Nassau County lawmakers on Monday accepted the final environmental impact statement that studies the now-defunct, casino-resort proposal at the Nassau Coliseum. 

The vote by the legislature to accept the findings officially ends its involvement in a court-ordered, state environmental approval process for a plan first pitched by Las Vegas Sands in 2022. Sands had proposed to build an “integrated resort” on the 72-acre, county-owed Coliseum property in Uniondale. 

After the vote, Presiding Officer Legis. Howard Kopel (R-Lawrence) said he was “delighted” all legislators voted in favor of the environmental review. 

“This is going to create enormous opportunity for the county to go ahead and build something wonderful that is going to provide tremendous benefit to the county and all of its residents,” Kopel said.

It was still unclear what would be built, however, after Sands, a multi-billion-dollar corporation, announced at the end of April it would not bid on one of three state gaming licenses available for the downstate region. The licenses — which cost $500 million to apply for by June 27 — allow for a casino resort to include traditional, live-dealer table games such as poker and black jack. Sands and Nassau County officials failed to secure another casino company to take over the application as they had promised after Sands announced they were dropping out. 

 The Nevada-based company holds a 42-year lease to operate the Coliseum and surrounding land that could be reassigned to another developer. Sands executives had been seeking a 99-year lease to build a Vegas-style casino, live-entertainment venue, convention center, restaurants, shops, public gathering space, a day spa and wellness center. The 99-year lease was tied to getting the state gaming license but Sands would have the ability to transfer the environmental approvals to another company.

Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman during a visit to Albany last Thursday told Newsday it would be “very, very unlikely” a gaming license application would be submitted by any developer wanting to build a casino-resort at the Coliseum. Instead, he said “we are going to pursue a different direction,” or what he called “Plan B,” a development without a state gaming license. 

On Monday, Blakeman, a Republican, said in a statement to Newsday that the county and Sands “are anxious to develop the Coliseum site by making it a vibrant, exciting and energetic experience.” 

Representatives of construction and trades unions, business groups and local chambers of commerce that supported the project throughout told legislators they believed it was the “most comprehensive” study of the Coliseum site they have ever seen and the mitigation efforts adequately address all of the community and environmental concerns. Sands was willing to widen the Meadowbrook Parkway, repair several bridges and build a water well the would also supply homes in the surrounding communities. 

Michael Levoff, Sands senior vice president, said the vote “marks a critical milestone.”

“We are grateful to the legislators, residents, union members, and community leaders who have helped create this opportunity. Their voices have been made clear: Nassau deserves a bold, forward-looking investment at the Coliseum site. With the FEIS complete, we are one step closer to achieving this vision,” Levoff said. 

Those who opposed the casino-resort project say the traffic in the area is already too high and the location is too close to thousands of college and high school students. Hofstra University in Hempstead was among the first and most vocal detractors, filing a lawsuit against Blakeman, legislators and the county alleging violations of the state’s Open Meetings law, forcing the legislature to redo it’s vote on Sands’ lease and take on the state environmental process.   

Sands also is asking Town of Hempstead officials to rezone the Coliseum site and nearby Marriott hotel property to build higher and allow gambling, combining both parcels into a new hospitality district.  

Monday’s approval follows legislators’ unanimous vote last month to publicly release the more than 28,000 environmental impact statement, which includes studies of traffic, pollution, water usage and socio-economic implications and keep open a written public comment period until May 30. 

Candice Ferrette covers Nassau County government and politics on Long Island. She has been a reporter at Newsday since 2011.