MINEOLA, N.Y. - A day after voters soundly defeated a US$400-million referendum for a new hockey arena, a New York official is asking for new ideas to develop the 31-hectare parcel.
County executive Edward Mangano backed the referendum as a way to keep the New York Islanders from moving out of the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum. The team's lease expires in 2015.
Mangano said Tuesday that he welcomes Islanders owner Charles Wang — or anyone else — to submit a proposal for the property.
Wang failed in an earlier attempt to privately develop the land.
According to unofficial election results, the referendum failed by a 57 to 43 per cent margin.
An Islanders spokeswoman says Wang has no comment. He has said the team will honour its lease.
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