UBS Arena at Belmont Park

The Belmont Park Redevelopment is a $1.3 billion redevelopment currently being constructed on 43 acres. The project includes the construction of the UBS Arena (home of the New York Islanders), a parking garage, and a retail/entertainment village in Elmont, New York. By collaborating with Mueser Rutledge Consulting Engineers (MRCE) for geotechnical engineering services and Bohler Engineering for site civil engineering services, our firms were able to offer full-service consulting.

The UBS Arena, which was constructed adjacent to the existing Grandstand of the Belmont Park Racetrack (host of the Triple Crown), and the parking garage located south of Hempstead Turnpike, have both been completed. The multi-hundred-thousand square foot retail/entertainment village is currently under construction. Roux conducted a Phase I Environmental Site Assessment (ESA) and Phase II ESA for the redevelopment areas to determine environmental risks and costs that would be associated with the development. Roux completed a waste characterization program for the arena and parking garage portions of the project. Roux also provided technical support to ownership in response to claims made by the local water authority during the community comment period of the Environmental Impact Study (EIS).

Roux provided excavation oversight and soil tracking during the arena and parking garage construction, and utility excavation around the Belmont property. During the arena excavation, Roux conducted oversight of the proper handling, on-site reuse, and off-site disposal of approximately 600,000 tons of soil. Roux is currently conducting excavation oversight, soil tracking, and environmental monitoring for the intrusive work related to the retail/entertainment village portion of the project.

Roux also oversees and enforces the implementation of the Memorandum of Environmental Commitments (MEC) based on the EIS enforced by Empire State Development (ESD). Since excavation activities for the arena began in August 2019, Roux has been on-site full time, conducting both excavation oversight and compliance control measures. Roux fulfills the On-site Environmental Monitor (OEM) role to enforce the MEC through the following services:

• Implementing a Soil Management Plan (SMP), which includes proper procedures to be followed for petroleum tanks and contaminated soil identified during the pre-construction sampling or excavation;
• Enforcing that diesel- or gas-powered equipment is replaced with electrical-powered equipment to the extent feasible and practicable;
• Implementing a dust control plan to minimize dust emissions generated by construction activities;
• Enforcing that all heavy-duty vehicles are prohibited from idling for more than five minutes at a time;
• Enforcing that non-road construction equipment and engines meet at least the Tier 3 emissions standards to the extent feasible and practicable; and
• Enforcing the Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP) across the property.

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