Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Built The Stadium In Orchard Park For Many Good Reasons

[BillsImpossible]

When the Bills moved from The Rockpile to Orchard Park, RCW Jr. didn't just stick his thumb out in the air and pick OP on a whim. He did his homework, and it payed off in a big way.

That was then.

Where to build a new stadium now?

After hashing it all out, Niagara Falls would be a traffic nightmare and so would be the Outer Harbor. Both locations simply don't have the roads to handle the traffic.

Downtown Buffalo is the ideal location, but where?

The only logical place I can think of is where Coca Cola Field and One Seneca Tower currently stand.

Location is everything for any business.

It's quite easy to get home in 20 minutes from the heart of downtown Buffalo.

How many times have you taken Main Street, Delaware Ave., Niagara Street, Clinton Street, or Elmwood Ave. all the way home instead of hopping on the 190?

I think the only way the Bills could build a stadium in downtown Buffalo is if the Bisons and Seneca Nation agree to a wrecking ball in favor of a new downtown NFL stadium that would perfectly compliment the NFL, Sabres, Bisons, and Seneca Nation of Indians.

But it is very hard to please everyone in business, and the idea of leveling Coca Cola Field and One Seneca Tower is nothing but an idea at this point.

IMHO, the picture below offers the only opportunity for a new NFL stadium in downtown Buffalo.




The only viable alternative is to deconstruct The Ralph and build a new stadium on the same site in Orchard Park.

Does anyone know who owns Coca Cola Field?

Does the City own the land?

[Skooby]

Re: Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Built The Stadium In Orchard Park For Many Good Reasons

This is not a terrible idea & may give Buffalo a chance at a future MLB team as well, if can be a dual-use stadium. I would assume a dome would be in order & hopefully we could host a Super Bowl within 4 years of opening.

[Mace]

Re: Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Built The Stadium In Orchard Park For Many Good Reasons

Honestly if you look at any map of downtown Buffalo and surroundings there aren't many places you wouldn't want to build something.

Everything south of ex HSBC center past Pegulaville is pretty much nothing whatever, and acres of it.

[kishoph]

Re: Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Built The Stadium In Orchard Park For Many Good Reasons

Does anyone know who owns Coca Cola Field?

Does the City own the land?

The City owns it, but I highly doubt they would even consider tearing it down.

[Don't Panic]

Re: Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Built The Stadium In Orchard Park For Many Good Reasons

How does CC Field make all the sense in the world while the Outer Harbor makes none? I don't see that one... the OH is the spot. It'll take a lot of additional money to develop it the right way (especially to facilitate traffic), but its the way to go. Either that or just retrofit the Ralph.

As for baseball/football stadiums, that is a dead issue these days. Doesn't make the sense it used to to build like that anymore. Plus, we aren't getting a MLB team... not for many decades, at best.

[better days]

Re: Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Built The Stadium In Orchard Park For Many Good Reasons

Why would you tear down a beautiful baseball Stadium that is used many more days than the 8-10 days a football Stadium would be used?

I heard the site of the former Republic Steel plant mentioned as a possibility for the new Stadium.

[tomz]

Re: Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Built The Stadium In Orchard Park For Many Good Reasons

Why would you tear down a beautiful baseball Stadium that is used many more days than the 8-10 days a football Stadium would be used?

I heard the site of the former Republic Steel plant mentioned as a possibility for the new Stadium.

I like that idea myself--lots of space, could be a beautiful reclaimed harbor area in Lackawanna, especially if they build a new park around it etc--but traffic would be problematic in my opinion. One reason Orchard Park works reasonably well is the availability of major arteries in essentially all directions. We certainly wouldn't want the stadium held up over discussions about the Route 5 skyway, which I could foresee in that case. Downtown is also a problem because of the traffic. The streets mentioned above are not equipped to handle the traffic that the roads to the Ralph can deal with--not even close.

[Dr. Lecter]

Re: Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Built The Stadium In Orchard Park For Many Good Reasons

This is not a terrible idea & may give Buffalo a chance at a future MLB team as well, if can be a dual-use stadium. I would assume a dome would be in order & hopefully we could host a Super Bowl within 4 years of opening.

MLB team?

Super Bowl?

I have a better chance of being the King of England than either of those happening.

[better days]

Re: Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Built The Stadium In Orchard Park For Many Good Reasons

I like that idea myself--lots of space, could be a beautiful reclaimed harbor area in Lackawanna, especially if they build a new park around it etc--but traffic would be problematic in my opinion. One reason Orchard Park works reasonably well is the availability of major arteries in essentially all directions. We certainly wouldn't want the stadium held up over discussions about the Route 5 skyway, which I could foresee in that case. Downtown is also a problem because of the traffic. The streets mentioned above are not equipped to handle the traffic that the roads to the Ralph can deal with--not even close.

I agree, access like the Ralph has, can not be duplicated anywhere in the City of Buffalo.

But they talked about doing a lot of road work if the Republic site is used.

A new Stadium will provide construction jobs for a good period of time & really help the economy in WNY where ever it is built.

[WagonCircler]

Re: Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Built The Stadium In Orchard Park For Many Good Reasons

After Ralph concluded that the $1 MIL cash bribe demand from a certain city official (in 1970 dollars) would be impossible to launder, he decided to explore other options. (This really happened).

[IlluminatusUIUC]

Re: Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Built The Stadium In Orchard Park For Many Good Reasons

After Ralph concluded that the $1 MIL cash bribe demand from a certain city official (in 1970 dollars) would be impossible to launder, he decided to explore other options. (This really happened).

Interesting. Please elaborate.

[Fletch]

Re: Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Built The Stadium In Orchard Park For Many Good Reasons

Where to build a new stadium now?

After hashing it all out, Niagara Falls would be a traffic nightmare and so would be the Outer Harbor. Both locations simply don't have the roads to handle the traffic.

Downtown Buffalo is the ideal location, but where?

The only logical place I can think of is where Coca Cola Field and One Seneca Tower currently stand.

Location is everything for any business.

It's quite easy to get home in 20 minutes from the heart of downtown Buffalo.

How many times have you taken Main Street, Delaware Ave., Niagara Street, Clinton Street, or Elmwood Ave. all the way home instead of hopping on the 190?

Great thinking for everyone that lives in Buffalo, poor thinking for anyone else.

It's quite easy to get home in 20 minutes from the heart of downtown Buffalo.

And that much more of a nightmare for anyone that has to travel from outside of Buffalo including Rochester, Syracuse, Niagara Falls or Canada.

Batavia is a much better location given that it sacrifices none of the current market but opens up at least another million potential fans in CNY.

We need that, sorely.

[Fletch]

Re: Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Built The Stadium In Orchard Park For Many Good Reasons

Honestly if you look at any map of downtown Buffalo and surroundings there aren't many places you wouldn't want to build something.

There's a reason for that. Driving thru downtown these days you'd think that Buffalo is a step behind Detroit in dilapidation.

[DetDannyWilliams]

Re: Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Built The Stadium In Orchard Park For Many Good Reasons

Trending Buffalo their top 4 sites... I like #3

http://www.trendingbuffalo.com/sports/buffalo-bills/bills-stadium-locations-narrowed-to-four/

[YardRat]

Re: Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Built The Stadium In Orchard Park For Many Good Reasons

Interesting. Please elaborate.

I think he might be referring to the Paul Snyder thingie. In all honesty, my recollection is a little bit fuzzy, but I believe there was a deal in place to put Rich Stadium in either Lackawanna or Lancaster, and the team reversed direction and went to Orchard Park instead. I believe Snyder won a monetary settlement in a lawsuit.