Las Vegas Sands and Nassau Community College (NCC) have agreed that NCC will be the employee training center for the proposed Sands resort, located near the campus, if the project moves forward.
The resort developing giant recently announced its proposal to build a resort complex, which would include a casino, on the site of Nassau Coliseum. Job training at NCC would include programs in hotel and casino management, security and surveillance, meetings and banquets, entertainment, and food and beverage.
“The NCC Hospitality Business Department is looking forward to collaborating with the Sands resort,” said Anne Cubeta, a professor and chair of the Hospitality Business Department at NCC. “Our department has the capability to develop programs that will meet the needs of the hospitality businesses within the complex. We see this as a winning combination for our current and future students as well as for Nassau County.”
Renovations to the building that houses the associates degree program in occupational studies is currently under renovation and should be completed in 2024, according to Dr. Genette Alvarez-Ortiz, acting vice president of academic affairs at NCC.
Reactions to a possible casino in Uniondale have been mixed. Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman told reporters that he doesn’t think the current arena would be a viable option for the planned casino.
“It would be my preference,” Blakeman said, “that if there were a way to restore and keep the Coliseum, I think from a nostalgic standpoint, and from a historical standpoint… I think that would be an added bonus.”
Nassau County Leg. Siela Bynoe (D-Westbury), whose district includes the Coliseum, sent a letter on Monday to Robert G. Goldstein, chairman and CEO of Las Vegas Sands, to ask for a detailed report on job creation for the project, including specifics of the number and nature of jobs in similar resorts, salaries and benefits associated with them, job titles, and union employment opportunities, as well as a hiring plan.
