The gears are in motion for a new downtown stadium to keep the Bills here

[BillsSabresB.C.T. Fan]

Councilmember Brian Davis has put forth a plan to create a downtown stadium for the Bills at the Perry public housing projects.

The plan was presented to the Buffalo Common Council today; the council adopted Davis' resolution and will shortly form a task force to investigate further.

"I don't think there's a better location than this location," Davis said on the council floor.

There are some issues with Davis' plan. All current tenants of the Perry Projects would have to be relocated; the city would still have to purchase numerous properties around the area for parking purposes; and it would have to figure out how to fit a 120-acre facility (the Bills' current complex at One Bills Drive) into a 50-acre space.

"It could possibly be a lengthy process," Davis says. "Yes, we're on the ground floor, but it's time for the elevator to take off the ground floor."

http://www.wgrz.com/video/vplayer.aspx?aid=36225&bw=

http://www.wgrz.com/news/news_article.aspx?storyid=53197


http://www.wgrz.com/imagepool/images/071127183859_wgrzStadiumPlan.jpg

[Mitchy moo]

Councilmember Brian Davis has put forth a plan to create a downtown stadium for the Bills at the Perry public housing projects.

The plan was presented to the Buffalo Common Council today; the council adopted Davis' resolution and will shortly form a task force to investigate further.

"I don't think there's a better location than this location," Davis said on the council floor.

There are some issues with Davis' plan. All current tenants of the Perry Projects would have to be relocated; the city would still have to purchase numerous properties around the area for parking purposes; and it would have to figure out how to fit a 120-acre facility (the Bills' current complex at One Bills Drive) into a 50-acre space.

"It could possibly be a lengthy process," Davis says. "Yes, we're on the ground floor, but it's time for the elevator to take off the ground floor."

http://www.wgrz.com/news/news_article.aspx?storyid=53197

I like how they are thinking, ahead. Thinking like this gets you to keep your NFL team and grow the city in something to be proud of.

[billsburgh]

never gonna happen

[Mr. Pink]

squeezing a 120 acre facility into 50 acres? ill placed idea

IMO

[Mitchy moo]

squeezing a 120 acre facility into 50 acres? ill placed idea

IMO

You just have to have multiple levels of parking, multi-stories high to party on. Put up wind screens and warmer's and everyone will be there.

[TacklingDummy]

Never happen.

Unless the new owner of the Bills funds the project himself.

[Mr. Pink]

On top of the fact the city would then have to build additional new low income housing elsewhere.

[patmoran2006]

LOL that's the most ridiculous bills potential move site I've heard yet.

That is never going to happen.. And if it does, I hope the entire Perry projects gets housed next door to you.

[DMBcrew36]

The Perry Projects? Thats where Rick James grew up...

[patmoran2006]

I pass the Perry Projects everyday on my way to work.

[trapezeus]

where is this in relation to downtown buffalo? can the uselss masstransit be used for commuters?

[Nighthawk]

At least they are talking. Talk is the first step.

[im4bflo]

I've al.ways heard they do a lot of talking, about building all kinds of things, but nothing ever gets built :idunno:

[Ed]

At least they are talking. Talk is the first step.
I agree. It may be a bad idea, but at least people are putting some thought into it. Talk is cheap, but it's better then just ignoring the issue and accepting the fact that we'll probably lose the team down the road.

[BillsSabresB.C.T. Fan]

where is this in relation to downtown buffalo? can the uselss masstransit be used for commuters?

see for yourself, click on view larger map, I put it perciseley where they want to build the stadium all those houses they want to tear down. To the left you have HSBC Arena and the casino that the Seneca Indians are going to build if you go up that's where Dunn Tire Park is were the Bisons play.

