RXR and BSE outline Nassau Hub plans, land anchor tenant

On Dec. 1, the National Hockey League’s New York Islanders played a home game at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum for the first time since April 2015. While the capacity crowd of 13,917 cheered on the Islanders, who are playing again at their old home on Hempstead Turnpike after a few years at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center, developers of the $1.5 billion Nassau Hub are moving forward with their plans for the 60-acre, mixed-use project around the renovated Nassau Coliseum. Newsday reported last week that Uniondale-based RXR Realty and Brooklyn-based BSE Global hope to build 600,000 square feet of office and biotechnology research space, 500 units of housing, two hotels and 200,000 square feet of entertainment and shops that combine regular retail with activities like yoga and cooking classes. The “new suburbia” was promised by RXR and BSE during an hours-long meeting with the Nassau Legislature on Nov. 27, according to Newsday, which noted that Northwell Health had signed on as an anchor tenant for the project. The developers want to get subsidies from the county to offset taxes in the construction of residential units. The legislature could vote this month on an amended lease that would allow developers to push forward on project planning. [Newsday]