Exterior work gets underway on Coliseum

Early next year, visitors to the Nassau County Veterans Memorial Coliseum will be greeted by a new façade that architects said they hope evokes both Long Island beaches and the area’s rich history of aviation.

After decades without a significant renovation, the Coliseum work on the interior and exterior is well under way, according to Rebecca D’Eloia, of Forest City Ratner Companies, who unveiled the “new architectural statement” in progress during a Nov. 7 news conference.

“The idea of the renovation is to change the curb appeal and give the Coliseum a new face,” D’Eloia said.

The 416,000-square-foot exterior of the arena, which opened in 1972, has been painted black to provide a “visually dramatic contrast” to the hundreds of metal “fins” being installed around the building that, SHoP Architects said, will subtly change in appearance as the natural light changes throughout the day.

Also, D’Eloia said, the exterior fins are intended to resemble ocean waves and beach fences. “They’ll provide a new face and a lot of shape and movement around the building,” she said.

On the inside, the Coliseum’s 43-year-old plumbing and HVAC systems will also be upgraded. And new flexible seating will allow for 13,000 guests at hockey games, 13,500 for basketball and 14,500 for most concerts.

The Long Island Nets, which are part of the NBA Development League, will call the Coliseum home, and family events and even political events and graduations might someday be in the offing, D’Eloia said.

Visitors can also look forward to an improved culinary experience at the venue, according to D’Eloia, with authentic food and beverages through the Long Island Taste Program, similar to the Brooklyn Taste program.

Concession staff will be “new, fresh, happy faces,” trained at the Disney Institute, which will provide a “phenomenal food experience,” D’Eloia said.

And the inaugural concert event, once the new Coliseum opens next year, will be none other than Billy Joel, whose Long Island roots run deep.

“I hope that people will find that the fan experience here is topnotch …I think there’ll really be something here for everybody,” D’Eloia said.

The Coliseum originally opened in 1972 on land historically known as the Hempstead Plains, which was a hub for military aircraft research and production, and home to three major airfields.

The new Coliseum is sponsored by New York Community Bank.