Governor Hochul Cuts Ribbon on UBS Arena — New Home of the New York Islanders
November 21, 2021
Governor Kathy Hochul today announced the opening of UBS Arena, which will bring the New York Islanders back home to Long Island.
The new arena marks a major milestone in the overall $1.3 billion Belmont Park Redevelopment Project, which is transforming 43 acres of underutilized parking lots into a premier sports and hospitality destination. In addition to being the new home for the New York Islanders hockey team, the UBS Arena will feature concerts, live entertainment and other events throughout the year. Future phases of the Belmont Park Redevelopment Project will include a 350,000 square-foot destination entertainment and retail complex, a 250-key hotel and a community center. In addition, two rehabilitated local parks will reopen to the public in the coming months. Construction of all the project components is expected to create 10,000 jobs and generate $2.7 billion in economic activity for Nassau County.
"Today is a monumental day for New York and the Islanders as we cut the ribbon on the world-class new UBS Arena," Governor Hochul said. "This is the first step in the newly redeveloped Belmont Park, which will serve as an internationally recognized destination for sports, entertainment, retail and hospitality. As New York continues to recover from the COVID pandemic, Belmont Park will be instrumental in strengthening the regional economy and boosting tourism for generations to come."
Lieutenant Governor Brian Benjamin said, "The opening of the new UBS Arena is not only great for the Islanders, the new renovations to Belmont Park will be a wonderful addition to the Nassau County community. This new project will bring entertainment and economic activity to the area and make it an international hub for everything from sports to hospitality, I cannot wait to see the new arena in action."
Announced in December 2017, the Belmont Park Redevelopment Project includes significant community and public realm benefits, including a new Long Island Rail Road station in Elmont - the first new full-time LIRR stop in nearly 50 years. By 2024, the project is expected to sustain 3,200 new full-time jobs, produce $858 million in annual economic activity, and generate tens of millions of dollars in new annual tax revenue for the regional economy.
New LIRR Elmont Station
The Long Island Rail Road Elmont Station, the first new LIRR station in almost 50 years, will open for service on Saturday, Nov. 20 - coinciding with the New York Islanders' first home game at UBS Arena. The Elmont—UBS Arena Station will initially offer eastbound service to Elmont, serving the UBS Arena and Belmont Park, which retains its own dedicated part-time station.
Service at the station will increase next summer when the westbound platform opens. At that time, the station will begin full-time year-round service to the local community and will begin to provide westbound service to and from events at UBS Arena and Belmont Park. Long Islanders who live east of Belmont on the Hempstead, Oyster Bay, Port Jefferson and Ronkonkoma Branches will have a one-seat ride straight to events for the first time. This will reduce travel times and is expected to increase the number of event attendees who use public transportation, helping alleviate traffic congestion on Long Island.
When both platforms are complete, the new station will feature two 12-car-long high-level platforms with canopies, elevators that are compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act, a pedestrian overpass, USB charging stations, Help Points, security cameras, digital signs with train arrival information, Wi-Fi and a state-of-the-art snow melting system embedded in the concrete of the platforms to ensure they remain free of snow and ice during winter storms.
Rehabilitated Elmont Road Park and Hendrickson Avenue Park
As part of the overall project, New York Arena Partners is renovating Elmont Road Park and providing improvements to Hendrickson Avenue Park. The plan for Elmont Road Park was developed with the local community based on ideas residents offered at a facilitated planning workshop in April 2019. Upon completion, Elmont Road Park will have a new multi-use sports field, renovated basketball and handball courts, a perimeter walking path, a new adult fitness area, new playgrounds and water play area, renovated seating area, improved lighting and security measures, and ADA access. Improvements at Hendrickson Avenue Park include improved lighting.
This is the first step in the newly redeveloped Belmont Park, which will serve as an internationally recognized destination for sports, entertainment, retail and hospitality. As New York continues to recover from the COVID pandemic, Belmont Park will be instrumental in strengthening the regional economy and boosting tourism for generations to come.
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New York Pressroom
November 19, 2021