Let us consider some of the basic details of this now-cancelled
proposal:
Location - it would have been located on the Post College campus,
south of the main group of academic buildings and bordered by the athletic
fields, the gold parking lot and the football fields / fieldhouse. The existing
tennis courts would have been demolished to accommodate this massive structure.
Size - The seating capacity was given as approximately 4,000, but
we wern't able to hold them to an exact figure. The NCAA requires a minimum
size in order to issue a classification of Division I, while the Village
of Brookville would (presumably) want to place an upper limit on its maximum
size. Thus, Post tried to convince the NCAA that the facility is big enough
while simultaneously convincing us that it is really quite small. Further,
you can imagine the parking requirements of a 4,000 seat sports arena. Parking
is already a problem at Post and this complex would have only exacerbated
that problem.
Control - the facility would have been operated by a third party
that is not part of Long Island University. LIU has demonstrated a poor
record of monitoring the activities of outside concessionaires on its campus.
According to Jim Murphy, LIU's attorney, LIU is currently suing the operator
of the on-campus stables, because they cannot obtain voluntary compliance
with existing agreements. If they cannot control a small stable, how will
they control large entities like the Long Island Islanders (one of the principals)
or the AFL-CIO pension fund (the source of the funding). The student newspaper,
the Pioneer, has published countless allegations over the years, of LIU's
difficulties in overseeing its food service contractors. You can judge for
yourself how well the Tilles Center's activities are overseen.
Neighborhood Effects - the facility would have been within earshot
of Old Wheatley Road and Horse Hill Road on the Brookville side and Whitney
Lane and several small roads off of it on the Old Westbury side. LIU's representatives
will not acknowledge any neighborhood effects issuing from this complex.
What do you think? Are they negotiating in good faith?