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&time=&date=&ttype=&q=buffalo+housing+authority&ie=UTF8&t=h&om=1&cid=42874077,-78866124,8407504993689424291&ll=42.873169,-78.861593&spn=0.002693,0.003664&z=18&iwloc=A

<iframe width="425" height="350" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" src="http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&amp;hl=en&amp;geocode=&amp;time=&amp;date=&amp;ttype=&amp;q=buffalo+housing+authority&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;t=h&amp;om=1&amp;cid=42874077,-78866124,8407504993689424291&amp;ll=42.873169,-78.861593&amp;spn=0.002693,0.003664&amp;z=18&amp;iwloc=A"></iframe><br /><small><a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&amp;hl=en&amp;geocode=&amp;time=&amp;date=&amp;ttype=&amp;q=buffalo+housing+authority&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;t=h&amp;om=1&amp;cid=42874077,-78866124,8407504993689424291&amp;ll=42.873169,-78.861593&amp;spn=0.002693,0.003664&amp;z=18&amp;iwloc=A&amp;source=embed" style="color:#0000FF;text-align:left">View Larger Map</a></small>

[Johnny Bugmenot]

Count me in as one who thinks this whole idea of building a new stadium is foolish, short-sighted and dumb. As far out of the way as Ralph Wilson Stadium is, it's still in excellent shape and perfectly suitable. Spending half a billion dollars to build a stadium in a city that's falling apart as it is, and throwing out the other one-- well, it just makes no sense to me. Besides, where is this money going to come from? Ralph? He's barely making ends meet even with the millions in free renovations and total rights to anything that goes on in there. I can't imagine him having much capital outside the franchise. The city and county? They might as well be broke. The state? Good luck getting that one past Shelly Silver. The fans? There's a reason ticket prices are the lowest in the nation here, they're broke too. Besides, the future fan base of twentysomething brats has been fleeing the area in droves and they're not coming back.

The idea of building a new stadium to save the Buffalo Bills is like a really expensive rearranging of the deck chairs on the Titanic.

Edited, should read "millions," not "billions." Whoops. If they had billions to throw around we wouldn't even be talking about this...

[HHURRICANE]

Thank god they are taking care of the hard part which is the dreaming of unrealistic dreams part. The money should come easy.

[Mitchy moo]

On top of the fact the city would then have to build additional new low income housing elsewhere.

That's what sloan & cheektowaga are for, put them near their jobs at the galleria.

[Bmax]

This will never fly for many reasons...money being reason #1.....

I don't know how they can come up with the money when they don't have the money to even tear down abandoned houses.. Just tearing down the Perry projects which is a good idea will cost millions...This is just a ploy by Councilmen Davis to draw attention to his district's problems...

Sure let's get a tudy together funded by any one but the taxpayers to see the best area to build a new staduim.. Figure out how much land would be needed where it would go and and what type open air or retractable....

Then talk about it ... Then again why waste our time ...Any study would conclude that the Bills would be wise to stay where they are at until at least 2020.. by then it may mot matter...

I say sell the team to the seneca's at least they would build somehting...I guess the NFL would have a slight problem with the gambling connection.


Bmax

[JD]

Spending half a billion dollars to build a stadium in a city that's falling apart as it is, and throwing out the other one-- well, it just makes no sense to me.

City thats falling apart? If anything, Buffalo is on the rise. You wouldnt know, as you dont live here. Cheektowaga is being over run by the welfare scumbags from Buffalo. The elderly from Cheekto are slowly dieing off and they're moving in. All they would have to do is get a bunch of buses from the Perry Projects and bring them down Genesee street.

Soon, Buffalo will be doing great and the suburbs like Cheektowaga and Depew will be handed over to the welfare/drug wheelin dirtbags.

It's a shame they put all that money into the Walden Galleria, soon it will be a nice haven for drugs and violence.

[Spiderweb]

I've al.ways heard they do a lot of talking, about building all kinds of things, but nothing ever gets built :idunno:

....How's that Peace Bridge Project coming along?

Sad to say, but my old home town is dead. It can't even afford the cost of a pine box for its own funeral. Buffalo should be held up as what has gone wrong in our country. We no longer produce things like we did. Corporate profits now are frequently the result of either investing elsewhere (other countries) or simply shutting down manufacturing all together and simply buying from foreign entities. The American dream is dying.....and no one is willing to step up and make the tough, and sometimes not so immediately profitable decisions to ensure long term health.
Alas, I digress....

