Lighthouse Project Hopefully Takes Another Step Forward

This morning, there was a rally outside Nassau Coliseum to support the Lighthouse Project. As I write this, a hearing is being held at Hofstra University to discuss the environmental impact of the project. Several people are in attendance from Islanders owner Charles Wang to current and former players (Mike Bossy, Josh Bailey) and County Executive Tom Suozzi. So, the big question is, is this good news for the project?

For those who are unaware, Charles Wang wants to completely renovate the Nassau Coliseum and the surrounding area. His development group has come up with a plan to revitalize the area, completely sprucing up the arena and making a residential and business community around it. There will also be a sports technology center, retail shopping, and other features.

However, the project has been held up for years now and Charles Wang has imposed a deadline of October 3rd to be told whether or not the project can happen and if construction can begin. Nothing has happened as of yet in terms of groundbreaking, and it likely won't happen for a while. However, getting the environmental kinks worked out is a big step in the process. Many people are believed to support the project and they will likely be in attendance at this meeting.

Anything that helps the project toward an eventual decision is a success at this point. The Islanders need this to get done if they want to have any chance at building a successful franchise and attracting talented players. However, there are definitely many environmental concerns. Traffic around that area of Long Island is already heavy, and this project would likely create more congestion. The size of the project is also a concern as is the sustainability factor.

There is no question that the majority of people support this project. The Islanders do have a dedicated fan base and want their team to remain on Long Island. With all the new arenas that have been constructed or are being built in the area now, the Islanders have to feel neglected. It will be interesting to see if this gets done and what comes out of today's meeting. For updates on what is going on, check out Newsday's live-blog with Katie Strang from the meeting today.