Cosmos Come to Mitchel Field

Nassau County officials welcomed the New York Cosmos soccer club to Mitchel Field Monday.

The renowned soccer club, which hasn't played in a professional league for nearly 30 years, wants to invest $400,000 to transform a dry, dirt field at Mitchel Field into the team's new practice facility.

Joined by New York Cosmos chairman Seamus O'Brien and Chief Operating Officer Erik Stover, county executive Ed Mangano said the club's plans are pending county legislature approval. The Cosmos intend to use the renovated field for team training sessions during the season while the public will be allowed to use the facility at all other times.

"My administration is proud to announce its third public-private partnership for our park system that invests private sector dollars in public facilities for our residents," Mangano said. "From the construction of new state-of-art ice rinks in Eisenhower Park to this new practice facility for the Cosmos, Nassau County is becoming a sports-entertainment destination that attracts tourism dollars to our region."

The Cosmos won a Request-for-Proposals issued by the county last month to develop the field. According to county officials, the 10-year lease must be approved by the legislature and would require the Cosmos to make the renovations and pay the county rent on the land.

"We believe this proposal is going to benefit the Long Island community tremendously. We plan to make Mitchel Field an active destination by restoring it to prime condition, holding our practices there and opening access for public use," O'Brien said.

The Cosmos spent 14 seasons in the earlier North American Soccer League (NASL), bringing big names in the world of soccer to North America, including Giorgio Chinaglia, Carlos Alberto, Pelé and Franz Beckenbauer. The club has won five Soccer Bowl trophies.

It was announced back in July that the club will return to the NASL, beginning play at James M. Shuart Stadium on the campus of Hofstra University in the 2013 NASL fall championship. (Season tickets will be available at the team's website, www.nycosmos.com, beginning April 12.)

Mitchel Field renovations are estimated to take two months to complete.

The Cosmos also recently submitted a privately-funded economic development proposal to the State of New York to build a 25,000-seat professional soccer stadium at Belmont Park. More information about this proposal can be found here.