Islanders ownership discusses Coliseum proposal

The Herald sat down last week with New York Islanders owner Charles Wang and Senior Vice President Michael Picker to talk about the Aug. 1 referendum to borrow $400 million to build a new Nassau Coliseum.

Herald: How important is the project to Nassau County and Long Island?
Wang: People have said and heard over and over again we have to now get growing. We have to start to rebuild the economy. We’ve got to now start growing. The population of Nassau County has not increased in 40 or 50 years, and yet we’re not doing something to build. All we see is our taxes rising, is our cost of living rising, can’t get jobs, can’t find housing, losing all our young people. Somewhere, somehow we have to restart again. We have to build. You don’t build by cutting everything. You just can’t build that way. So I think it’s so important, not just for Nassau County but for all of Long Island. It sends a clear message to all of Long Islanders.

Herald: How do you counter the naysayers, who say they don’t like this plan?
Wang: I think the thing is, “So what plan do you have?” When do we start? The project that we have envisioned, the one that we are proposing, will not solve all of the problems of Nassau County or Long Island for that matter. What we hope it is, is a catalyst for us now to do something, just to start. Hopefully when you do that, you start the rebuilding process. You get people staying on the island. Ultimately, if you have a job and you’re making money, you’re going to stay there. If you don’t, you’re going somewhere where you can make a living. I think if you look at for example Newark, the Prudential Center opened up, look around Newark, all that opened up. Even the parking garages are doing much better. What you want to do is revitalize an area. We’ve had the asphalt parking lot for, what is it, 40 years now? Long Island needs a destination.
Picker: Charles is effectively paying for this new arena through the revenue sharing plan.The number of jobs that we’re not only saving, but we’re able to add to. The reality is, if the building is not there, the jobs loss and the revenue loss for Nassau County will effectively cause a tax increase anyway to the people as Nassau County’s budgets and financial statements are greatly affected?