Quantcast

Joe Pantorno

7 POSTS 0 COMMENTS

Islanders, Northwell Health Score UBS Arena Sponsorship Deal

By
Joe Pantorno
-
Kyle Okposo, 21, of the NY Islanders battles Michael Del Zotto, 4, of the NY Rangers along the boards at Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale. Photo by Joe Nuzzo

Northwell Health — New York’s largest healthcare provider and private employer — announced a 10-year funding sponsorship deal with the New York Islanders and their new home, UBS Arena, which will open for the 2021-22 NHL season.

“UBS Arena will be ready to welcome fans back to arenas, ensuring an unrivaled, distinctive live entertainment experience that is reflective of our commitment to unmatched service, safety, and sanitization,” said Tim Leiweke, CEO of Oak View Group and leader of the UBS Arena project. “Planned top-of-the-line sanitization efforts from medical-grade HEPA filtration to UV light systems, and disinfecting solutions that have proven safe and effective in large-scale public spaces will ensure future guests peace of mind.”
 

The new venue, which is located at Belmont Park on the Nassau County-Queens border, along with Northwell Health and the Islanders will codevelop community-based wellness programs, addressing the core values of health, nutrition, and physical activity.

“We are proud to align ourselves with New York’s newest premier sports and entertainment venue,” said Michael Dowling, president and CEO of Northwell. “New York, and especially Long Island, is home to thousands of our patients as well as our employees. With 25,000 employees living near UBS Arena alone, this partnership allows us to reinforce our commitment to serving the community and we look forward to developing future health and wellness programming with UBS Arena and the New York Islanders.”

Northwell has been a long-time partner of the Islanders as their official healthcare sponsor and the title sponsor for their practice facility in East Meadow.

“Northwell has been an invaluable supporter of the New York Islanders for nearly 20 years and we couldn’t be more excited for them to strengthen their partnership with the team through the new UBS Arena project,” Islanders co-owner Jon Ledecky said.

This story first appeared on amNY.com

Sign up for Long Island Press’ email newsletters here. Sign up for home delivery of Long Island Press here. Sign up for discounts by becoming a Long Island Press community partner here.

Long Island Native Steve Cohen’s Takeover of Mets Unlikely To Hit Any Snags, Source Says

By
Joe Pantorno
-
Mets minority owner Steve Cohen. (REUTERS/Steve Marcus

Now the only thing left for Great Neck native Steve Cohen is to get the approval of Major League Baseball’s other club owners. 

The 64-year-old $14.6 billionaire hedge-fund manager signed an agreement with the Wilpon family on Monday to take over a 95% majority ownership of the New York Mets. 

The last item left on the agenda is for Cohen to get 22 approving votes from the 29 other MLB club owners, which was originally forecasted to take place in November. However, Newsday’s Tim Healey reported that the vote could come sooner than that. 

Regardless, the general consensus of those I’ve spoken to familiar with the situation — which has also been echoed in similar reports by MLB insider Jon Heyman — is that Cohen should not run into any issues getting the necessary approval from the owners. 

That doesn’t mean he’ll get receive unanimous consent, however. Heyman noted that “two owners are inclined to vote no.” Still, there should not be many trying to stand in Cohen’s way. 

Based solely on the price he’s paying for the Mets ($2.475 billion), Cohen helps inflate the value of almost every other MLB club. 

“Just on that fact, he should get the yesses he needs,” a source with knowledge of the situation told amNewYork Metro on Wednesday.

That same source speculated that the Los Angeles Dodgers — whom Cohen tried to purchase in 2011 — could be one of the teams that would vote no, but again, it’s important to note that it is nothing more than speculation at this point.

Multiple reports have already tabbed Chicago White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf as one of the owners who are not enthused about Cohen’s selection.

As for the immediate rumors that the Yankees would be one of the teams to vote no, such accusations don’t hold much water. And that’s even when realizing the Mets could challenge the Yankees’ proverbial place atop the throne of New York baseball. 

After all, a record-breaking deal for the less-successful New York City-area team only adds more value to the team from the Bronx, which is one of the world’s most iconic sporting brands. 

Sabotaging that wouldn’t make much sense. Neither would trying to derail Cohen for an ownership group led by Alex Rodriguez and Jennifer Lopez. 

This story first appeared on amny.com
 

Sign up for Long Island Press’ email newsletters here. Sign up for home delivery of Long Island Press here. Sign up for discounts by becoming a Long Island Press community partner here.

