Published on: December 2, 2024, 04:51h.
Last updated on: December 2, 2024, 04:51h.
Nassau County residents will have the opportunity to voice their opinions on the proposal by Las Vegas Sands to construct a casino hotel at the Nassau Coliseum site in Uniondale, NY during a public meeting of the county legislature on Monday, December 9.
The meeting was scheduled subsequent to Sands submitting an extensive draft environmental impact statement (DEIS) to the legislature in November — an 800-page document available for viewing on the legislature’s website until January 6.
Both the public meeting on December 9 and the environmental review are crucial for Las Vegas Sands and Nassau County in their quest to secure one of the three remaining downstate casino licenses. Last year, a New York State Supreme Court Justice ruled against the coliseum lease transfer agreement between the county and Sands citing violations of open meeting laws and environmental evaluation processes.
Anticipated late next year is the announcement of the recipients of the three coveted licenses, with any bids facing environmental or legal obstacles at risk of being rejected promptly.
Sands Casino Potential for Long Island
Similar to other downstate casino proposals, the Nassau County project by Sands has encountered opposition, notably from nearby Hofstra University and local community groups.
Conversely, the project boasts support from local officials and labor leaders who foresee job creation and tax revenue benefits. Sands projects that the Long Island casino could generate $563 million in annual tax revenue, with a significant portion allocated to local schools and the Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA), as reported by Long Island Business News.
Sands is proposing a world-class Integrated Resort that incorporates multiple components of leisure, business and entertainment to provide a wide range of experiences for the local community and guests,” said LVS in the DEIS. “The Integrated Resort concept leverages the complementary travel patterns of business travelers who attend meetings and conferences during workdays and leisure tourists and visitors who visit on weekends.”
A projected 7,000 construction jobs and 13,000 permanent positions, many of which would be unionized, are expected to be created by the project.
Concerns about Energy and Water Usage
Opponents have raised concerns about energy and water consumption, citing Nassau County’s outdated water infrastructure. In the DEIS, Sands estimates that the integrated resort would require nearly 110,000 gallons of water per day, with an additional 14,613 gallons per day for irrigation.
Sands is currently developing new wells to address water demand related to construction of the casino hotel, with Phase 1 expected to have minimal impact on water usage.
For energy consumption, Sands has committed to a sustainability-focused approach, including carbon mitigation and renewable energy use.
“Sands’ proposed energy strategy would help to conserve electricity, minimize potential carbon emissions and avoid significant water consumption associated with cooling towers, which have typically been used to generate chilled water for air conditioning on similar developments,” the operator stated in the DEIS. “Furthering Sands’ commitment to energy conservation and clean energy generation, the roofs of the proposed parking garages, meeting and conference space, and entertainment venue would include the integration of photovoltaic (PV) panels.”