The main entrance roadway to Country Pointe is named Charles B. Wang Blvd. in recognition of Wang’s vision which laid the groundwork for Beechwood to develop the 143-acre Country Pointe, where Long Island residents continue to live, work, shop and play in the Town of Oyster Bay.
Guests of honor Nancy Li and Cameron Wang, the wife and son of Charles Wang, were joined by guest speakers Jon Ledecky, co-owner, New York Islanders; Laura Curran, Nassau County executive; Arnold Drucker, Nassau County legislator; and Joseph Saladino, Town of Oyster Bay supervisor.
Dubb, who proposed the street renaming, said, “Charles was one of Long Island’s great visionaries. He was an international businessman and philanthropist who loved his home on Long Island and in the Town of Oyster Bay. Best known for keeping the Islanders ice hockey team playing on Long Island, he also laid the groundwork for Long Island residents to have a beautiful place to live, work, shop and play at Country Pointe in Plainview.”
Without his patience and vision, there would be no Country Pointe in Plainview. Starting in 1999, when Charles bought the land from the Town, and before Beechwood bought it from him, he had many long days and hard battles seeding much of what you see across this 143-acre property — new homes, a new retail plaza and a new commitment to recreational open space. We want to honor Charles by having his name grace the entrance way of the finest lifestyle and mixed-use community on Long Island today.
New York Islanders co-owner John Ledecky said, “Charles was a friend and mentor. He was an inspiring, visionary thinker. He recognized the potential of Belmont Park as a new home for the New York Islanders. The fans of the Long Islanders should thank Charles for that vision and keeping the team on Long Island through thick and thin. The team’s success on the ice, Long Island and in the NHL, couldn’t have been accomplished without him. He changed my life and the lives of tens of thousands others including over a million children. What an incredible life to live. Today’s naming rights are so appropriate. We are all blessed with knowing Charles and living the legacy he provided.”
Guest speaker Nassau County executive Laura Curran stated, “Charles Wang was never afraid to dream big, and we’ll never forget his tireless efforts to ensure the Islanders stayed on Long Island. His life work left our County a better place, and Nassau is proud to recognize Charles’ many contributions to our communities with this fitting honor.”
Closing the ceremony, Town of Oyster Bay supervisor Joseph Saladino, stated, “While many people remember Mr. Wang for his success in the computer industry and ownership of the New York Islanders, we will forever remember Charles as a leading philanthropic Town of Oyster Bay resident who supported those less fortunate. From financing doctors that offer free cleft-palate surgeries for children to building an Asian-American Center at Stony Brook University and expanding a healthcare clinic in Chinatown, Charles gave back to the communities around him. When it came to business and real estate development, he dreamed big; and Charles B. Wang Boulevard stands as a testament to the vision he had for the future of Long Island with smart development such as Country Pointe in Plainview
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