Court cancels lease transfer for New York Sands casino plan, Nassau Coliseum
A New York state Supreme Court judge on Thursday canceled a previously agreed lease transfer agreement for the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Uniondale, N.Y., where Las Vegas Sands plans to build a $4 billion tower. casino hotel.
In May, the Republican-controlled Nassau County Legislature voted 17-1 to grant Sands a 99-year lease to develop county-owned land on the Nassau Center parcel. Sands announced in January that its pursuit of a New York City-area gaming license would focus on Nassau County. This year, Sands paid $241 million to former tenant Nassau Live Center LLC and $54 million to the county, as required by the lease agreement.
Sands’ effort to secure one of the three remaining casino licenses in the New York City area has broad support from politicians on both sides of the aisle in Nassau County, and the plan has strong support from local residents. Hofstra University was an outspoken critic of the proposal.
In April, the university near the stadium sued Nassau County, alleging that county officials held discussions about the Sands Casino without informing the public of those discussions. If true, this violates New York's Open Meetings Law.
Hofstra has demonstrated that the failure to publish the resolution was not merely technical but was an "attempt to avoid public scrutiny of the proposed lease transfer," Judge Sarika Kapoor wrote in her decision .
Sands said the ruling has no impact on his plans in New York and doesn't think it will affect his chances of obtaining a gambling license in the state.
Nassau County still has work to do
Kapur claimed in his ruling that Nassau County focused more on the technicalities of transferring the arena's lease to Sands rather than allowing the public to comment on the issue and how the arena would impact the surrounding community.
The Sands has touted the proposed venue's job creation potential and its ability to increase revenue for Nassau County and the state. The company also highlighted plans to attract convention business into the hotel, entertainment and restaurant industries - attributes that weaken the argument that it is a gaming-focused company.
However, Say No to Casino Citizens, a group that opposes casino activity in Nassau County, believes not only are local voices not being heard, but casinos lead to more crime, environmental damage and traffic congestion. . The group called for environmental and traffic impact studies following the Supreme Court ruling.
In her decision, Kapoor found that the area had been "inappropriately subdivided without regard to the future development of the Sands scheme". The court concluded that the Nassau County Legislature failed to provide the necessary "careful review" of relevant environmental issues raised by Sands in the lease transfer..."
The traffic study has not yet been conducted, and Sands has decided to focus its New York City development efforts on Long Island City to avoid Manhattan's traffic congestion. In August, Sands submitted a land-use application to Hempstead, one of the towns that could be affected by the casino hotel. The city is conducting an environmental impact assessment as required by state law.
Ruling adds further confusion to New York casino trial
New York state lawmakers approved the opening of three casinos in the state in 2022, a decision that has lured some of the industry's biggest names to try their luck in the fourth-largest state. Since then, the process has become increasingly hectic.
Regulators were initially expected to make a decision on the three winning bidders in 2024, but some analysts expect that decision to be delayed until 2025. Additionally, offers at MGM Empire City Casino in Yonkers and Resorts World Resorts World New York in Queens may be hit by former CEO Scott Sibera's alleged involvement in an illegal sports betting ring hinder.
Thursday’s court ruling transferring the lease in Nassau County added to the confusion. The Association of Casino Citizens said it did not view the decision as a warning to other New York casinos about their efforts.
“New York State officials should take note of this ruling by Judge Kapur when making gambling licensing decisions because it demonstrates [Nassau] County Executive (Bruce) Blackman’s contempt for his own constituents and blatant disregard for federal regulations,” the state even county law, and the right of every Nassau County resident to know that this massive project will have profound, long-term impacts on our way of life,” the group said.
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Source: www.casino.org