[Mitchy moo]

....How's that Peace Bridge Project coming along?

Sad to say, but my old home town is dead. It can't even afford the cost of a pine box for its own funeral. Buffalo should be held up as what has gone wrong in our country. We no longer produce things like we did. Corporate profits now are frequently the result of either investing elsewhere (other countries) or simply shutting down manufacturing all together and simply buying from foreign entities. The American dream is dying.....and no one is willing to step up and make the tough, and sometimes not so immediately profitable decisions to ensure long term health.
Alas, I digress....

China & Mexico get our business now and then our dollar gets devalued, so the corporate profits these companies think they are making are a temporary fix that actually ends up ruining them in the long haul because the local clients that would actually by the product do not have the income to purchase them. Unless the companies divest in other currencies, The long term depreciation of the dollar will bury them and lower the value for end users.

[Dude]

A downtown stadium is a terrible idea.

Luckily, it would take decades for this to get past the planning stages.

[Jan Reimers]

I'm happy to hear that the City Council will be discussing the idea. There is a ton of development going on downtown, with the waterfront, various commercial/residential projects, the new federal courthouse, the proposed $333 Million Casino complex, etc.

Why not at least begin considering a new stadium?

Some of the negative attitudes on here symbolize all that has been wrong with Buffalo for the past 50 years. Crapping all over new ideas and proposals is the sign of a closed and negative mind.

[HHURRICANE]

A downtown stadium makes complete sense. The issue is that it will never happen because Buffalo has the most ignorant, small minded, racist, government in the entire U.S. Examples:

1) Adelphia building went from tallest building in Buffalo to not happening directly because of local government.

2) New Bridge, old Bridge, 2nd bridge, Classic Bridge......NO F..ING BRIDGE.

3) How's that waterfront develpment working out?? I left in 1991 and it still looks the same.

4) Bass Pro shop, a 15 YEAR PROJECT TO BRING a bait and tacle shop to Buffalo. We built one in the suburbs of Atlanta in less than 9 months, from start to finish.

It will take a miracle for this to happen. I love Buffalo but it disgusts me that this crap had been allowed to continue.


NEWSFLASH: The politicians don't want downtown development becuase that would bring in voters that would get these scum bags out of office.

[THATHURMANATOR]

Count me in as one who thinks this whole idea of building a new stadium is foolish, short-sighted and dumb. As far out of the way as Ralph Wilson Stadium is, it's still in excellent shape and perfectly suitable. Spending half a billion dollars to build a stadium in a city that's falling apart as it is, and throwing out the other one-- well, it just makes no sense to me. Besides, where is this money going to come from? Ralph? He's barely making ends meet even with the millions in free renovations and total rights to anything that goes on in there. I can't imagine him having much capital outside the franchise. The city and county? They might as well be broke. The state? Good luck getting that one past Shelly Silver. The fans? There's a reason ticket prices are the lowest in the nation here, they're broke too. Besides, the future fan base of twentysomething brats has been fleeing the area in droves and they're not coming back.

The idea of building a new stadium to save the Buffalo Bills is like a really expensive rearranging of the deck chairs on the Titanic.

Edited, should read "millions," not "billions." Whoops. If they had billions to throw around we wouldn't even be talking about this...

The problem with the Ralph is not the shape it is in but the amount of luxery boxes it has(not many) and the space to add more(not much). They need a new stadium bottom line. Whether it is feasable is another story entirely.

[THATHURMANATOR]

A downtown stadium makes complete sense. The issue is that it will never happen because Buffalo has the most ignorant, small minded, racist, government in the entire U.S. Examples:

1) Adelphia building went from tallest building in Buffalo to not happening directly because of local government.

2) New Bridge, old Bridge, 2nd bridge, Classic Bridge......NO F..ING BRIDGE.

