Belmont Development

Residents, leaders rally against stadium plan at Belmont Park

Soccer team’s proposal includes 25,000-seat arena

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About a dozen people blocked Huntley Road on July 16, adjacent to the south parking lot of Belmont Park, to protest a proposal by the New York Cosmos to build a new soccer stadium at the site.

Equipped with signs with slogans such as “No Soccer” and “Elmont Doesn’t Need a Stadium,” group members voiced their concerns about erecting a 25,000-seat arena so close to a residential neighborhood. Wellington Road and Huntley Road, two tree-lined blocks, run parallel to a mostly empty lot that serves as extra parking for the racetrack. Organizers of the rally, including Parkhurst Civic Association member and Elmont Library Trustee Tammie Williams, said that the quality of life for those who live closest to the development would be reduced drastically due to an increase in traffic and crime that is often associated with soccer matches.

“We want to keep Elmont as a suburban area in Nassau County and not be propelled into an urban area by building this stadium,” said Joyce Stowe, president of the Tudor Manor Civic Association.

Huntley Road resident Joan Dean spoke out against the stadium plan as well. It is her belief that her property value will decline if the Cosmos plan is selected. Traffic will also increase to an unacceptable level, she said, as people will park throughout the neighborhoods. Dean compared the increased traffic at soccer matches to what she has experienced during her 15 years living on Huntley Road during the Belmont Stakes.

“They would bring the Belmont Stakes 365 days a year,” Dean said of the Cosmos’ plan. “You will have increased trash, and you will have crime with all these people coming.”

According to Dean, the culture of gambling that attracts people to Belmont Park and the soccer stadium would not equate to increased sales for local businesses.

“They don’t bring anything to the table,” she said. “This will be another Atlantic City … That’s what will happen with the soccer stadium.”

Nassau County Legislator Carrié Solages is a longtime opponent of the Cosmos’ plan. He has spoken out against the development as being a detriment to the community and not in line with the Elmont Vision Plan.

“If a 25,000-seat stadium were to be constructed, it would completely overshadow this community and decimate their quality of life,” Solages said at the rally. “I care for all of the streets of Elmont, all of the streets of Valley Stream, all of the streets of Inwood because this is our community.”

Dueling developers

In the fall of 2012, the Empire State Development Corporation sent out a request for proposals for developing the park’s north and south parcels. Four developers responded in February 2013, and six months later, state officials said that a decision would be made within weeks. Two and a half years later, the development corporation removed the north lot from consideration, contacted the developers and asked for updated bids, but it has yet to reach a decision.

“We are re-engaging respondents in order to obtain the best possible deal for the state,” Empire State spokesman Jason Conwell said in a statement.
The Cosmos’ plan, which includes a 175-room hotel along with retail and restaurant space, is one of three possible developments for the site. The Syosset-based Blumenfeld Development Group presented its plan to the Elmont community on May 18. It featured a Costco Business Center as well as recreation space and retail and restaurant spots. The other plan, from Garden City-based Engel Burman Group, features similar retail and restaurant space along with a community center and field. The Blumenfeld Group is the only developer, however, with a commitment from Costco.

“Blumenfeld Development Group fully supports Elmont community members who raised their voices today in protest of a proposed stadium by the New York Cosmos soccer club,” the company wrote in a statement on July 16. “Opposition to the Cosmos stadium has been vociferous, consistent and unwavering since the day the proposal was announced. The community has made it clear it wants a development that would be more meaningful to the daily lives of residents.”
Cosmos Chief Operating Officer Erik Stover took exception to Blumenfeld’s release regarding the team’s proposal. According to Stover, the plan is in line with Elmont’s vision for the area, which calls for restaurants and retail in order to attract young professionals to the area.

“We’re not surprised by the Blumenfeld Group’s press release,” Stover said. “Besides, very few people believe that a big-box store is going to be an economic driver for the region. In fact, it’s likely to put additional strain on the small businesses struggling to make ends meet.”

Over the course of the nearly four years that the site has been up for development, the Cosmos have held a community forum at Sewanhaka High School and participated in rallies with supporters of the plan. The most recent took place on May 3, when numerous union workers and fans gathered at the corner of Wellington Road and Hempstead Turnpike. Among the supporters who spoke at the rally was East End Civic Association President Patrick Nicolosi.

As a once-staunch supporter of a proposed gambling facility for the north parking lot of Belmont Park, Nicolosi has now turned his sights to the Cosmos plan. “This mantra that the [not in my backyard people] run on is nothing more than a scare tactic to scare people,” Nicolosi said of Saturday’s rally. “Having the Cosmos versus having a Costco or a Walmart — the players, the owner of the stadium will be a part of our neighborhood. They live here and they want to work with our schools. When you build a Costco, they take off.”