UBS Arena


UBS Arena is a $1.5 billion multi-purpose arena under construction and development in Elmont, New York, next to the Belmont Park race track. The venue is projected to open for the 2021–22 NHL season. The arena will serve as the home of the New York Islanders of the National Hockey League and will host around 150 major events annually. UBS holds the exclusive naming rights to the arena.

History

Lighthouse Project

Construction on the Lighthouse Project was not planned to begin until at least mid-2009. Nassau County approved the project in 2006 on a 16–2 vote, and the draft environmental impact statement was completed after a state-mandated environmental review. The Lighthouse Project was then expected to go before the Town of Hempstead for approval on a change in land zoning. However, the approval was never granted. After the October 2009 deadline passed, the Long Island Press reported the Lighthouse Project's cancellation.
On July 12, 2010, Town Supervisor Kate Murray announced an “alternate zone” created for the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum property, downsizing the original Lighthouse Project to half its proposed size and making the project, according to then-Nassau County Executive Ed Mangano and the developers, "economically unviable for both the developer and owner of the site". From that point, the Lighthouse Project would no longer be pursued by then-Islanders owner Charles Wang, Mangano and the developers.

Willets Point

In May 2010, Jeff Wilpon, COO of the New York Mets of Major League Baseball, had discussions with Wang about constructing a new arena for the Islanders in the Willets Point neighborhood of Queens, adjacent to the Mets' ballpark, Citi Field. Wilpon also discussed the possibility of buying the Islanders. In June 2010, the website FanHouse reported that Jeff and Fred Wilpon, the owner of the Mets, began working with real estate firm Jones Lang LaSalle on a feasibility study of a new Islanders arena in Queens. However, a source from Newsday indicated that the FanHouse report was not true. There were also reports that businessman Nelson Peltz wanted to buy the Islanders and move them to Barclays Center in Brooklyn.

Voter referendum

On May 11, 2011, the Islanders and Nassau County executives announced that county residents would vote on a referendum for approval of a $400 million public bond issue for a new plan to replace the Coliseum. The plan, including the construction of a new $350 million arena as well as a $50 million minor league baseball ballpark nearby, was presented by Wang as a last-ditch effort to keep the Islanders in Nassau County. However, voters in Nassau County rejected a proposal by a 57% to 43% margin on August 1, 2011.

Barclays Center

On October 24, 2012, the Islanders announced the team would move to Barclays Center in Brooklyn after their lease expired at the end of the 2014–15 season.
Since the Islanders moved to Barclays Center, there have been numerous complaints about obstructed-view seats. The arena was built primarily for basketball, and has a hockey configuration in which the scoreboard is off-centered above the blue line, and an asymmetrical seating configuration with only three rows of permanent seating on the northwest end of the arena. As a result, many seats are obstructed, with several hundred not sold at all. Business Insider has called sections 201 to 204 and 228 to 231 "the worst seat in American professional sports". In an interview with Sports Illustrated, Barclays Center CEO Brett Yormark acknowledged the issue, but insisted nothing can be done: "There's really nothing we’re going to do from a capital improvement standpoint. You can watch the game on your mobile device. The game is on the scoreboard." There have been numerous complaints about the quality of the ice during hockey games. The arena uses PVC piping instead of steel piping under the ice surface, making it much harder to maintain NHL standards and temperature.

Planning and design

On December 20, 2017, it was announced that the Islanders won a bid to build a new 19,000-seat arena at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York, beating out a competing proposal by New York City FC of Major League Soccer for their soccer-specific stadium project.
New York Arena Partners, a combination of the Islanders, Oak View Group, and Sterling Equities, proposes to build a mixed-use entertainment complex that will include an approximately, 19,000-seat multi-use arena that will be home to the New York Islanders; a retail, dining, and entertainment village; a 250-room hotel; and of offices and parking. In July 2019, the plan was adopted by the Empire State Development Corporation board. The plan also includes a new Elmont station on the LIRR, in addition to the hotel, arena, and retail village.
UBS Arena is poised to become a global landmark entertainment and sports destination. Made for music. Built for hockey.
The venue is designed with artists in mind to ensure the performers and crew have efficient and effortless access. In partnership with Oak View Group, Live Nation and The Azoff Company, the UBS Arena offers a bespoke, back-of-house campus and efficient load in/load out services.
A state of the art sound system, the largest scoreboard in New York, theatrical lightning, ice video projections, POS solutions, 5G cellular and fast Wi-Fi service aim to create one of the best fan experiences. In addition, UBS Arena will offer high-end amenities and customer service, through VIP suites and clubs that merge boutique hospitality with live entertainment. Clubs and suites will have a timeless design inspired by classic, well-known New York establishments and will offer premier views of the bowl. The arena also includes outdoor terraces open to all guests, world-class acoustics and theater-inspired game presentation. UBS Arena’s exterior and interior will pay homage to iconic New York landmarks, including Grand Central Terminal, Prospect Park Boathouse and the Park Avenue Armory. Completing UBS Arena, Belmont Park’s campus will comprise 315,000 sq ft of luxury retail and will include a 4-star boutique hotel with up to 250 rooms.
To ensure the health and safety of patrons and staff, the venue is being designed with advanced safety measures in mind.

Construction

On September 23, 2019, the groundbreaking was held for the arena featuring New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman, and officials, alumni and current players from the Islanders.
On March 27, 2020, construction was paused due to an order from New York Governor Andrew Cuomo to stop all non-essential construction work until April 21 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. On April 16, 2020, it was announced that the pause was extended to May 15, 2020. On May 9, 2020, it was announced that the pause was further extended to May 23, 2020.
On May 27, 2020, construction resumed as part of New York Governor Andrew Cuomo’s phased regional reopening plan for New York State. Team officials said that they expect construction to finish in time for the Islanders to begin play there in October 2021, despite the 2 month pause.
On July 22, 2020, the New York Islanders announced that the arena will be named UBS Arena, after the Swiss Bank UBS. The deal is reportedly worth $350 million over 20 years.

Social and economic footprint

The $1.5 billion project and surrounding redevelopment expected to generate approximately $25 billion in economic activity, including major infrastructure improvements, 10,000 construction jobs, and 3,000 permanent jobs of which 30% are to be set aside for local residents.
The $1.5 billion private investment into the arena and the overall surrounding campus will provide a significant boost, of approximately $25 billion, to the regional economy at a time when economic activity has slowed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The project will also inject much needed stimulus into the New York economy and the local community, with the goal of filling 30% of UBS Arena’s permanent jobs with workers who live in the surrounding area. Thirty percent of contracting dollars for construction will also be earmarked for state-certified minority and female-owned businesses, and 6% will be earmarked for service-disabled veteran-owned businesses. There also are plans for an additional $100 million investment in transit and infrastructure enhancements, including the first, newly constructed Long Island Rail Road station in almost 50 years.
UBS Arena will also commit a significant philanthropic investment to drive economic redevelopment and strengthen the local community. The primary focus of these efforts will be on improving college and career readiness for local youth by providing programming related to post-secondary education and entrepreneurship, both of which are longtime cornerstones of UBS’s community impact efforts across the Americas region.
The Arena is being built to achieve Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design standards for Building Design and Construction. In an effort to build a greener future, UBS Arena is working with world-class sustainability experts to minimize the environmental impact of the venue and become a zero waste facility, utilizing renewable energy sources and reducing water and electricity consumption.