Board of Trade chairman criticizes Hofstra's stance on Long Island casinos
The chairman of the Nassau and Suffolk County Building and Construction Trades Council criticized Hofstra University for filing a lawsuit aimed at blocking Las Vegas Sands from building a casino-hotel at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Uniondale, N.Y. Efforts to build casino hotels. .
In an op-ed published by Newsday, Commission Chairman Matthew Arachi called Hofstra's assertions that public comment on casino issues was suppressed and related backroom dealings "weak and unbelievable."
Last month, New York State Supreme Court Justice Sarika Kapoor ruled that Nassau County violated the New York State Open Meetings Law by transferring the arena lease to Sands. Days later, the Appellate Division of the New York State Supreme Court overturned that ruling. Arachi noted that Hofstra officials attended many meetings where locals offered their input on the casino resort issue.
Contrary to the cases presented, Hofstra's active presence at these meetings was significant. Members of the management team are not just observers; they are observers. They actively participate in hearings while also influencing lawmakers in private meetings,” he wrote.
The Nassau and Suffolk County Building Trades Council represents 65,000 tradespeople on Long Island.
Araki recommends Hofstra conduct environmental review of Long Island casino
Major projects such as new venue developments require comprehensive environmental assessments. Hofstra claimed in legal arguments that Nassau County "somehow circumvented" the process.
As Arachi noted, the county has no influence over environmental reviews. The Town of Hempstead did just that, and the college's legal position stymied its progress. The head of the trade council said the university knew this and its actions showed a "blatant disregard for transparency and the public interest".
Some legal experts believe the outcome Hofstra is seeking is to put Nassau County and Sands back to square one or plunge the county into a drawn-out legal battle. Both options could be dangerous to Long Island casino hopes because it would take years for the state to litigate environmental law cases. But Nassau County and Sands have no such time, as state regulators are likely to issue three downstate casino licenses next year.
Sands Corp., the largest casino operator by market value, previously said the legal move would have no impact on its products and plans on Long Island.
"Sands represents an engine of transformative growth for our region, a need that resonates with both counties. "This project provides the opportunity to partner with a world-class company looking to hire and train the Long Island workforce," Aracich told Newsday "The article added.
Aracich pledges community to stand up to Hofstra
Allage concluded that if Hofstra succeeds in forcing Nassau County and Sands to restart the process, the college will feel the burden of locals wanting to see the project off the ground.
Trade leaders promised that if Hofstra wins, more casino supporters will show up and gather at the Nassau County state Legislature to show support for the casino company.
“Long Islanders continue to demonstrate an unwavering faith in this project that overshadows Hofstra’s narrow, uncaring agenda,” he concluded. “Now is the time to retell the story and ensure that our strong and diverse communities prevail against these self-serving behaviors and lead Long Island toward a future based on shared prosperity and collective growth.”
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Source: www.casino.org
