Resident Votes to Help Decide Fate of Hub
On Monday, Aug. 1 residents of Nassau County will be asked to vote on a bond referendum to reconstruct the Nassau Coliseum and adjacent areas, known as the “Hub.” The Hub plan includes a reconstructed sports arena for the Islanders hockey team in place of the present Nassau Coliseum, a new minor league baseball park, and a bolstered Museum Row complex.
The language on the ballot will be:
Shall a Local Law be approved to establish “The Nassau County Hub Area Development Program” (the “Hub Program”) and to:
(i) authorize the expenditure of up to $400,000,000, to be bonded by the County and expended solely for the construction of projects in the Hub Area including a new Nassau Coliseum, a minor league baseball stadium, and other economic development projects
(ii) establish a line on property tax bills dedicated to the payment of the debt service associated with the Hub Program, and
(iii) to establish a special revenue fund dedicated exclusively to the payment of the debt service on the bonds issued pursuant to the Hub Program?
If residents approve the referendum, it will still need the approval of two-thirds of the County Legislature and the Nassau Interim Finance Authority (NIFA).
Islanders’ owner Charles Wang has agreed to pay for the $200,000 cost of holding the referendum vote on the bond only if it passes. If the vote fails, Wang will not.
The vote will be held Monday, August 1, 2011 from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Unless you have received a postcard in the mail indicating a polling place change, vote at your regular polling place. If you are unsure where your regular polling location is, call Nassau County Board of Elections at (516) 571-VOTE (8683) or (516) 571-2411.
To obtain an absentee ballot for the special election call the Nassau County Board of Elections at (516) 571-VOTE (8683) or (516) 571-2411.
