NY Islanders’ $1.2B Belmont arena project construction set to start this summer

Jon Ledecky, co-owner of the National Hockey Leagues’ New York Islanders, hopes to begin construction of the team’s new arena at Belmont Park this summer even as a long-awaited environmental review for the mixed-use project will most likely be delayed, Newsday reported. Officials from Empire State Development, the state agency coordinating an environmental review for the controversial $1.2 billion redevelopment, had hoped to conclude that process by the end of the second quarter of this year. July, however, is now the expected timeline to finalize the review, which ESD officials don’t expect will push back the start of construction. The ESD report is expected to address developers’ efforts to neighbors’ concerns about the project. Those who live nearby feared the proposed development, which besides a 17,500-seat arena also includes a 250-room hotel and 435,000-square-feet of retail space, will increase traffic and overload the Long Island Rail Road. The state plans to run additional trains to ease that potential strain and a development group may help build a new train station. Ledecky, founder of U.S. Office Products and the uncle of U.S. Olympic swimmer Katie Ledecky, said he anticipates construction to be finished in time for the Islanders’ 2021-22 season. [Newsday]