Why are we here at a location that's flat out awful on every level besides Dolan wanted an arena in Nassau County, and lost the Coliseum with an AHL Ranger logo/NHL Ranger home preseason games in Nassau Coliseum to Ratner in 2013 because he wanted the entire HUB development/plaza with tax exemptions?
An area not built for an arena because the highway is on one end, & the racetrack is on the other with stables, plus over a thousand 24/7 workers. A parking garage no one can get in/out off because trip across Hempstead Turnpike to enter the garage from CIP off-ramp is a commute in itself. Outdoor parking a 1/2 mile away in elements with trains that don't arrive. An isolated/desolate location completely unsuited to house anything but a racetrack that's empty besides one day a year. The failed experiment at Belmont. Worst location besides moving further east with 2,000 season tickets out of 2.6 million vs being where we need to be back in NYC. The arena was finished late, Leiweke took preseason money for 2020-21.
I could have posted 50 more tweets with complaints.
Why are 29 teams in cities, two want city arena's, while NYI move back to a proven failed suburb (twice) to play in an arena where Dolan's a major share holder, while his Oakview/Silverlake guys Leiweke/Azoff run it, book it and have exclusive access most of year. (110 event days and more) Boston Bruins/Delaware North run concessions with re-re branded Smg, & Wilpons did actual construction with their company Sterling, & facility is filled with Dolan's Msg employees like Hank Abate while one NYI employee was moved out for a new President in Kim Stone recently.
NYI are at Belmont because Dolan wanted the Coliseum he lost to Ratner in 2013, before it's renovation was done in 2015-16 he was reminding Cuomo (who gave Dolan billions at Chase Garden/tax exemptions/tripled with renovation in 2013) what Newsday/News12LI and his friends can do to Cuomo's campaign contributions/re-election chances as he tried to do at LA Forum vs Clippers when he lost a facility he bought/renovated. Dolan needed his best friend Wang who had every plan for Coliseum trampled by Dolan's Newsday but did what he was told in 2016 as outgoing majority owner despite NYI strong start at Barclay's (13.6k avg playing Mondays/14.2k after 12/2/15) & Nets gaining on Knicks in NYC despite their terrible Brooklyn branding getting NYC back/front pages & now a major NYC team who can sign star players with state of art facilities. Dolan wanted his Belmont Coliseum/and renovated one gone, and NYI out of NYC. Wang did what he was told because not even Cuomo's corrupt ESD could get Dolan a Belmont arena without NYI initial consent to move there. Once it was approved NYI were a lame duck Belmont tenant again by time ground breaking was done/never more movable at any time for 86.25 million today.
Barclays: Despite my endless 24/7 praise, never wrote Barclay's was perfect/and no Prokhorov was not going to renew an agreement where they pay NYI 55 million, they were welcome to stay but had to pay their own way, but by Summer 2016 Dolan had Belmont on his front-page, Queens or a Barclay's renovation was not viable for Dolan's Newsday & media spindoctors & it was not even a consideration to stay. The Fisherman crew 2,000 strong who don't deserve an ECHL team in Nassau/Suffolk or remember what that logo stood for, which infuriated our alumni complained at Barclay's & did not support the team in the renovated Coliseum with a first place/max payroll/winning team. The bottom line Barclay's is the right location for NYI and plenty of room to continue growing what was working, a renovation would have happened sooner or later. Who cares if they sat on floor. Bettman could had approved older rink dimensions and that would have fixed most of the seating issues without costing anything.
Now we play at an arena that does one thing right, pretend the building is in Manhattan. Beyond that it's a joke and that 86.25 million out clause will be used sooner then later by Malkin.
Failed Belmont experiment issues/short-version.
Bag/wallet policies. (multiple)
No tailgate/honking because of horses/fires/stables/neighbors. Many people mock rules openly.
Handicapped parking issues, fans mock them also.
Emrald, Silver, Diamond, Ruby, Spano, Milstein lot's, super expensive & massive outdoor walks not counting walk to value retail which makes it a mile, hockey fans won't go there for this 24/7 location when a hotel opens in 3-5 years.
Between NYRA massive renovations coming, grandstand, Value Retail site, hotel, that's a construction site for years, likely past when Malkin sells and NYI relocate again.
Horrible highway/street access, that's why it was never developed for decades.
So-called atmosphere goes out sides of building/patio/low roof obstructs press box/scoreboard view/most of seats downstairs not near roof so no noise to hit the roof from empty seats in top deck. Why did they not construct a taller building in the very tiny footprint available? NYRA did not want racetrack hidden & nixed first hotel plan next to grandstand? NYRA/Azoff's music acts are the true anchor tenant's at that site.
Commute to arena from parking lot LIRR.
No standing behind benches during warmups, just behind goals.
Cashless arena/grab & go, touch and maybe charged later or good luck fighting that on credit card.
Slow bathroom lines for men/how many ladies bathrooms were really needed?
No leg room in upper level, people have to stand up for someone to get by.
Rumored smoke free outside in 2022-23.
All lanterns still not insalled from constuction a year ago, were floors ever tiled upstairs, what else hidden?
Legacy Brick wall first advertised 5/11/22
Jaroslav Halak mural in lobby painting?
Staff hired seasonal just before 1st game, same as Bridgeport job fair on 10/4 which Oakview runs.
No locker room images/facilities every arena ever opened showcased their locker room, pandemic restictions gone reporters in room with teams again.
Correction-you can enter garage from both sides of building on side street. TBD if long line to enter from highway off-ramp.
Commute is so far away no in arena practices, no gameday skate there, road team goes there, has morning skate/advantage.
Team lives at Northwell besides games themselves, that's not normal, making Barclay's home in first half of 2015-16 for everything with day rooms worked & team had a home they got used to/made playoffs finally free of cap floor in a city. Tavares asked to stop Barclay's morning skates in Jan 2016 & Snow agreed, now they can't go to NYC border which has no five star hotel/day rooms for millionaires.
Only images from Aurora Contractors this week on massive retail village, hidden entirely by team/Dolan's media while NYRA tunnel spammed 24/7.
Well hidden Belmont Value Retail Village, does Malkin even make money or have ownership here before he sells NYI and Dolan's Oakview gain 41 more dates for concerts?
Leiweke ran out of Belmont for his next arena conquest as he took over Pittsburgh & wants a third Vegas Arena (plus Dolan's Msg globe) while NYI stuck at failed experiment. Vegas has fraction of NY popultion, how fast will he throw that fake siren Tonelli used be thrown in the trash because Yormark made that change the next day from the MTA horn from 2015-16 preseason? Updated-the not 1970's-80's-90's siren was put in trash in ceremony on teams website.
Aurora Contractors drone video October 2022
