Stadium, hotel proposed for Belmont lot

The New York Cosmos, a North American Soccer League team, has submitted a proposal to the Empire State Development Corporation seeking approval to build a 25,000-seat stadium and 175-room hotel on property at Belmont Park, the team said in a press release.

The stadium and hotel would be built in the parking lot across Hempstead Turnpike from the track’s grandstand. The lot is currently used for overflow parking.

The Empire State Development Corporation announced last year that it was seeking proposals for redevelopment of the lot and another parking area at Belmont Park. As part of the 2008 bankruptcy reorganization of Belmont’s operator, the state is the owner of the track and its property. The agreement stipulated that the state could seek bidders to redevelop the two parcels.

In its release, the Cosmos said that the project would cost $400 million. In addition to the stadium and the hotel, the development would include “nine new eateries,” a small park, and a soccer field. The release said that the stadium would not be used on “major racing days, such as the Belmont Stakes.”

Proposals for development of the parcels were being accepted until Jan. 11, according to a spokesperson for the Empire State Development Corporation. The spokesperson said that the corporation could not identify the number of proposals or the identity of any of the companies that submitted proposals “to preserve the state’s negotiating power and ensure a fair and competitive process.”

The corporation is currently in the process of reviewing proposals, the spokesperson said.