About 300 Nassau residents crowded into a hearing Monday night to debate if Belmont Park should be the new home for the New York Islanders.
The NHL says that the Islanders, who currently play at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, will bid on a 28-acre state-run property.
Supporters say a new arena would increase tax revenue and bring jobs to the community.
However, some area residents say that a new arena would only bring minimum wage jobs to Belmont and strain police resources.
Nassau and Suffolk legislatures have urged the Islanders to opt out of their 25-year license agreement with the Barclays Center and return to the newly renovated Nassau Coliseum.