Ratner Reveals New Details on Revamped Coliseum Property

Nassau County Executive Edward Mangano joined Bruce Ratner, the Executive Chairman of Forest City Ratner Companies, Friday to announce details regarding the new epicenter that will sit on the Nassau Coliseum property.

Nassau Events Center will invest a minimum of $229 million in renovating a 100 percent privately financed Coliseum.

The plan is to surround the coliseum with six or seven restaurants, a bowling alley, a movie theater, a Fillmore Club and a Veteran’s memorial.

In terms of what residents will find at the coliseum, Ratner said that there will be six New York Islanders games per season (four regular season and two pre-season). Ratner said that there’s “a large possibility that they remain in Nassau through 2015.”

Ratner also plans to make the Coliseum the new home to the Bridgeport Sound Tigers, the Islanders’ AHL affiliate, and added that all he needs to do is come to an agreement with Charles Wang.

The Brooklyn Nets will also hold open practices, and there will be a variety of concerts as well.

“We will bring over 300 events,” Ratner said. “200 have already been committed. Whether it’s the Islanders, boxing, college basketball, rock concerts, whatever your taste, we will have it for you.”

“What I could tell all of you of what I know about this organization, you’ve got some excitement in your future,” University of Kentucky Basketball Coach John Calipari said. “We opened up the college basketball at Barclay’s, and all I can tell you is that it was more than a game...it was an experience.”

Ratner also said the plan is to make the Coliseum look “a bit more theatrical,” particularly on the concourse. Assuming construction begins in mid to late June of 2015, the plan is to have the facility ready for September of 2017.

For more on the plans for the revamped Coliseum, check out the video above.