Construction on new Islanders arena halted due to COVID-19

Construction work at Belmont Park for the New York Islanders‘ new stadium has been stopped as a part of the state’s response to the COVID-19 outbreak, the team confirmed Friday.

New York governor Andrew Cuomo announced Friday that all “non-essential construction work will be stopped,” with a focus on building four new hospitals in the New York City area to be prioritized instead. There is no specific time frame associated with the non-essential stoppage at this time.

“We support Governor Cuomo’s efforts to eliminate the COVID-19 virus. He has been the driving force behind the construction of Belmont Park Arena,” Islanders president and general manager Lou Lamoriello said in a statement. “The progress that has been made since the groundbreaking is truly incredible and is a credit to all of the construction workers that have been there every day. Those workers are all a part of our community and we want them safe and healthy.”

Since the 2018-19 season, the Islanders have split their home games between Nassau Coliseum and Barclays Center. Their new arena, Belmont Park Arena, is expected to be completed in 2021.

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