield of not so clear hopes, dreams or answers.
Meanwhile, one has to wonder how the NHL feels at a casino venue tied to one of their hockey teams.
Filed Under: Featured • Featured Rumors • New York Islanders • NHL
To say that “a Casino is not in the best interests of the community, especially the college community”, would be an understatement, to say the least…Why not sell drugs on the street corners to make a profit because thats what you’re selling, an addictive habit that can destroy lives…These are young impressionable college kids who are very susceptible to gambling addiction…
Botta says its gonna be scaled down especially the homes. I hope Murray doesn’t cut out most of the apartments. We need new housing options for people who want to buy a starter home that costs less than a 400K….This f***ing blows the big one
funny murray was complaining years ago that it didnt have enough housing so she scales it back .. have you been in hempstead lately its indian country you can buy drugs on any corner and play three card monte under any street lamp hofstra should keep its mouth shut … mangano is right we need a casino and WHAT WOULD THE NHL CARE they are flirting with lasvegas arent they
The Penguins have tied their new building to a casino as well…so the Isles would not be unique….having said this…this battle is on the verge of getting UGLY…
Beat me to it, but that’s correct.
When all is said and done my prediction is something will get done and all involved, and that includes politicians on BOTH sides, will make out on the deal and the fans will end up getting the shaft by having to pay for it all. You will be surprised who can work together when big $$$$$$ is involved. Hopefully those of you who are getting by paycheck to paycheck who took time off from work and lost days of pay to go to town board meetings and rallies to support a billionaire who could give 2 shits about you have learned a lesson. Also all you have to do is check the multiple listings of LI to see there are plenty of houses on the market under 400K, there is plenty of housing on the market period so I don’t think this would be a good time to add new construction housing to the market and I think most economists would agree with that. On top of that mortgage rates are at all time lows right now what more do you want? Some of you just want houses GIVEN to you.
I assume ur comment about the 440k housing was towards me but you are wrong…I bought a house for 500K and it was a starter home 4 yrs ago…It would be nice to own a home for the costs like thee have in NC or Florida…It would be nice if it wasnt such a hard ship to buy a house on LI..YOu also need jobs to make $$$ to pay for a mortgage and thats another issue for why the LHP would’ve been good
“I bought a house for 500K and it was a starter home 4 yrs ago” FOUR YEARS AGO ROB here is a news flash for you Rob congratulations you bought your house just before the housing bubble burst when prices were at their highest. That house is not worth 500K today. All someone has to do is go to MLSLI to see PLENTY of houses UNDER 400K there is no argument here YOU are wrong. Also all one has to do is go on the Nassau County site and check the prices of the houses a few years ago and compare them to now to see how much the prices have tanked. Also the prices of the houses on LI are comparable to the prices of housing in NJ and Connecticut can you figure out why Rob it has to do with geography so don’t compare housing prices here to a completely different region. Wang is no knight in shining armor coming in to save the day for LI he’s in it to make money for himself and that’s it. Stop drinking the Kool Aid.
Its not easy to afford a home unless you’re making way above avg income…Im not gonna engage in a narrow minded argument with you anyway, you dont see the big picture…
Two income families can afford homes here along with the people who make “good money” and that’s how I want it I want working middle to upper middle class around me I don’t want low income crap moving into my area. What I do see is you continually coming on here with mis information about the price of housing on LI. First you started off a while back by saying you can’t get a house on LI for under 500K now your down to 400K keep going lower Rob you’ll be accurate eventually.
LI isn’t a wonderful region anymore because we have no jobs and we’re against development and its too expensive here..Also our taxes are some of the highest in the country but we are in a huge hole because of the corrupt politics we have here…If our taxes went towards our own communities it would help
It’s mainly the school tax that is out of control and it goes up every year because the bureaucrats in the education system out here have to get their raises every year. If they start cutting the fat in the school system and start consolidating all these school districts with all these fat cats making 150K, 200K, 250K and 300K a year maybe our taxes would go lower.
I dont have the energy to go back and forth with a your selfish minded arguments but there will be no more middle class if things dont get better, If there are no jobs. You dont think about anyone but yourself because evidently you are all set and well off…Ive been on both sides where I was broke and then making 6 figures but this economy destroyed my biz so Im trying to rebuild but how do I when theres no growth? Nobody’s saying lets build the projects either, we know you’re afraid of minorities moving by you, we understand that you’re afraid of those dark skinned people moving in your area…Im just saying we need to be progressive and think outside the box but if all you care about is yourself this convo cant go anywhere….
Hey Rob how about putting your money where your mouth is I’m sure on Hempstead Turnpike just west of the Coliseum where all that low income housing is you and your hipster friends can afford to buy something there. WHY DON’T YOU if there’s nothing wrong with that QOL? I’m sure you won’t mind all the shootings and robberies and noise all hours of the night. If it’s so wonderful go live there I’m sure you can find something under 400K there. But you won’t because you are a PHONY Rob. I will fight to keep my area middle class, I will fight to keep my property values up while selfish people like you try to destroy it with cheap housing because you can’t afford the market price. You remind me of the people who can’t qualify for certain jobs so you want the standards lowered so you can get those jobs. BTW Rob I’ve been around more “dark skinned people” then a phony like you will be around your entire life. I haven’t been sheltered in East Cupcake like you.
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build the casino, we throw money away at bad islanders games at least at the casino we have a chance….lol.
Hi BD, thanks for your insight. I would agree that a team of Mangano and Wang would not work. Mangano has Al D’Amato on his side the same D’Amato who crippled the Islanders for the last 30 years with that ridiculous lease that helped out his friends SMG and Republican party. I am actally surprised Murray was in a different page than Mangano and D’amato.
BD do you think that lease deal that Suozzi brokered for Wang will be changed even though Mangano is having difficulties building a casino around the Coliseum?
Back to Wang and Mangano thing I think there is a fair chance that the county source that Chris Botta used may have taken Mangano’s desire to work with Wang out of context. I would have a tough time believing that Wang would ever work with Mangano
Where this is going is pretty obvious…there will be no LH project, the reduction makes no sense financially (please see Nick Giglia’s economic analysis of what it would take for an arena to be viable), as the TofH and the LI NIMBY’s will not allow something innovative. There is either a casino with a new arena included in the deal, and by the way, the ToH will have NO say in this, as the fed and state govt can make this happen without them, OR, the team will move to Queens. Keep in mind, if a new arena is built on existing Mets property no new zoning is required, and there IS room for that to occur. NO WAY, CW goes this far without having another option in his back pocket, and that option is inevitably going to be Queens. This scenario explains why Mangano will “back” CW as Botta says….
According to the LI Herald online the TOH will release their plan tomorrow morning.