UBS Arena Facing Complaint Over Lack of Accessible Parking

Not every New York Islanders fan is ecstatic over the opening of UBS Arena next week.

With just over a week before the Islanders open their new state-of-the-art facility, the building and team are facing a complaint over the lack of accessible parking at the Belmont Park arena. Islanders fan Charles Razenson, 68, of Hicksville filed a complaint with the New York State Division of Human Rights and Nassau County Consumer Affairs on Tuesday.

A red flag was raised last month when Razenson was on a season ticket holder tour of the arena when he asked about accessible parking. Razenson and his wife both have disabilities stemming from a car wreck.

He was told that he would have to park in the emerald lot and take a shuttle over to the arena. Only a limited number of accessible spots exist on-site and they’re located in the diamond lot. That is the premier lot for suit holders.

“The appropriate parking was not there,” Razenson told Newsday. “I asked at that point, ‘Where are we going to park?’ They said there will be trams to take you to the appropriate spot. I said, ‘That’s not what the law says.’ This is a big inconvenience.”

New York state law and the Americans with Disabilities act guarantees special access to public facilities for those that need it.

The New York Islanders have pushed back by calling any plans for parking preliminary. The arena opens on Nov. 20 when the Islanders face the Calgary Flames.

“The Islanders and UBS Arena take ADA and accessibility very seriously. We will share a detailed ADA plan in advance of our grand opening next weekend,” an Islanders spokesperson told Newsday.

News of the complaint came a day before a planned event at the arena to announce that Shaquille O’Neal’s Big Chicken will be available as part of the food options at UBS Arena.