The Stable | |
Former names | Belmont Park Arena (planning/construction) [1] |
---|---|
Address | 2400 Hempstead Turnpike |
Location | Elmont, New York, U.S. |
Coordinates | 40°42′42″N73°43′34″W / 40.71179°N 73.72604°W |
Public transit | Elmont Belmont Park N1, N6, Q2 and Q110 local buses [2] [3] |
Owner | New York Arena Partners (a joint venture of the New York Islanders, Oak View Group, and Sterling Equities) |
Operator | New York Islanders |
Type | Arena |
Capacity | Ice hockey: 17,255 Concerts: 19,000 |
Surface | Concrete |
Scoreboard | Daktronics Inc. |
Construction | |
Broke ground | September 23, 2019 [4] |
Built | 2019–2021 |
Opened | November 20, 2021 [5] |
Construction cost | US$1 billion (including development) |
Architect | Populous [6] JRDV Urban International [7] Stantec [7] |
Project manager | Populous |
Structural engineer | Populous |
Services engineer | Populous |
General contractor | Hunt / Barton Malow JV |
Tenants | |
New York Islanders (NHL) (2021–present) New York Sirens (PWHL) (2024) St. John's University men's and women's basketball (part-time) (2021–present) | |
Website | |
ubsarena |
UBS Arena is a multi-purpose indoor arena located within Belmont Park in Elmont, New York, on Long Island. The venue is situated directly adjacent to the eastern limits of the borough of Queens in New York City. Opened in 2021, it is the home of the New York Islanders of the National Hockey League (NHL), replacing the Nassau Coliseum and Barclays Center. The arena officially seats 17,250 patrons for NHL games and up to 19,000 for concerts and other select events. Fans and sports writers have affectionately nicknamed the arena "The Stable", due to the arena being located at Belmont Park, a famous thoroughbred racing venue.
By the mid-2000s, Nassau Coliseum was the fourth-oldest facility in the NHL, behind the twice-renovated Madison Square Garden in Manhattan (which remains in use today), the Pittsburgh Civic Arena (built in 1961 and replaced in 2010), and Northlands Coliseum in Edmonton (built in 1974, replaced in 2016). It was also the smallest arena in the league, until the Atlanta Thrashers moved to the smaller Canada Life Centre in Winnipeg and became the new Winnipeg Jets. Various attempts had been made to pursue a renovation or replacement of the aging facility, including the Lighthouse Project—a 2004 proposal to renovate the Coliseum and build a larger sport, entertainment, and residential district around it (including a minor-league ballpark and a 60-story high-rise from which the proposal derived its name). [8] While Nassau County approved a version of the Lighthouse Project, the town of Hempstead never granted a change in zoning that was required for its construction, and the project was reported to have been cancelled. [9] [10]
In May 2010, Jeff Wilpon, then COO of Major League Baseball's New York Mets, had discussions with then-Islanders owner Charles 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. [11]
In June 2010, FanHouse reported that Wilpon and his father, then-Mets owner Fred Wilpon, had begun working with real estate firm Jones Lang LaSalle (who also worked on the renovation of Madison Square Garden) on a feasibility study of a new Islanders arena in Queens. [12] However, a source from Newsday indicated that the FanHouse report was not true. [13] There were also reports that businessman Nelson Peltz wanted to buy the Islanders and move them to Barclays Center in Brooklyn. [14]
On July 12, 2010, Hempstead supervisor Kate Murray announced an "alternate zone" created for the 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 Wang, Mangano and the developers. [15]
In August 2011, Nassau County voters voted against a referendum that would have granted a $400 million public bond to construct a $350 million arena and $50 million minor league ballpark. The plan was presented by Wang as a last-ditch effort to keep the Islanders in Nassau County. [16] In October 2012, the Islanders announced that they would re-locate to Barclays Center in Brooklyn once their lease of the Coliseum expired after the 2014–15 season. [17] Meanwhile, a group led by Bruce Ratner (who had developed Barclays Center) secured an $89 million bid to renovate the Coliseum, aiming to host a minor hockey team as its main tenant, and have six Islanders games played there per season. [18] [19] [20]
As Barclays Center was designed primarily as a basketball arena, its hockey configuration was criticized by fans for having seats with obstructed views, while its ice quality was criticized as substandard by players. [21] [22]
In December 2017, New York Arena Partners—a joint venture between the Islanders, Oak View Group, and Sterling Equities, won a bid to construct a new, 18,000-seat arena and mixed-use district at Belmont Park, beating a competing proposal by New York City FC for a new soccer stadium. The new arena was projected to be completed in time for the 2021–22 NHL season. [23] [24] In the meantime, the Islanders began to gradually play more home games at the Coliseum in the 2018–19 season. [25]