Long Island Native Steve Cohen, Mets Sign Agreement for Majority Ownership

By
Joe Pantorno
-
Mets minority owner Steve Cohen. (REUTERS/Steve Marcus

Great Neck native Steve Cohen and the Wilpon family are in agreement to transfer majority ownership of the New York Mets to the hedge-fund billionaire Monday.

“I am excited to have reached an agreement with the Wilpon and Katz families to purchase the New York Mets,” Cohen, who lives in Connecticut, said in a statement.

A source originally told amNewYork Metro that the agreement would be signed on Sunday night — nearly 24 hours before follow-up reports and the team’s announcement.

It’s a major hurdle cleared in the 64-year-old’s pursuit of 95% of the MLB club, just seven months after his original bid for the team fell through. 

That means if 23 of 29 MLB team owners approve Cohen’s takeover during their scheduled meeting in November, he will assume control of the club immediately then. 

A source originally informed amNewYork Metro last week that negotiations between Cohen — valued at $14.6 billion — and the Mets were trending in the right direction.

Meanwhile, the group led by Alex Rodriguez and Jennifer Lopez were recently reported to have been trying to improve their “last-ditch” offer to buy the Mets, according to the New York Post.

Obviously, such a potential development now means that Rodriguez and Lopez’s chase for the Mets would officially be considered dead.

Cohen’s offer has been reported to be north of $2.4 billion for the Mets. 

The Wilpon family has been the majority owner of the franchise since 2002, but they are expected to retain a 5% share of the team.

“It’s important for us to be strong in our major markets,” MLB commissioner Rob Manfred said during a video call with Hofstra University (h/t Evan Drellich). “I think that a change in ownership at the Mets is an opportunity to make that franchise as strong as it can possibly be.”

This story first appeared on amNY.com

Sign up for Long Island Press’ email newsletters here. Sign up for home delivery of Long Island Press here. Sign up for discounts by becoming a Long Island Press community partner here.

An Inside Look at The Islanders’ New Arena

By
Joe Pantorno
-
Photo: Joe Pantorno/AMNY

Over the past 35 years, you can count on one hand the number of times there has been such reasons for optimism around the New York Islanders.

They’re in the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time in 27 years, they have some of the best leadership in the NHL from GM Lou Lamoriello down to head coach Barry Trotz, and they have a state-of-the-art arena under construction that will finally provide them with a 21st-century, hockey-first home at Belmont Park.

During Game 2 against the Lightning Wednesday night, Islanders owner Jon Ledecky invited amNewYork Metro to the UBS Arena Preview Club, offering the newspaper a first glimpse at the team’s future home, while providing an in-depth look alongside Oak View Group CEO, Tim Leiweke, whose company is overseeing the building’s construction.

The $1.5 billion project is set to become the premier arena in the New York metropolitan area to catch a hockey game — or a concert — as Leiweke and Ledecky did incredible amounts of homework in designing UBS Arena.

“We all collectively did an analysis on what worked and what didn’t work. The players helped design with Lou and Barry the 23,000 square-foot campus,” Ledecky told amNewYork Metro. “It was really a combination of Tim and the fact that I was traveling around the Coliseum vs. sitting in the owner’s box, talking to hundreds of fans. They all wanted the same thing: An intimate, tight, great lower bowl, and an intimate environment.”

Such a setup will be reminiscent of the team’s current home, Nassau Coliseum, which provided some of the best sightlines and atmospheres in hockey, but lacked modern-day amenities for a pro hockey team.

To ensure UBS Arena met those standards, Ledecky traveled across the country and toured numerous arenas to replicate the best aspects from each.

“There’s a lot of learning and as I call it, let’s be great thieves,” Leiweke said. “We don’t have to be the smartest guys in the room, we just have to be good at taking other people’s ideas and putting it to work here.”

At this point, the renderings of the arena have become museum-worthy works of art for Islanders fans, who are eagerly awaiting their new home’s opening for the start of the 2021-22 season. But there are some other things to look for other than just the in-game experience — especially an unnamed restaurant that Leiweke raved about.

“This restaurant-bar that we’ve created in the building, and I’m not going to give too much of this away, but there’s a spot in the building that stares straight at the stage. Honestly, I’ve been doing this for 40-plus years, I’ve built lots of arenas, we’re in the middle of building six right now. This is singularly the greatest place I’ve ever seen to either watch a concert or a hockey game,” Leiweke said. “The restaurant, the decorations, the special touches, the linen touches, the food we’re going to serve, this is my favorite place in the building. And when people see it, I think they’ll know why it might be, maybe, the single best space in any arena I’ve ever seen to see a live event.”

