Why I support Las Vegas Sands’ proposal for the Hub

For over two decades, the 72 acres known as the Nassau Hub, which encompass the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, has been struggling to be redeveloped. Despite several ill-fated attempts to reimagine this prime piece of real estate owned by the county, at the end of 2022 it continued to languish, with no viable prospects on the horizon.

Then a wonderful thing happened. In January 2023, New York state announced that it was finally moving ahead with the bidding on ultimately awarding three downstate casino licenses, after a referendum approved by voters in 2013.

Soon after that announcement, Las Vegas Sands, a premier global entertainment giant, expressed interest in bringing a world-class flagship hospitality, entertainment and casino resort to the Hub. After a number of discussions with County Executive Bruce Blakeman, Sands unveiled plans for a privately funded, transformative $6 billion project, easily the biggest Long Island has ever seen. The economic benefits of the project alone were staggering, and included the potential for millions of dollars in annual tax revenues for the county, including an immediate $54 million non-refundable upfront payment. It also promised more than 8,500 union jobs during the course of the development, thousands of permanent jobs and a ripple effect of millions of dollars to be paid by Sands to the surrounding business community for ongoing goods and services during construction, continuing once the complex was up and running.

Sands also included public safety in the mix, and would commit millions of dollars that would help boost the Nassau County Police Department and emergency response capabilities, in addition to its own sophisticated state-of-the-art security measures throughout the complex.

The proposed project is much more than a casino. In fact, the casino would account for only about 10 percent of the overall footprint, with the rest containing a five-star hotel, a showcase live-performance venue, a luxurious day spa, upscale retail shopping and fine dining, a convention center — which Long Island sorely lacks — and a variety of other entertainment programming.

From Day One, Las Vegas Sands has been open and transparent about its plans. Top-level executives have attended public hearings before the County Legislature, and have also held dozens of meetings throughout the region with various business and civic organizations, community groups, unions and other interested parties.

Support for the project has been growing, and now includes a wide variety of unions, chambers of commerce, business groups, civic organizations, nonprofits and residents, many of whom have spoken out before the Legislature, most recently at a hearing last month.

Understandably, a project of this magnitude has been met with opposition. From what I’ve seen, however, most of the arguments can either be addressed or are rather unconvincing. For example, claiming that the entertainment complex will lead to increased levels of gambling, given the legalized gambling opportunities that anyone with a smartphone can access, weakens that line of reasoning.

I also find it interesting that while Hofstra University is opposed to the project, Nassau Community College has fully embraced it, and is working with Sands to create new curriculum that will offer programs focusing on the hospitality and entertainment industry, as well as training programs, mentorships and internships that will open career paths for hundreds, if not thousands, of the college’s diverse student population.

So where do things currently stand? The County Legislature is moving forward with taking over as lead agency of the state-mandated environmental review process, to deal with all of the potential environmental concerns raised by a project of this magnitude. Once that process is complete, the Legislature will vote on whether to grant a lease that would allow Sands to build on the site. Sands would then still need to meet the state’s requirements and ultimately be chosen for one of the three casino licenses.

As legislators, one of our primary jobs is to do what’s in the best interests of the residents of our districts and those throughout Nassau County. In this case, when I weigh the pros and cons of the Sands proposal, it’s crystal clear that it’s a project that makes sense, so I fully support it. The reality is that the state is planning to award three downstate licenses. There’s no guarantee that Sands will be selected, but passing up the opportunity to finally transform this fallow property and the long-term benefits that would result from it can’t be ignored.

Bill Gaylor represents Nassau County’s 14th Legislative District.