ELMIRA, N.Y. (WETM) – The region’s top sports entertainment venue is closing in on a major deadline of potential change.

On July 15 at 11:59 pm (16th) the current deal between owners, the Chemung County Industrial Development Agency (CCIDA) and tenant Robbie Nichols’ CAN-USA group is set to expire. This past week, 18 Sports spoke with both sides on whether or not they would meet before the deadline in an effort to negotiate a new deal. A deal that jeopardizes the upcoming season for the Elmira Enforcers in the Federal Prospects Hockey League (FPHL).

Both Nichols and The IDA said a meeting would be welcomed but the real question is when? As the deadline quickly approaches, Nichols and CAN-USA are still waiting to meet after what they say has been two years of trying to set one up on the deal. IDA director, Joe Roman, says the agency has yet to receive all information necessary for a meeting to happen in order to negotiate in good faith.

On Tuesday, 18 Sports spoke with Roman who said a meeting was indeed welcomed pending all information on the table. Later that evening, Roman addressed the Chemung County Legislature with some very telling words about the deal and meeting with CAN-USA via the county’s live video stream.

“And, to be truthful, I don’t know if we’ll have it,” Roman said to the legislature on making a new deal.
“It seems unlikely that we’ll have something by the 15th for sure…again we’ll have the meetings and do whatever we need to do provided we have the information,” Roman added.

Roman then alluded to time not being on The IDA’s side to negotiate even though Nichols and CAN-USA have wanted to discuss the deal for months. “That’s a pretty aggressive timeframe,” Roman concluded at the meeting Tuesday.

More on this as it develops, stick with 18 Sports for the latest on this developing story. For a complete background on the original deal and previous First Arena negotiation articles by WETM-TV click on the links below.