3) How's that waterfront develpment working out?? I left in 1991 and it still looks the same.

4) Bass Pro shop, a 15 YEAR PROJECT TO BRING a bait and tacle shop to Buffalo. We built one in the suburbs of Atlanta in less than 9 months, from start to finish.

It will take a miracle for this to happen. I love Buffalo but it disgusts me that this crap had been allowed to continue.


NEWSFLASH: The politicians don't want downtown development becuase that would bring in voters that would get these scum bags out of office.
You are way off on some things

1) The Adelphia project was canned because the Rigas's were corrupt and are now in jail man. NOTHING to do with the local government. How could you not know that? Adelphia itself is out of business....

2) Agreed with

3) Waterfront development is well under way

4) 15 years??? WTF are you talking about? 4 years yes.

[THATHURMANATOR]

I'm happy to hear that the City Council will be discussing the idea. There is a ton of development going on downtown, with the waterfront, various commercial/residential projects, the new federal courthouse, the proposed $333 Million Casino complex, etc.

Why not at least begin considering a new stadium?

Some of the negative attitudes on here symbolize all that has been wrong with Buffalo for the past 50 years. Crapping all over new ideas and proposals is the sign of a closed and negative mind.
Exactly... bunch of negative nellys man!

[Dude]

Thurm,

Aren't the Bills having problems selling all the luxury boxes now?

[blackonyx89]

The idea's apprectiated, but I rather have the stadium elsewhere.

:sorry:

[eyedog]

Nothing but politician talk. Until they actually do something and get something built I don't even pay attention to their bs anymore.
The politcian ruined Buffalo.

[blackonyx89]

All talk,no action. The idea is a joke!!!

[Bill Brasky]

The state? Good luck getting that one past Shelly Silver. The fans? There's a reason ticket prices are the lowest in the nation here, they're broke too. Besides, the future fan base of twentysomething brats has been fleeing the area in droves and they're not coming back.

christ you whine about as much as ralph wilson. the fans aren't broke they're sick of paying to watch a team lose year in and year out. put a product on the field that is worth watching and people will pay.

btw, those 20something brats are the ones filling the stadium on their "limited incomes" while all these old whiners stay at home because:

-it's too cold out
-the traffic is 'crazy'
-the fans are too 'rowdy'

i can keep going...

[THATHURMANATOR]

Thurm,

Aren't the Bills having problems selling all the luxury boxes now?
Yes. I didn't say it is a feasable thing.

[THATHURMANATOR]

christ you whine about as much as ralph wilson. the fans aren't broke they're sick of paying to watch a team lose year in and year out. put a product on the field that is worth watching and people will pay.

btw, those 20something brats are the ones filling the stadium on their "limited incomes" while all these old whiners stay at home because:

-it's too cold out
-the traffic is 'crazy'
-the fans are too 'rowdy'

i can keep going...
AMEN brotha!!!!

The stadium is freaking full of young people. How do they have more money then older gentlemen?

[Michael82]

A downtown stadium is a terrible idea.

Luckily, it would take decades for this to get past the planning stages.
I agree. :hi5:

[Bill Brasky]

i'd like a downtown stadium, but not at the expense of tailgating. people in buffalo just can't seem to grasp the concept of urban development.

baltimore was in worse shape than bflo until they finally realized it wasn't 1933 anymore and put a plan together.

i guess i fail to see how:

- a football stadium (8-10 games a year, 55-70,000+)
- a hockey arena (40+ games a year, 18,000+)
- a baseball stadium (35+ games a year, 10,000+)
- waterfront development
- downtown core

all in the same area is bad for the downtown economy.

godforbid we give the people in this area a reason to go downtown 80-100 times a year. i'm sure the businesses would hate it too, considering they'd have a steady stream of customers covering all four seasons. the addition of a football stadium hosting 8 games a year, with 70,000 fans filling the seats, that's an extra 560,000+ people coming to downtown to spend $$$. i guess 0 would be better so we can keep on our defeatist path.

