WELCOMING UBS ARENA
BY BILL PARRY
Southeast Queens elected officials
were on hand for the
official ribbon-cutting ceremony
at the new $1.1 billion multipurpose,
state-of-the-art UBS
Arena located at Belmont Park,
the new home of the New York
Islanders.
Future phases of the Belmont
Park Redevelopment Project
will include a 350,000-squarefoot
destination entertainment
and retail complex and a 250-
room hotel that will become
an economic engine as southeast
Queens recovers from the
COVID-19 pandemic.
“Responsible, community-led
economic development is essential
to bringing New York back,”
state Senator Leroy Comrie said.
“It took quite a bit of doing, but
we are finally crossing the finish
line and looking forward to an
economic boost for the region
and the state.”
UBS Arena will host more
than 150 major events annually
and is designed to hold up to
19,000 people for concerts and
audiences up to 17,250 for NHL
games.
“I honestly have never been a
hockey fan, but to me, this is a
win-win because the islanders
have one of the best fan bases
in the NHL and with the easy
access provided by the new Long
Island Rail Road station, that
fan base will have easy access to
our neighborhoods of Queens
Village and Cambria Heights,”
Comrie said. “It will bring the
opportunity for economic development
to our restaurants and
businesses and create so many
jobs in hotel and retail management.”
2 SCHNEPS MEDIA | DEC.10, 2021
development that comes with
Comrie added that 15
employment fairs have been
held already in his district,
and more than 500 of his constituents
have been hired so
far for permanent and seasonal
jobs. He also thanked
southeast Queens community
leaders who served on the
Advisory Council and others
who stood up and spoke about
what needed to be done to
preserve and protect neighborhood
Southeast Queens leaders
welcome economic
opening of UBS Arena
integrity while having
a vision to move their
communities forward.
“Queens is thrilled to welcome
the New York Islanders to our
immediate area, but we’re also
thrilled about the job creation
and economic activity benefitting
our borough that the opening
of the spectacular new UBS
Arena will generate,” Queens
Borough President Donovan
Richards said. “Here’s to bringing
home the Stanley Cup for
the Islanders and bringing home
the bacon for both Queens and
Nassau County.”
Assemblyman Clyde Vanel,
an Islanders season ticket holder,
called the Belmont Park
Redevelopment Project a great
example of when government
and private partnerships work.
“We are excited to have the
New York Islanders and the UBS
Arena as our neighbors,” Vanel
said. “Along with great events,
we anticipate it being a jobs
hub for our community. We are
also excited to have a new Long
Island Rail Road station. The
UBS Arena will be a great place
to create memories for years to
come.”
The Queens Chamber of
Commerce is excited to see the
UBS Arena open its doors after
two years of construction. The
Chamber said they’ve developed
a relationship with Islanders, and
commend them for an “impressive
job engaging the business
community in southeast
Queens.”
“In turn, we’ve seen real
excitement from our members
in the area who understand
the positive impact being
so close to a world-class sports
and entertainment venue will
have on their businesses,”
Queens Chamber of Commerce
President and CEO Tom Grech
said. “We believe UBS Arena
will be a transformative project
for southeast Queens and our
neighbors in Nassau County,
This venue will be one of the
best, if not the best, arenas in
the National Hockey League. It
will not only draw fans from
Queens and Long Island but
also attract hockey fans from
throughout North America.
This, coupled with a full schedule
of concerts and other events
that bring visitors to the area,
will catalyze economic activity
that supports small businesses
and creates jobs.”
Photo courtesy of Kevin P. Coughlin/Office of the Governor
UBS Arena in Elmont is now open to the public.
Photo courtesy of Kevin P. Coughlin/Office of the Governor
Several southeast Queens officials joined Governor Kathy Hochul as she officially opened UBS Arena bringing economic development to the area.