For Ledecky, it’s a special section in the arena without seats that allows fans to stand and mingle, making hockey games not just vital for a sports fan, but “a happening” for all who attend.

And if they do have to leave their perch or their seats for refreshments, they won’t miss a beat.

“We’re going to have eight bars where you can actually see the action while you’re grabbing a drink. That’s something you don’t see in a lot of arenas,” Ledecky said. “You have to go through the concourse, you have to stand on line, maybe there’s a TV you can see, and half the time you go — I know when I’ve been a fan — half the time I go to get a Coke or a drink, I miss the damn goal. I think having something like that is fan-friendly.”

Before UBS Arena can be completed and experienced, the Islanders still have one more year to get through, which doesn’t provide them a guarantee of their former home, the Nassau Coliseum, right now.

Mikhail Prokhorov got out of his contract and his debt earlier this summer, which was taken over by Florida developer Nick Mastroianni II. While he searches for a new developer for the building, Leiweke and Oak View Group have already put in a pitch to do just that, allowing the Islanders to play the 2020-21 season at the Coliseum before heading out to Belmont.

There has been no clarity on the situation as of yet.

“I hope Nassau works out. That’s where the Islanders should play their games. At the end of the day, we don’t want to be in a position where Nassau Coliseum’s future use is pitted directly against UBS Arena,” Leiweke said. “It’s a billion-dollar private investment, so hopefully, there’s a way where we can find a solution for everyone and I’m going to leave it at that.”

This story first appeared in amNY.com

Sign up for Long Island Press’ email newsletters here. Sign up for home delivery of Long Island Press here. Sign up for discounts by becoming a Long Island Press community partner here.

 

UBS Scores Naming Rights to Islanders’ New Belmont Park Arena

By
Joe Pantorno
-
Renderings of the new UBS Arena, home of the New York Islanders. (Photo: NHL)

Union Bank of Switzerland, better known as UBS, has secured a 20-year arena naming partnership with the New York Islanders for the NHL club’s new arena at Belmont Park set to open for the 2021-22 season.

UBS is the world’s largest wealth manager and is involved in almost all major financial activities ranging from retail and commercial banking to investment banking, management, and wealth management. 

“This is just another major piece to the foundation of the Islanders, the arena in Belmont, Long Island, and the whole New York metropolitan area moving forward,” NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said.
 
“UBS Arena will stand as a beacon of strength, resilience, achievement, and community, and we look forward to celebrating this milestone with our loyal fans,” Islanders co-owner Jon Ledecky said in a statement.
 
The $1.5 billion state-of-the-art arena provides the Islanders with a first-class home for the first time since the very beginning of the organization’s existence back in 1972.
 
The Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, which served as the Islanders’ original home until 2015, had received no major upgrades or renovations in its over-40-year history, forcing the team to move to the Barclays Center in Brooklyn.
 
After the relationship between the club and the Brooklyn venue soured, the Islanders returned home to the coliseum in Uniondale to split its regular-season schedule last year and during the 2019-20 season. Before the coronavirus pandemic shut down the NHL, New York State Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced the Islanders would play all of their games at the Coliseum next season.
 
In June, however, the arena’s billionaire operator, Mikhail Prokhorov, shuttered the doors of the coliseum indefinitely until an investor takes over the lease while assuming the $100 million in debt — thus calling into question where the Islanders will play their games next season.
 
Upon the NHL’s restart on Aug. 1, the Islanders — along with the other qualified Eastern Conference teams — will begin their best-of-five qualifying tournament against the Florida Panthers at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto.
 
Despite the coronavirus pandemic effectively stopping on-site construction for nearly four months, UBS Arena is still on pace to open its doors for the 2021-22 season. 
 
This story first appeared on amny.com
 
Sign up for Long Island Press’ email newsletters here. Sign up for home delivery of Long Island Press here. Sign up for discounts by becoming a Long Island Press community partner here.

Islanders New Belmont Park Arena Leadership Named

By
Joe Pantorno
-
A rendering of the Islanders' new arena at Belmont Park. (Photo courtesy of New York Arena Partners)

New York Arena Partners announced on Wednesday that Tom Pistore has been named President of Commercial Operations while Hank Abate is the President of Arena Operations for the new event center at Belmont Park, which will most notably house the NHL’s New York Islanders. 

