New casino may appear on Long Island, but some are unhappy with the proposed site

It’s a big gamble that could pay off for Long Island’s future: a plan is being made to build a casino in Nassau County.

There is a lot of hype around this plan, but there are also some concerns – and for it to become a reality, the proposal will have to overcome several obstacles. First, they need a license. Second, and perhaps more importantly, they need to win over the community.

Ron Reese thinks his firm Las Vegas Sands has the perfect plan to turn the 80 acres around Nassau Coliseum, known as the Hub, into a resort that will include a hotel, restaurants and entertainment center in addition to the area’s first gambling casino.

“We are committed to creating a world-class resort,” Reese said. “There will be a casino, but in reality it will only take up about 10 percent of the real space.”

While Reese has been keen to downplay the importance of casinos, the multibillion-dollar project could depend on Las Vegas Sands getting one of the three downstate casino licenses New York is now accepting applications for.

But they will have to win over people like Pearl Jacobs, who heads a community association that represents hundreds of families around the Coliseum.

“We say no to this casino,” Jacobs said, adding that it could be dangerous for local youth.

But Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman said he has an open mind about the proposal, calling parts of it exciting. But he noted that the developer must enlist the support of the community.

There has been no such support for several Hub offerings over the past 19 years. Because of this, former New York Governor David Patterson was hired by Las Vegas Sands to lobby the community. On Thursday, he touted the 12,000 construction jobs and 5,000 permanent jobs the project could create.

“We invite the community to work with us,” Patterson said.

“I think everyone should take part. Learn more, go to meetings and ask tough questions and then we can decide what’s best for everyone,” said Judy Courtney of the Garden City Property Owners Association.