On September 23, 2019, the groundbreaking for the arena was held. It was attended by New York state governor Andrew Cuomo, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman, and officials, alumni, and current players from the Islanders. [26] In February 2020, it was announced that beginning with the 2020 playoffs, the Islanders would temporarily return to the Coliseum for all home games before moving to the Belmont Park arena for the 2021–22 season. [27]
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic in New York, all non-essential construction projects in the state of New York were ordered to suspend operations beginning March 27, 2020. [28] Construction was allowed to resume on May 27, 2020; team officials expected construction to finish in time for the Islanders to begin to play in October 2021, despite the two-month pause. [29]
In July 2020, UBS was announced as the naming rights sponsor of the new arena under a 20-year deal, naming the facility UBS Arena. [30]
The Islanders were to begin playing home games at UBS Arena for the 2021–22 season. To allow additional time for construction to complete, the Islanders' preseason home games were played at Webster Bank Arena in Bridgeport, Connecticut, home of their American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Bridgeport Islanders. The team then played 13 consecutive road games to start the regular season. UBS Arena formally opened on November 19, 2021, with a private fundraising event featuring rock band Chicago. [31]
As the $1.5 billion project and surrounding redevelopment moved forward, it was announced that they would generate approximately $25 billion in economic activity, including major infrastructure improvements, 10,000 construction jobs, and 3,000 permanent jobs. [32] This was seen as a boost to the regional economy at a time when activity had slowed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. [33] The project partners set a goal of having 30 percent of contracting dollars for construction earmarked for state-certified minority and female-owned businesses, and a further 6 percent for service-disabled veteran-owned businesses. [32] The project led to an additional $100 million investment in transit and infrastructure enhancements, including Elmont station, the first newly constructed Long Island Rail Road station in almost 50 years. [34]
On November 20, 2021, the Islanders played their first game at UBS Arena, a 5–2 loss to the Calgary Flames. The Flames' Brad Richardson scored the arena's first goal, while Brock Nelson scored the first Islanders goal. [35] [36] The Islanders started 0–5–2 at UBS Arena. Their first home win at the venue came on December 11, in a 4–2 win against the New Jersey Devils. [37]
The first Stanley Cup playoffs game at UBS Arena took place on April 21, 2023, when the Islanders defeated the Carolina Hurricanes by a score of 5–1. Casey Cizikas of the Islanders scored the first playoff goal in the arena. [38]
UBS Arena is scheduled to host the 2026 NHL All-Star Game, having been awarded it during the 2024 NHL Stadium Series on February 18, 2024. [39]
The Professional Women's Hockey League's (PWHL) New York Sirens will hold some of its home games at UBS Arena starting on January 10, 2024. [40] [41]
The first college basketball game at UBS Arena was played on December 3, 2021, between the nearby St. John's Red Storm and the Kansas Jayhawks as part of the annual Big East–Big 12 Battle. The Jayhawks won the game 95–75. [42] The Iona Gaels also hosted the Delaware Fightin' Blue Hens on December 21, 2021. [43]
The New York Liberty of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) moved its 2024 Commissioner's Cup championship game against the Minnesota Lynx to UBS Arena on June 25, as the Liberty's home arena of Barclays Center was set to host the 2024 NBA draft the following night. [44]
The November 29, 2021 episode of WWE's Monday Night Raw took place at the arena. The December 8, 2021 episode of All Elite Wrestling's Dynamite took place at UBS Arena, [45] as well as the taping for that week's episode of AEW Rampage , which aired on December 10. [46] On June 30th 2024, All Elite Wrestling and New Japan Pro Wrestling co-hosted supershow Forbidden Door which aired live on PPV. [47] [48]
On July 16, 2022, the arena held its first MMA and UFC event, hosting UFC on ABC: Ortega vs. Rodríguez . [49]
British singer Harry Styles held the arena's first public concert on November 28, 2021. [50] He also performed the entirety of his latest album Harry's House for the first time live on May 20, 2022. [51]
The New York Islanders are a professional ice hockey team based in Elmont, New York. The Islanders compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference. The team plays its home games at UBS Arena. The Islanders are one of three NHL franchises in the New York metropolitan area, along with the New Jersey Devils and New York Rangers, and their fanbase resides primarily on Long Island.
Elmont is an unincorporated hamlet and census-designated place (CDP) located in northwestern Hempstead in Nassau County, New York, United States, along its border with the borough of Queens in New York City. The population was 35,265 as of the 2020 census.
