AN OPEN LETTER CONCERNING THE PROPOSAL FOR A CASINO IN THE NASSAU HUB

We, Trustees of Hofstra University, oppose Las Vegas Sands Corporation’s proposal to build a casino in the area surrounding the Nassau Coliseum on Hempstead Turnpike in Nassau County, Long Island. This area is known as the Nassau Hub.

Hofstra has been at its current site for almost 90 years. It has grown from a liberal arts college to a university of over 10,000 students with 180 undergraduate and 190 graduate programs. The University has grown in stature because of its academic programs, including but not limited to those provided by The Lawrence Herbert School of Communication; Frank G. Zarb School of Business; Maurice A. Deane School of Law; Peter S. Kalikow School of Government, Public Policy and International Affairs; Fred DeMatteis School of Engineering and Applied Science; and Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell. Hofstra University employs approximately 2,500 people and is an economic driver for the town, county, and state. The campus is a nationally recognized arboretum and is the only university to have hosted three consecutive U.S. presidential debates.

Hofstra has a long legacy of giving back to the community through programs and activities, including those provided by the Joan and Arnold Saltzman Community Services Center, Center for Civic Engagement, The National Center for Suburban Studies at Hofstra University, and Hofstra Cultural Center. Hofstra undergraduates tutor students in the neighboring public schools and libraries, provide tax assistance to our neighbors in nearby underserved communities, and host public school groups on campus for visits to its museum and for events like Model United Nations and History Day. Hofstra’s NCAA Division I student-athletes donate thousands of hours to service in the community each year.

Hofstra students comprise approximately one quarter of the nearly 40,000 students, ranging from preschoolers to graduate students, who attend school either contiguous or in proximity to the Nassau Hub.

The Nassau Hub is an entirely inappropriate location for a casino. It is surrounded by educational institutions from preschool through graduate school, and a diversity of suburban communities that should not be exposed to the increased traffic congestion, crime, economic harm to local businesses, and other negative impacts that a casino development would likely bring. There are other locations in and around New York City to site a casino that are not in such proximity to multiple educational institutions where so many young people live and learn.

Trustees of Hofstra University

OFFICERS

Donald M. Schaeffer, Chair
Martha S. Pope, Vice Chair
Michael Roberge, Vice Chair
David S. Mack, Secretary
Susan Poser, President
Alan J. Bernon, Immediate Past Chair

MEMBERS