Nassau County to vote on proposed Las Vegas Sands casino at Nassau Coliseum
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NASSAU COUNTY, Long Island (WABC) -- Nassau County lawmakers are set to vote on a proposed casino at the Nassau Coliseum.
Las Vegas Sands wants to turn the location into a $4 billion entertainment center and resort.
Last month, the county reached a lease agreement with Las Vegas Sands that gives them control over the Nassau Coliseum site.
The county would get a lump sum payment, as well as annual revenues to the county and the Town of Hempstead and surrounding communities exceeding $100 million per year.
"And we believe that will bring jobs, economic prosperity, tax relief, and improved safety here in Nassau County," Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman said at a briefing last month.
Blakeman had been joined by a number of leaders from organized labor groups as well as the NAACP who are all in favor of the agreement.
Nassau Community College supports the project and already has a partnership in place with the casino-resort company.
But the deal has its critics. Hofstra University and residents who have formed a group named "Say No to the Casino" are against the casino plans, saying it will only bring in more crime and traffic.
Sands wants to build a $4 billion "integrated resort" on the 72-acre site, commonly known as the Nassau Hub, that would include a casino, hotel rooms, ballrooms and conference spaces, live entertainment venue, restaurants, health club and spa.
Regardless of what happens Monday, the state would still need to grant a license to Sands in order for the project to move forward.
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