UBS Arena is a US$ 1.5bn multi-purpose arena that is under construction and development at the heart of the new Belmont Gardens in Elmont, northwestern Hempstead in Nassau County, New York, United States, next to the Belmont Park race track.
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The state-of-the-art, next-generation arena is meant to bring the New York Islanders, a professional ice hockey team that plays in the National Hockey League (NHL), home to Long Island, and create the nation’s premier performance venue where approximately 150 major events shall be hosted annually.
Inspired by iconic New York landmarks, such as Central Park, Ebbets Field, Grand Central Terminal, Park Avenue Armory, and Prospect Park Boathouse, the design of the arena balances contemporary form with traditional materials. It is sited to allow a grove of legacy trees to remain, offering a one-of-a-kind experience of entering a major arena through a stately grove of old-growth trees.
Inside the arena are multiple clubs (UBS, Dime, Spotlight, and Hyundai clubs) where the game lovers can grab a drink with friends while witnessing the action on the ice. There are also a number of suites (Spotlight, and Belmont sites), and an exclusive lounge (Verizon lounge).
UBS ARENA: made for music built for hockey
The UBS Arena features the best sightlines in Metro New York allowing for a more intimate fan experience, a state-of-the-art sound system that leverages world-class acoustics to amplify the audio experience, a bespoke back of house artist campus designed with input from the live nation, and most real estate, accessibility, and load-in / load-out outlets, creating significant cost savings for artists.
The hockey field has design input from Lou Lamoriello, the 2020 GM of the Year, and Barry Trotz, the 2019 Coach of the Year, and it features great sightlines and a loud and intimate bowl, state-of-the-art, 23000 square feet locker room, and player campus, and dedicated New York Islanders team store.
It also has the largest arena scoreboard in New York State, with two levels of high-resolution LED ribbon boards and industry-leading game presentation.
UBS ARENA project timeline
2019
Developed in partnership with Oak View Group (OVG), the New York Islanders, and Sterling Project Development (SPD), the UBS ARENA project broke ground in September 2019.
2020
In March construction was paused following an order from Cuomo to stop all non-essential construction work until April due to the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. On April 16 the same year, the pause was extended to the 15th of the following month and again on the 9th of May to the 23rd of the same month.
On May 27th, 2020, construction of the arena resumed as part of Cuomo’s phased regional reopening plan for New York State.
In October, the final structural beam was hoisted up and installed with the roof slated to go up in December the same year.
2021
In May, Daktronics was selected to manufacture and install 45 HDR-capable LED displays at the arena, including its center-hung scoreboard. The LED displays, total up to more than 15,000 square feet and more than 34 million pixels.
November 2021
Governor Kathy Hochul cut the ribbon for the UBS Arena. According to Hochul the completion and opening of the multi-purpose arena is a major milestone in the overall Belmont Park Redevelopment Project, which is transforming 43 acres of underutilized parking lots into a premier sports and hospitality destination.
“Today is a monumental day for New York and the Islanders as we cut the ribbon on the world-class new UBS Arena,” said the New York governor adding that, “this is the first step in the newly redeveloped Belmont Park that will serve as an internationally recognized destination for sports, entertainment, retail, and hospitality.”
In addition to the arena, two local parks rehabilitated as part of the Belmont Park Redevelopment Project will reopen to the public in the coming months.
