The public has until Jan. 6 to comment on the environmental impact of a plan by Las Vegas Sands Corp. to convert a Long Island convention center into a casino resort. Officials in Nassau County posted a lengthy document on the county website and invited feedback on the proposed Las Vegas Sands casino.
A public hearing is scheduled for Dec. 9, where citizens can participate in a discussion on the proposal by Sands to redevelop the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Uniondale for use as a casino. That meeting will take place in Mineola at the Nassau County government building.
The 28,000-page draft environmental impact statement (DEIS) outlines the effect the plan would have on air quality, noise, traffic, socioeconomic factors and more. The DEIS also explains mitigation plans. Approximately 1.3 million people live in Nassau County, with just over 32,000 living in Uniondale, according to the 2020 U.S. Census.
The DEIS calls for the creation of new public spaces, generation of county and public jobs, and beautification efforts.
Las Vegas Sands has a lease on the Nassau Coliseum, which has more than 100,000 square feet of space and lies about seven miles from Queens. The building was opened in 1972, and has served as host to countless conventions, expos, and sporting events. For more than four decades through 2015, the New York Islanders of the NHL played at the venue. The Nets of the NBA played in the facility in the 1970s. In recent years the aging coliseum has seen fewer events, promoting several plans for redevelopment by the county.
Las Vegas Sands in Nassau County: Promised Impact
The plan to redesign the Nassau Coliseum property for a casino resort has faced criticism, mostly caused by fears of how it may impact the water, air, noise, and traffic in the county.
According to the DEIS, Las Vegas Sands Corp. predicts these mitigation efforts:
- $217 million annually to Nassau County schools annually from gaming taxes and license fees
- Widening of several streets in Uniondale near the project, while also adding new turn lanes as needed
- A new well that could draw as much as two million gallons of water to the region
- 3.4 acres of land will be converted to public space, which would include a plaza and proposed gardens
- A minimum of $1 million donation to fund the creation of a public monument to honor U.S. Armed Forces
- $1.8 million annually to create jobs for Nassau County police
- Creation of 7,000 construction jobs during the development, and 13,000 jobs at full operation. The economic impact at full operation in terms of employment is estimated to be worth $4 billion annually.
A further challenge remains. As we reported earlier on the Nassau casino project, the county would need to find support for rezoning the property for gaming.
