by DAVE MARTINEZ

ELMONT, N.Y. – Elmont residents gathered on Tuesday night expecting to take in presentations from the New York Cosmos, Blumenfeld Development Group and Engel Burman Group regarding “their respective organization’s proposals” over the redevelopment of land adjacent to the Belmont Racetrack.

Well, that didn’t happen. Instead, Congressman Gregory Meeks of New York’s 5th Congressional District scrapped all presentations, citing the probable rebidding of the state land.

“Something has changed,” Meeks began. “Some uncertainty has arisen in the fact that in my conversation with [Empire State Development Corp.], we do still have an existing bid, but … there is something else that may happen. They could decide on another date to reissue the RFP.

“They have not done that,” he continued. “It is an existing bid that is existing now, but in fairness to all three of the good companies that would like to do something at Belmont, we thought this would put them in a bad position that if should there be a new RFP, we don’t know if there will be or not, but should there be a new RFP that opens up to other bidders, I don’t want to put them in a bad spot where they are prejudiced.”

The New York Cosmos and two other developers responded to an open State RFP for the redevelopment of land on Hempstead Turnpike in the dilapidated Elmont region back in January of 2013. The bid first opened on September of 2012. The Cosmos proposal called for the creation of a 25,000 seat stadium at the heart of a vast redevelopment plan that would include the creation of a large scale hotel, a restaurant row and the building of parkland for the community. The proposal, projected to cost somewhere in the vicinity of $400 million, would be paid for by the Cosmos, with no tax dollars from the local community.

Nearly three years later, there has been no response from the ESD or the State government regarding the initial bid — until now.

According to Meeks, the decision to re-open the bidding could come “somewhere between now and the beginning of 2016”

“There is nothing definitive that has been decided,” he emphasized. “As of now, there is an active RFP where the submission has bids, but there is a consideration, and we don’t know what’s going to take place later, that it may be opened.”

Meeks reached out to each of the developers “at the last moment” explaining the change of plans.

“It was just too late to say we would eliminate the meeting completely,” he said. “But I thought it was important that we at least have a dialogue and I give you what I have received.”

Dozens of Elmont residents descended on the town’s public library for the event. The majority bemoaned the possible re-bid of the RFP. One resident told Meeks, “I came here to listen to the presentations from each of the developers. If that is not happening, I am leaving.”

Another Elmont resident, Claudine Hall, expressed her dissatisfaction with the entire process, questioning why the bid had to be revisited at all.

“We have been working on this project for a very long time,” she began. “I’ve spent many a night in this room putting the developers together and getting things done. To have to consider to reopen something we have worked on for so long is a slap in the face to us who have spent countless hours way from our families and away from other obligations to get this together. This started in 2012, and with all due respect, Congress and State are two different places. We don’t want to reconsider a re-opening … it’s disrespectful.

“[Outside bidders] had the opportunity like everyone else and they chose not to be involved.”

In response, Meeks explained “I do not think ESD is making a decision because someone from the outside said do X, Y, Z. I do not know what the rationale or the reasons for their decision or non-decision, because they could come back and tell me that the current RFP process is going to be in place, because currently it is.”

Cosmos COO Erik Stover was in attendance on Tuesday night along with representatives from Blumenfeld and Engel. Stover tells EoS “We haven’t had any communication either way with the ESD. I really don’t have anything further to say about the speculation that was in there.

“As far as the community goes, if you are going to walk away with one impression, it is pretty clear they want development, they need development,” he continued. “This community is failing slowly and painfully. We are one alternative. There are others out there. Let’s hope there is a decision soon.”

With no definitive answers and with a stark possibility that the original bid was close to its demise, Meeks continued to walk a tight rope for the remainder of the hour long session, assuring residents he would deliver answers on the future of the three-year-old RFP.

“As of right now, the RFP submitted is still current and active, but I also learned there was a possibility that the RFP could be reopened. If that was the case, it would not be fair to [the current developers] to make a presentation because it could prejudice something they want to do in the future,” he explained. “Should I get a definitive word that the RFP will continue, I will ask them to present, but I can not do something that could possibly prejudice their positions and their competitive spirit on a current RFP that may not be.”