Belmont Development

Locals, unions rally for soccer stadium complex at Belmont Park

New York Cosmos project included 25,000 seat arena with shops, restaurants, and a hotel

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More than 150 union workers, fans, and locals rallied at the south lot of Belmont Park to urge state officials to make a decision on a proposed soccer stadium and complex that has been lying in wait for almost three years.

The plan for the south parcel of state-owned land adjacent to the racetrack by minor league soccer team the New York Cosmos, boasts a seating capacity of 25,000 seats, a 175-room hotel, along with retail and restaurant space. The project will be solely funded by the team.

The plan is one of four currently being reviewed by the Empire State Development Corporation. Requests for proposals were sent out to developers in the fall of 2012. The other three centers around big box retail, a recreation center, and grocery space, something that Elmont currently lacks. 


“It’s going to create a destination here where people can come 365 days out the year,” said Cosmos Chief Operating Officer Erik Stover. “They’ll go to the facility and not know what restaurant they’re going to go to — they’re just going out for the night.”

In the fall of 2012, the Empire State Development Corporation sent out a request for proposals for the south parcel. The 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 contacted the developers and asked for updated bids, but 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.

In addition to regular homes games in the North American Soccer League, the stadium will also hold club matches between international teams, like Real Madrid and Manchester United, said Cosmos Chief Operating Officer Erik Stover. The stadium also has the potential to host World Cup qualifying matches, he said. IT is Stover’s belief that capitalizing on the rising popularity of soccer worldwide will create an economic boom for the area.

“All of that brings people to the area and all of those things are very job intensive industries,” he said referring to creation of 2,000 to 3,000 jobs that the development would produce in hospitality, retail, and restaurant positions.

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