It’s official: the independent Atlantic League has landed the rights to manage and place a team at a new Long Island ballpark as part of a Nassau County Coliseum development, a project expected to cost $50 million if approved by voters in August, according to an announcement this morning from Nassau County Executive Edward Mangano.
Atlantic League founder Frank Boulton was behind the bid. Blumenfeld Development Group, a local firm, and Sterling Equities, which is controlled by the New York Mets ownership, was the other bidder.
Nassau County is planning to issue $400 million in bonds to build a new arena and ballpark in the Nassau County Coliseum area. The process was open to bids, with two respondents: the independent Atlantic League (led by commissioner Frank Boulton) and the New York Mets. This, as far as we can gather, is the first time an independent team has snared a territory sought by an affiliated team. A new team will play in the ballpark; the Long Island Ducks will remain put.
The new ballpark is not a sure thing: Voters will be asked to approve $400 million in bonding on Aug. 1.
RELATED STORIES: Mets, Atlantic League submit bids for new Nassau ballpark; Long Island ballpark plan resurrected
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