Milstein IS in the mix

[YardRat]

Niagara Falls developer, per WIVB.

[DetDannyWilliams]

Who cares about WIVB Channel 2 broke the story first and is all over it!

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[PromoTheRobot]

Not a surprise. This is where all the NF chatter was coming from last week. Cuomo is going to push for the Bills in NF. Milstein owns a huge chunk of the city near the Rainbow Bridge and casino.

[Homegrown]

Lol @ Niagara Falls & development in the same sentence

[mrbojanglezs]

Niagara Falls developer is an oxymoron

[Don't Panic]

Not a surprise. This is where all the NF chatter was coming from last week. Cuomo is going to push for the Bills in NF. Milstein owns a huge chunk of the city near the Rainbow Bridge and casino.

The Niagara Falls property doesn't make any sense logistically. The footprint may work for a stadium, but there would be literally little to no room for parking, not to mention the surrounding area is awful. If it were part of a massive overhaul then it might be something feasible, but not as it stands.

I'm impressed by the guy. I think he'd be a rock solid owner and have the right intentions. Seeing that real estate is his gig, I think he'd make a wise choice in stadium relocation, and that he'd make sure he had all his ducks lined up on that one before pulling the trigger.

[Novacane]

Oh Phew! When I saw the title my first thought was who the hell is Milstein. I've never heard of him and he's in the mix at #9?

[WagonCircler]

The guy who runs Millstein's company, Roger Trevino, is a world class *******. One of the worst people I've ever known.

[stuckincincy]

E. Dent Lackey Stadium.

If anything, Lackey was colorful...

[delectrolux]

From an old topic at twobillsdrive:


NFR refers to a private company known as Niagara Falls Redevelopment, which Milstein owns. Milstein also has close ties to New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo, who tapped him to head the N.Y. State Thruway Authority.But most important is the fact that Milstein owns "more than 140 acres of prime land that is adjacent to Niagara Falls and a state park."

Kelly and Milstein are connected because the Executive VP of NFR is Jim's former agent, Roger Trevino (aka the deal maker that brought high-wire act Nik Wallenda to Niagara Falls in June). According to the Niagara Falls Reporter newspaper, Trevino said "several serious proposals have been made to the city about development opportunities for the property over the last several months."

Of course, Kelly has hinted that he has spoke to and would be willing to jump on board with various ownership groups, who have partners with more than enough means to buy the Bills. But Jimbo and the Thurminator don't have anywhere near the cash to pony up for majority ownership.

I think a more distinct possibility is a sale by Wilson to a group made of numerous investors, with one of them owning at least 30% of the franchise. Kelly and Thomas would receive a small stake in the team, in return for being its ambassadors from here on out.

[swiper]

I read this too fast. I thought you meant yngwie malmsteen (http://yngwie malmsteen).

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[WagonCircler]

From an old topic at twobillsdrive:

Kelly will not jump on board with Millstein's group, unless he gets rid of Roger Trevino. They detest each other. Trust me.

[delectrolux]

Kelly will not jump on board with Millstein's group, unless he gets rid of Roger Trevino. They detest each other. Trust me.

That wouldn't surprise me.

[Famous Amos]

As a resident of Erie County, I wouldn't mind it. Erie County has invested a lot into the Bills and I am sure they won't let the Bills get away without a fight.

First, off, taking a step back just to take in the gravity of the situation, we are discussing not only an ownership change, but the distinct possibility of keeping the Bills in WNY. And not just boring old, "we'll renevate the Ralph blah blah blah, reevaluate and go from there," we are discussing a brand spanking new stadium too. And there are options! Niagara Falls, outer Harbor, downtown, Orchard Park. This situation is beyond my wildest dreams.

Think about this, with interest from Millstein a possibility and his land holdings in Niagara Falls, that will put the onus on Erie County to put their best foot forward and come up with rock solid plans of a new stadium. Imagine if its decided to build downtown or on the water front,t hat means some massive new infrastructure in roads, utilities, and amenities and public transportation would need to be a big part of the equation. Ferries or water taxis taking fans along the Buffalo River to the outer harbor. A light rail extension. New pedestrian bridges connecting inner to outer harbor. Over at Buffalo Rising, some people suggested building an aerial tramway that would carry people from elevated stations in the air to the outer harbor and back. No way in hell would we think this was a possibility 5 years ago. It's pretty amazing to be honest.

[YardRat]

As a resident of Erie County, I wouldn't mind it. Erie County has invested a lot into the Bills and I am sure they won't let the Bills get away without a fight.

First, off, taking a step back just to take in the gravity of the situation, we are discussing not only an ownership change, but the distinct possibility of keeping the Bills in WNY. And not just boring old, "we'll renevate the Ralph blah blah blah, reevaluate and go from there," we are discussing a brand spanking new stadium too. And there are options! Niagara Falls, outer Harbor, downtown, Orchard Park. This situation is beyond my wildest dreams.

Think about this, with interest from Millstein a possibility and his land holdings in Niagara Falls, that will put the onus on Erie County to put their best foot forward and come up with rock solid plans of a new stadium. Imagine if its decided to build downtown or on the water front,t hat means some massive new infrastructure in roads, utilities, and amenities and public transportation would need to be a big part of the equation. Ferries or water taxis taking fans along the Buffalo River to the outer harbor. A light rail extension. New pedestrian bridges connecting inner to outer harbor. Over at Buffalo Rising, some people suggested building an aerial tramway that would carry people from elevated stations in the air to the outer harbor and back. No way in hell would we think this was a possibility 5 years ago. It's pretty amazing to be honest.

No way in hell would it even be a consideration without the existence of an NFL team, either.

[Famous Amos]

No way in hell would it even be a consideration without the existence of an NFL team, either.

What? All the infrastructure that would need to be added? Of course, because we don't have the population to support it. That is why the city is going with the lighter, faster, cheaper development plans for CanalSide and the outer harbor. I'm still waiting on the damn fake canals on the Aud site. In the city, its private development and money that really moves things along. Pegula's Harbour Center and Zemsky's Larkinville are two examples where private investment has quickly made a vast improvement over what was there before. So with the chance of the Bills needing a new stadium and possibly having to compete with Niagara Falls, the county will have to really apply themselves and have a sense of urgency. God I couldn't imagine the pace at which the county would develop and build new roads based on how slowly Main Street is being converted to two way traffic. I suppose that's where the state, Cuomo and a lot of money will come into the fold. Probably would lead to higher taxes and a greater feeling of animosity over having to support billionaires from taxpayers not invested in the Bills.