In Las Vegas, the chief executive of Madison Square Garden is set to open a behemoth arena that he hopes will revolutionize live entertainment. Back home in New York, he is facing the wrath of lawyers, politicians and sports fans.
The cloak-and-dagger antics in Queens signal an escalation in the battle between a state agency and James Dolan, the owner of the arena, with millions at stake.
With its current 10-year license expiring in July, the Garden is asking New York City officials for a permanent permit to run the arena at its site above Penn Station.