[THATHURMANATOR]

i'd like a downtown stadium, but not at the expense of tailgating. people in buffalo just can't seem to grasp the concept of urban development.

ask baltimore. that city was in worse shape than bflo until they finally realized it wasn't 1933 anymore.

i guess i fail to see how:

- a football stadium (10 games a year, 55-70,000+)
- a hockey arena (40+ games a year, 18,000+)
- a baseball stadium (35+ games a year, 10,000+)
- waterfront development
- downtown core

all in the same area is bad for the downtown economy.

godforbid we give the people in this area a reason to go downtown 80-100 times a year. i'm sure the businesses would hate it too, considering they'd have a steady stream of customers.

Amen again! :bf1:

[bocephuz]

The problem with the Ralph is not the shape it is in but the amount of luxery boxes it has(not many) and the space to add more(not much). They need a new stadium bottom line. Whether it is feasable is another story entirely.



That's kind of putting the cart before the horse isn't it? They can't even sell out the few luxury boxes they have at the Ralph now.

[deepslant]

Are they making it out of cardboard? We can't afford cement as taxpayers! What if they make dirt mounds and we bring lawn chairs?

[JD]

i'd like a downtown stadium, but not at the expense of tailgating. people in buffalo just can't seem to grasp the concept of urban development.

baltimore was in worse shape than bflo until they finally realized it wasn't 1933 anymore and put a plan together.

i guess i fail to see how:

- a football stadium (8-10 games a year, 55-70,000+)
- a hockey arena (40+ games a year, 18,000+)
- a baseball stadium (35+ games a year, 10,000+)
- waterfront development
- downtown core

all in the same area is bad for the downtown economy.

godforbid we give the people in this area a reason to go downtown 80-100 times a year. i'm sure the businesses would hate it too, considering they'd have a steady stream of customers covering all four seasons. the addition of a football stadium hosting 8 games a year, with 70,000 fans filling the seats, that's an extra 560,000+ people coming to downtown to spend $$$. i guess 0 would be better so we can keep on our defeatist path.


YOU THE MAN! :brush:

[JD]

When NYC becomes the next D.C., thats when this will all be possible. Our taxes are insane because we are helping out the big apple.

[Bill Brasky]

That's kind of putting the cart before the horse isn't it? They can't even sell out the few luxury boxes they have at the Ralph now.

Would you pay several grand a year to watch a team win 3-7 games? I wouldn't. Especially not in the Ralph. It's a serviceable stadium, but as far as "luxuries" go it might as well be a fossil. Go to any other stadium and you'll see what I mean.

[Michael82]

i'd like a downtown stadium, but not at the expense of tailgating.

That right there is the reason why I don't think it would work. Any other area in downtown shows half the property than it is on now. You know that the first people and probably only people with parking passes would be the VIP and suite holders, like the ones that park in the paved lots now. The regular hardcore fans would lose their parking and tailgating and would be forced to park in garages. That would ruin the experience IMO.

[im4bflo]

When threads started about building a stadium downtown, I asked if
there was enough room for parking and tailgating, and I forget exactly who,
but someone replied that there was!
BILLS football without tailgating is UNbillEIVABLE!
If there's no room in BUFF, keep it in OP.

[Spiderweb]

The problem with the Ralph is not the shape it is in but the amount of luxery boxes it has(not many) and the space to add more(not much). They need a new stadium bottom line. Whether it is feasable is another story entirely.

It's not so much the number of luxury boxes as it is the revenue they generate. They sell for so much less than say Dallas, NY, Atlanta, etc. In fact it was just pointed out that while we have more luxury boxes than Jacksonville, our sell for only about a quarter of what even theirs sell for.

It's a lack of Corporate support (Corporations simply aren't there in Buffalo) than severely limits the Bills income as much as anything else.

A new stadium won't improve this sad state of affairs.

I love Buffalo, but even if it was well run, NY State would continue to stick a fork in it unil it was devoured anyway.