“When you look at a development like that, with a five-star hotel and an entertainment venue, that also adds a boost to the economy in Hempstead,” Hobbs said. Such a shuttle could be used for hotel and casino guests, too, who might take the Long Island Rail Road or a bus into Hempstead before heading to the resort. That, he noted, would reduce traffic along Hempstead Turnpike and bring additional people into the village. One suggestion he has relayed: allowing employees to park in the village and providing a shuttle to go to and from the resort.
Hobbs said he has met with representatives from Sands multiple times in the last few months and has discussed issues including traffic and community benefits.
“I’m never automatically against anything,” Hobbs said in an interview. Hobbs told The Point he hadn’t come to a “firm yay or nay” on the casino project itself. A day after the legislature voted 17-1 in favor of the lease transfer, Hobbs spoke to The Point about Sands’ proposal to build a casino resort at the land known as the Nassau Hub.