Uniondale is a hamlet and census-designated place (CDP) in central Nassau County, New York, on Long Island, in the Town of Hempstead, within the New York metropolitan area. The population was 32,473 at the time of the 2020 United States census. Uniondale is home to Hofstra University's north campus and a portion of its southern campus, as well as the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum.
Charles B. Wang was a Chinese-American billionaire, businessman, and philanthropist, who was a co-founder and CEO of Computer Associates International, Inc.. He was a minority owner of the NHL's New York Islanders ice hockey team and their AHL affiliate.
Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum is a multi-purpose indoor arena in Uniondale, Nassau County, New York, on Long Island. The venue is situated approximately 7 miles (11 km) east of the eastern limits of the borough of Queens in New York City, adjacent to the Meadowbrook Parkway. It is one of the larger public auditoriums in the New York metropolitan area.
Barclays Center is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the New York City borough of Brooklyn. The arena is home to the Brooklyn Nets of the National Basketball Association and the New York Liberty of the Women's National Basketball Association. The arena also hosts concerts, conventions and other sporting and entertainment events.
Sports in the New York metropolitan area have a long and distinguished history.
Alex Anthony aka Alex Anthony Sioukas is best known as the Public Address announcer for Major League Baseball's New York Mets, a position he held from 2004 to 2017, first at Shea Stadium and then at Citi Field since the Mets moved there in 2009. He has been called the "Voice of the Mets." He is also the PA announcer for the New York Jets and the New York Islanders
The Lighthouse Project, officially named The Lighthouse at Long Island, was a proposed transformation of the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum and the area surrounding it into a modern suburban area. The project was first introduced by New York Islanders owner Charles Wang. The base of the project was a newly renovated Coliseum for the New York Islanders to play in. Surrounding the Coliseum would be houses, offices, restaurants, and various stores, as well as Long Island's first five-star hotel. There would also be an athletic complex, conference and exhibition facilities, and a minor league baseball ballpark.
The Islanders–Rangers rivalry, also known as the Battle of New York, is a local sports rivalry between the New York Islanders and New York Rangers of the National Hockey League (NHL). Both teams play in New York, with the Rangers in the New York City borough of Manhattan, and the Islanders in the Long Island county of Nassau near its border with Queens. They are two of the three teams that play in the New York metropolitan area, the other being the New Jersey Devils who play in Newark, New Jersey.
The history of the New York Islanders National Hockey League team dates back to 1972. Since 1980, the franchise has played in five Stanley Cup Finals, winning four straight Stanley Cups from 1980 to 1983.
Oak View Group, LLC (OVG) is an American professional sports and commercial real estate company based in Denver. It manages several sports venues, including Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle, which was constructed under the company's supervision. OVG was formed in November 2015, by Tim Leiweke and his business partner, Irving Azoff.
The 2019–20 New York Islanders season was the 48th season in the franchise's history. It was their fifth season in the Barclays Center in the New York City borough of Brooklyn, which they moved into after leaving Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Nassau County on Long Island at the conclusion of the 2014–15 season. During the regular season, the Islanders were scheduled to play 21 home games at Nassau Coliseum but on September 23 moved seven more games from the Barclays Center, making it a total of 28 games to be played at Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum. On February 29, 2020, it was announced that the Islanders would play their last game at Barclays Center on March 22, and then would move to Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum permanently.
Elmont–UBS Arena is a Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) station in Elmont and Bellerose Terrace, New York, just east of the Nassau County border with the New York City borough of Queens. It serves the LIRR Main Line and was built as part of the redevelopment of Belmont Park, which included the construction of the UBS Arena for the NHL's New York Islanders hockey team. The station opened for eastbound service in November 2021 and westbound service in October 2022.
The 2020–21 NHL season was the 104th season of operation of the National Hockey League (NHL). Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the regular season was reduced to 56 games and began on January 13, 2021. Due to COVID-19 cross-border travel restrictions imposed by the Government of Canada, the league temporarily realigned for this season, putting all seven Canadian teams into one division. COVID-19 outbreaks caused the games of most teams to be rescheduled beyond the regular season's original end date of May 8, with the last game being moved to May 19. The playoffs began four days earlier on May 15, under a 16-team format with the top four teams from each division.
The 2020–21 New York Islanders season was the 49th season in the franchise's history. It was their first full season in the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum since returning to the arena full-time for the 2020–21 season, as well as their 45th overall and final season in the arena. In June 2020, the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum's leaseholder announced that the arena would be closed and seek a new leaseholder, which was found in August 2020.