Setback for Sands' New York Casino Legal Endeavor
Recently, Las Vegas Sands' plan to establish a casino hotel at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Uniondale, New York, might have faced a hurdle. On Friday, New York State Supreme Court Justice Sarika Kapoor upheld her previous ruling that invalidated the lease transfer agreement between the county and the gaming company.
In November, Kapoor declared that the lease transfer conflicted with New York's open meeting laws and the State Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQRA) process. However, just a few days later, a New York appellate court deemed the lease transfer lawful until a hearing for the appeal. This development enabled the town of Hempstead to carry out an environmental assessment for the casino project, which included two public comment sessions in January.
The group "Say NO to the Casino," which opposes the gaming plan from the beginning, finds Kapoor's Feb 23 decision unnecessary. These individuals argue that Nassau County and Sands deliberately flouted Kapoor's November decision.
The residents of Nassau County deserve answers, stated the group in a statement. They deserve to understand why County Executive Bruce Blakeman, the County Legislature, and LVS have continued to disregard Judge Kapoor's November verdict. Moreover, they proceeded with the process as if LVS retains land control, prompting the Town of Hempstead to begin the SEQRA procedure.
If Las Vegas Sands manages to secure one of the three probable downstate casino licenses anticipated by New York regulators, they intend to construct a $6 billion integrated resort at the Coliseum location.
New Ruling Fuels Controversy
Kapoor's recent ruling has further fueled the controversy surrounding the endeavor of Nassau County and Sands to convert the Coliseum into a venue generating job opportunities and increasing tax revenues for the county and state.
Moreover, Hofstra University is perceived to be instrumental in the anti-casino movement and was the plaintiff in the initial lawsuit challenging the county - the case on which Kapoor decided last week and in November. The varsity and other opposition groups realize that if the county and Sands need to grapple with legal challenges, it becomes increasingly unlikely that Nassau County will host a casino.
That being said, Hofstra's motives may not be as genuine as they appear. In January, reports emerged concerning negotiations between Hofstra and representatives of Hard Rock International, a gaming organization, to impede LVS's plans for a casino in Uniondale. Hard Rock, affiliated with Florida's Seminole Tribe, is collaborating with New York Mets owner Steve Cohen to secure a permit for a casino hotel across from Citi Field in Queens. However, the land Cohen wishes to utilize for the gaming facility is designated as parkland, demanding legislative changes to amend its classification.
Say NO to the Casino Imposes Demands
If Sands and Nassau County comply with open meeting laws and SEQRA, they may proceed. Currently, "Say NO to the Casino" demands that the Coliseum lease be returned to the previous holder.
Precisely, the corporation declared, "We want assurances that control of the Nassau HUB land and coliseum operations have been returned to Nassau Live Center. We want confirmation that the Town of Hempstead will suspend the SEQRA process given that the judge ordered SEQRA to be managed by the county. The Nassau HUB is taxpayer-owned property, so our elected officials must start acting accordingly. If our elected officials and LVS were willing to openly ignore the law during the lease transfer process, what other laws or regulations might they disregard?"
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