“During these unprecedented times, we’re fortunate to be building Belmont Park Arena, which we are confident will play a key part in New York State’s economic recovery,” Tim Leiweke, CEO of Oak View Group — which is overseeing the arena’s construction, said. “This is going to be a world-class venue with a top executive team — Tom and Hank are highly respected throughout the industry and the perfect choices to lead us.”

 
Pistore spent 20 years at Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment Partnership where worked with the Toronto Maple Leafs and Toronto Raptors, among others. 

“Belmont Park Arena is going to be an iconic venue that will transform the way fans view sports and live entertainment,” Pistore said. 

Abate has spent over 40 years in arena, theater, and stadium management operations, including a stint as Executive Vice President of Venue Management for The Madison Square Garden Company. He will remain President of Oak View Group Facilities. 

“I’ve operated venues across the country and Belmont Park Arena will be second to none,” Abate said. “This Arena has been thoughtfully designed for the fans, artists, and athletes that will call it home.”

Also joining the Belmont Park Arena executive team is Charles Groneman as Chief Financial Officer, Zachary Klein as General Counsel, and Lea del Rosario as Senior Vice President of Human Resources. 

The desire for the new arena at Belmont Park to come to fruition was only strengthened amongst the fan base on Tuesday after it was announced that Nassau Coliseum — where the Islanders were scheduled to play all their home games next season — would close its doors until investors step in and pay down the venue’s debts. 

Despite a nearly-three-month delay of on-site construction due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Belmont Park Arena is still on schedule to open for the 2021-22 NHL season. 

This story first appeared on amny.com

Related Story: Nassau Coliseum Temporarily Shutting Its Doors

Sign up for Long Island Press’ email newsletters here. Sign up for home delivery of Long Island Press here. Sign up for discounts by becoming a Long Island Press community partner here.

Nassau Coliseum Temporarily Shutting Its Doors, Report Says

By
Joe Pantorno
-
Harlem Globetrotterrs
The Harlem Globetrotterrs's star player, Flight Time, makes a trick shot from the roof of Nassau Coliseum.

NYCB Live, home of the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, which is temporarily acting as the home of the NHL’s New York Islanders while their new venue at Belmont Park is being completed, is closing its doors, according to a report by Patrick Clark of Bloomberg.com. 

The building’s operator, billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov, will keep the doors locked indefinitely until an investor is found that will take over operations and pick up the remaining debt on the venue.

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the coliseum has been closed since March with no revenue coming in as all hockey games and live events, including concerts, were postponed indefinitely.

“I was very disappointed to hear this, but I can’t say I was surprised,” Nassau County Executive Laura Curran said. “Arenas are really taking a hard hit since the pandemic and the coliseum has been dark for months now. Like with everything else, we will regroup, we will find our way forward… We will analyze everything, look at all of the options…and we will recover from this.”

Per Clark, Prokhorov and his Onexim Sports and Entertainment, “would turn over the lease in return for assuming roughly $100 million in loans on the property.” Arena employees are already being laid off. 

“While we still believe in the enormous long term economic value of the Coliseum and the development of the surrounding land, [Nassau Events Center] recognizes that such value will be best realized by other parties,” an Onexim statement read.

At the surface, this throws an enormous wrench in the Islanders’ plans over the next two years as the team could be rendered homeless until Belmont is completed. 

“No comment at this time,” an Islanders spokesperson told amNewYork Metro.

In February, New York State Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced that the team would be playing all of its remaining home games at the coliseum on Long Island until their new arena at Belmont Park was ready. It officially ended a broken relationship with the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, which the team called home since 2015. 

However, the Islanders will not be playing a home game at the coliseum from anywhere between four-to-six months depending on when the 2020-21 NHL season begins. 

While the league is working toward returning to action in late-July for an expanded postseason that will include the Islanders, all games will be played at two neutral sites — and the Nassau Coliseum was not up for consideration.

In a best-case-scenario-type situation, it allows ample time for Prokhorov to find the necessary investors to pay down the debt and re-open the doors, whether that be the Islanders or an outside party. But Newsday’s Jim Baumbach reports that the team will likely play its games next season at the Barclays Center

This story first appeared on amny.com

Sign up for Long Island Press’ email newsletters here. Sign up for home delivery of Long Island Press here. Sign up for discounts by becoming a Long Island Press community partner here.