Newsday (Nassau Edition) from Hempstead, New York • 5

The Plan for Roosevelt Raceway $1B proposal includes offices hotels condos Search SOURCE: Hughes and Evans Realty Newsday Fredrick Bush September Critics contended however they had allowed the track to deteriorate and planned to make a real estate killing from the time they received the publicly sponsored tax-free bonds A Nassau County grand jury investigated those charges but found no criminal wrongdoing Charles Evans said yesterday that he and his partners William Hopkins and Barry Goldstein have not yet made any money from the deal noting that they spent another (55 million for operations and to cover debts over the past four years far the windfall is not there This is a 10-year project Evans said back in 10 years and ask Nevertheless the scope of the project opens the possibility that the partners could make many millions we could do pretty Evans conceded To offset expected complaints about traffic congestion Hughes and Evans will propose creation by the state of a special taxing district including only commercial property owners in the area bounded generally by Old Country Road Clinton Road Hempstead Turnpike and Merrick Avenue to pay for improvements to roads outside the raceway boundaries The plan is the third massive development proposal recently announced for the area Just north of the property is the planned FortunofT-Galleria Mall consisting of luxury retail stores To the northwest the Roosevelt Field Shopping Center plans a full-scale makeover including the addition of a second floor Nearby civic organizations already have expressed concerns over the overall effects on traffic air quality water and the effects on other businesses in Nassau They have asked town officials to consider the cumulative environmental effects of these sep- Please see RACEWAY on Page 37 Page 51 By Celeste Hadrick The owners of Roosevelt Raceway breaking a two-year silence on their plans for the defunct harness-racing track have unveiled a 1-billion development plan that includes two hotels 12 office buildings a theater and a 400-unit condominium complex of affordable housing for a total of 35 million square feet of new construction The North American headquarters of Canon USA which would eventually emplqy up to 1800 people would be the centerpiece of the proposal to develop the 172-acre tract the largest parcel still available to developers in Nassau Canon officials for the first time yesterday confirmed a Newsday report in August 1988 that it paid $1 million an acre for its 50 acres contingent on getting the necessary government approvals for construction of its proposed eight-story office building on the site of the grandstand But the track owners who have changed their name from Roosevelt Raceway Associates to Hughes and Evans Realty a limited partnership to downplay connections to the controversy over the closing two years ago said they yet made a profit from their proposed development Raceway Associates purchased the entire trade in 1984 with (54 million in tax-free bonds from the Hempstead Industrial Development Agency with the stated purpose of maintaining harness racing at the 40-year-old track According to the bond papers the owners put only (1000 toward the deal However state rating records show they also de-" posited (750000 into an operating count which they say came from their own pockets They dosed the track in July 1988 citing growing operating losses and dedining attendance and acknowledged negotiating possible real estate deals for the land They paid off the bonds in View of Roosevelt Raceway and stores along Old Country Road top Nicaragua Strikes Cripple Services Workers urge Chamorro to quit ir half-dozen government buildings something along the lines of what Loudspeakers blared Sandinista revolutionary slogans against Chamorro and her government Shouts of start packing your people own the government not the and one step flew through the streets of hot humid Managua Vice President Virgilio Godoy said on the radio that the Sandinistas are to overthrow President In a cable to President George Bush Chamorro appealed for cash to help stem the crisis that led to the strikes country is she said is unfortunate that the Sandinistas despite their promises to work with the Chamorro government to achieve economic reconstruction and national reconciliation are engaging in what appear to be politically motivated department spokesman Rich- ard Boucher said in Washington The strikes quickly spread through the public sector Telephone telegraph and telex communications were dead I cutting off most of Nicaragua from the 9 rest of the world Communications workers allowed journalists to file sto- ries but denied service to others Airport workers struck at midmorn- 5 ing Passengers with suitcases stood in front ofthe closed terminal Others gave up and went home Public transport in Managua was reduced to about 20 buses 8 driven by pro-government drivers Banks and schools were dosed Public hospitals were open but reporters were not allowed inside Both the electrical and water ministries were bccupied by strikers' Managua Nicaragua (AP) Government workers occupied buildings and demanded that President Violets Chamorro resign yesterday during a strike that crippled public services The vice president accused strike supporters of trying to topple the U-S-backed government Union leaders said up to 60000 state workers were taking part in the strike which paralyzed communications and transportation and shut down schools and banks Police fired tear gas into three government buildings to drive out strikers who began a sit-in one week ago The workers returned later unhindered The protest presented the government with its biggest challenge since Chamorro took office April 25 after defeating the Sandinistas in national elections Officially the strike is for higher pay but one of the demands voiced yesterday was demobilization ofthe Contra rebels Tires were -set- ablaze hr front1 of aJ she possibly in the form of a loan as the push for passage of entire (300 million Nicaraguan aid request continues on Capitol Hill Most of the workers are Sandinistas left over from the previous government Sonia Ortiz a labor leader said the strikers want a 200 percent pay raise a subsidized food package rehiring of a labor leader fired Monday and the demobilization of the Contras The rebels stopped demobilizing this week saying they were not being given the humanitarian aid promised in the peace agreement signed by the Central American presidents last year However sporadic reports of small groups of rebels turning in their weapons have trickled into Managua in a cable dated May 11 that was obtained yesterday She asked for (40 million in emergency aid White House spokesman Marlin Fitz-.