While Islanders fans wait for the NHL season to hopefully resume in the coming weeks, the organization also waits in excitement for the completion of Belmont Park Arena. The project that was on pause for COVID-19 has been allowed by the state to resume construction, and fans have been checking in on the live camera on the Islanders website to see their future home being built.

After the organization named executives for the Belmont Park arena, the arena page was updated and two new renderings of the team’s future home were released. The release made rounds on social media along with some few new facts as well, including the announcement of two outdoor terraces, eight bars with views of the playing surface, a “Spotlight Club” with views of the players’ tunnel and the highest bathroom per person ratio in any New York arena.
With anticipation rising for Belmont, especially considering the sudden news regarding Nassau Coliseum’s indefinite closing, it’s a good time to break down these new renderings to see what the building could be like. This article will be the first in a series of articles about the progress and news of Belmont Park Arena called Bound for Belmont!

The Full Interior:

For starters, let’s just say the place looks awesome! The venue is all decked out in orange and blue from the scoreboard to the seats and already looks like home for the team. With all the fans taking in the game, the banners hanging from the rafters and the huge scoreboard that spans possibly from blue line to blue line, it looks like a great atmosphere to take in a game. That being said, here are some observations of the Belmont Park arena rendering.
The layout of the barn is looking to be a lower bowl, a suite level and an upper deck divided into two parts, a lower section and upper section. However, the most eye-catching part of this new rendering is the far end from where this photo is taken. Not only can the Stanley Cup banners be seen, but the entire area looks really interesting.
Most notably, you’ll notice that there are four large photo banners that contain four iconic moments from the Islanders’ dynasty days. Underneath the photos is an alcove that contains a bar-looking area inside. The area looks a little similar in terms of location to one of the clubs displayed in a previous rendering shown below.

Back to the new rendering, the endzone in terms of seat number looks smaller due to the location of this bar and the large photos behind it. This leads to a question in what will the endzone closest to the point of view of the rendering look like? Will it be laid out the same or have seats going up as far as possible? Some arenas like T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas and Amalie Arena in Tampa have two different kinds of endzones due to presentation, such as the castle and large organ respectively. Those features often create a smaller section on one side and a larger one on the other.
Underneath the upper deck is an area dedicated to standing room only, a feature that isn’t really prominent in most arenas today. The rest of that general area doesn’t have many other major or notable details. The corners in the upper deck have Islanders logos and stripes, all four ice-level corners have small cutouts that could be used by fans, media, or other personnel, and the division, conference, and regular season NHL championship banners line the bench side of the ice. You can see some of the retired number, Al Arbour, and Bill Torrey banners lining the penalty box side on the upper lefthand corner.
The main question that remains now is how will the teams enter the playing surface. For now it is unknown where the teams will take the ice from. There are two tunnels behind the benches and two that are near the corners of the ice. Considering how most new arenas keep team entrances near the bench nowadays, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see the team take that layout choice, but it is unknown where each tunnel would be at this time.

The Endzone Shot:

Looking at a closeup of the endzone that was shown in the other photo, it looks as if the area by the large photos will be an area with club seats. You’ll notice that right before the stairs to rows of seats, there are several table-like sections with the club behind them, so it wouldn’t be a surprise to see table seats that could be linked to the nearby bar. Continuing into the lower section, there is an area with an Islander logo in the middle section right behind the net, and it is unknown if it serves a purpose. Will it be used as an extension to the scoreboard and graphics, or will it be used for something else?

Moving toward the sides of the bowl, you’ll see the ends of the section. The bowl is then split into two parts, one part is the suites going toward the straightaway, and the other is the table-like seating that will continue on top. However, in between the two different options, there is an extra seating level with a smaller staircase on the level of the concourse. Is that section considered a part of the lower section of the upper deck, or will it possibly make up a smaller section that could provide access to another area?

Going down to the lower bowl of the Belmont Park arena, you can see the entrances to the standing room and seating areas, and a thing I noticed is that there are alcoves for fans to see the ice before they enter the bowl. One of the main features promised to fans would be views of the playing surface no matter where you are on the concourse. It seems like these alcoves will act upon that promise which Barclays Center and the old Coliseum lacked for the most part.  At ice level, you’ll notice small cutouts on each side that will likely be used for various purposes. The one on the right will likely be an area for photographers and press, but the left will likely be an entrance to a club. This type of layout suggests the zamboni gate will be in the near corner from which the first photo is taken.

As further renderings and updates about Belmont continue to be released, we will talk further about what changes have been made to pre-existing renderings and talk about new information. It is a very exciting time for the Islanders community, and opening night 2021 will be a very special moment in team history as the franchise returns home for good.

Matthew Page

I am a first year student at Hofstra University and an avid Islanders fan. I have been writing for Drive4Five since March 2020. My family has been season ticket holders for the team since 2016, and hockey is my favorite sport. As I expand my knowledge in the field of Journalism, I am writing to express my love for the Islanders and the NHL.