Golisano to team up with Scott Congel, build south Buffalo stadium?

[BidsJr]

http://pro32.ap.org/article/ap-sources-golisano-expresses-plans-buy-bills

Interesting.

[Don't Panic]

I like the Riverbend site. Open to a lot of secondary development and within a 2 mile drive of downtown. That site could really spark development of everything between it and the waterfront in the long run. It would take a 20-30 year vision to make sense of it, but I think it offers the best location of the bunch, unless there's a strong feeling that you can build in the Perry St. area east of First Niagara.

[YardRat]

Congel was previously a principal at Pyramid. He has most recently run into difficulties attempting to redevelop the Medley Centre mall outside of Rochester. The mall is now vacant.

Earlier this month, The Rochester Democrat and Chronicle reported that Monroe County officials voted to declare that Congel was in default of his tax deal by failing to invest at least $165 million to redevelop the property.

This might not help in the eyes of the rest of the owners when it comes to league approval.

[Skooby]

Congel was previously a principal at Pyramid. He has most recently run into difficulties attempting to redevelop the Medley Centre mall outside of Rochester. The mall is now vacant.

Earlier this month, The Rochester Democrat and Chronicle reported that Monroe County officials voted to declare that Congel was in default of his tax deal by failing to invest at least $165 million to redevelop the property.

This might not help in the eyes of the rest of the owners when it comes to league approval.

A failed developer, wow he's a perfect partner in Buffalo. Can we bring Bells back with 90% off ?

[BuffaloRedleg]

A lot of people licking their chops over the prospect of making money in Buffalo.

The Bills are easy money here. We like them if they stink or if they are good.

It is almost as close to a zero risk investment you can have.

[trapezeus]

Congel was previously a principal at Pyramid. He has most recently run into difficulties attempting to redevelop the Medley Centre mall outside of Rochester. The mall is now vacant.

Earlier this month, The Rochester Democrat and Chronicle reported that Monroe County officials voted to declare that Congel was in default of his tax deal by failing to invest at least $165 million to redevelop the property.

This might not help in the eyes of the rest of the owners when it comes to league approval.

maybe it's an issue. but if his company is a $5bn company, a $165MM dispute isn't that huge of a deal and most likely just part of the negotiation to get what you want.

i don't really like a west seneca stadium, but again, if that's the bid that wins, i'm all for it.

[Skooby]

http://www.naplesnews.com/news/2014/may/29/nfl-naples-tom-golisano-interested-buying-buffalo/

[Historian]

I don't know where you're going to fit a stadium and parking in West Seneca of all places.

There isn't even enough parking space at the Southgate Plaza.

[MikeInRoch]

Here's a nice story with pictures of how well Medley Center is doing under Scott Congel...

http://sickmalls.wordpress.com/2014/03/07/i-team-10-investigation-photos-inside-the-medley-centre-rochester-whec-com/

[DetDannyWilliams]

I don't know where you're going to fit a stadium and parking in West Seneca of all places.

There isn't even enough parking space at the Southgate Plaza.

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[DetDannyWilliams]

here's a picture thanks to my grandma who used to live West Seneca (why she took a picture of it I have no idea) what the old Seneca Mall used to look like, as you can see in the picture the Mall was big enough of a football stadium of it's own with a roof the footprint of it was a huge square.

16900

[Historian]

It would never fit.

The only place I could see it going in WS is over by Bob O Links golf course, which is really closer to OP.

By Eb.

[better days]

It would never fit.

The only place I could see it going in WS is over by Bob O Links golf course, which is really closer to OP.

By Eb.

If you watch the video DetDanny Williams put up it shows a map that shows a lot of room for a Stadium & more at the location Congel owns.

[THATHURMANATOR]

It would never fit.

The only place I could see it going in WS is over by Bob O Links golf course, which is really closer to OP.

By Eb.

It would fit but there of course wouldn't nearly be the parking we have now.

This site is in walking distance from my house which would be cool but I still would rather it be down town.

[better days]

It would fit but there of course wouldn't nearly be the parking we have now.

This site is in walking distance from my house which would be cool but I still would rather it be down town.

Yeah, because there would be plenty of parking Downtown.

[THATHURMANATOR]

Yeah, because there would be plenty of parking Downtown.

Who says I give a **** about Parking? (I don't)

[Fletch]

It would fit but there of course wouldn't nearly be the parking we have now.

This site is in walking distance from my house which would be cool but I still would rather it be down town.

Parking garage(s)?

Do any current pro stadiums have multi-tier parking garages? I would think so. It wouldn't facilitate tailgating.

I'd rather have the stadium in Batavia.

[THATHURMANATOR]

Parking garage(s)?

Do any current pro stadiums have multi-tier parking garages? I would think so. It wouldn't facilitate tailgating.

I'd rather have the stadium in Batavia.

In all honesty I don't even care about tailgaiting. Why are we so obessesed with it? I don't hate tailgaiting but I would easily have just as much fun hitting up a couple bars pre game.

By the way there is a 0.0% chance there will be a stadium in Batavia. I don't even know who or why it was even brought up. Can we just stop talking about it already?

[OpIv37]

In all honesty I don't even care about tailgaiting. Why are we so obessesed with it? I don't hate tailgaiting but I would easily have just as much fun hitting up a couple bars pre game.

By the way there is a 0.0% chance there will be a stadium in Batavia. I don't even know who or why it was even brought up. Can we just stop talking about it already?

First, tailgating is what makes the games fun even when the team sucks, which is far more often than not.

Second, I'm guessing you can afford it. Downtown stadium = higher ticket prices + PSL's + drinking at bars instead of out of your own cooler. It's going to price a lot of people out. And the people that can afford it aren't the people that are going to show up late in a 4 win season.

[OpIv37]

Here's a nice story with pictures of how well Medley Center is doing under Scott Congel...

http://sickmalls.wordpress.com/2014/03/07/i-team-10-investigation-photos-inside-the-medley-centre-rochester-whec-com/

Uggh- I remember when that mall was built. It was the nicest one anywhere near Rochester until Eastview and Greece Town/Long Ridge rebuilt, and it's been downhill ever since. Such a shame to see that place go to waste in a relatively short amount of time.

- - - Updated - - -


Parking garage(s)?

Do any current pro stadiums have multi-tier parking garages? I would think so. It wouldn't facilitate tailgating.

I'd rather have the stadium in Batavia.

not sure about football but the Nationals have multi-tier parking garages on either side of the stadium.

[Mace]

I'm glad Golisano is still a topic, I have a lot to say about him, not now though I need go to bed.

[OpIv37]

I'm sure most of you already know this, but for those who aren't from WNY and/or don't follow hockey:

Golisano sucked as owner of the Sabres.

Yes, he saved the team from bankruptcy, and yes he kept the team in Buffalo. But he was EXACTLY like Ralph Wilson. He was loyal to a fault with Larry Quinn, Darcy Reiger, Lindy Ruff and his core group of players: Miller, Vanek, Roy, Pominville. He let key free agents walk- most notably Danny Briere and Chris Drury. He tried to get by with 2nd tier FA's and never shelled out for players in positions of need. He was quite literally the NHL's version of Ralph: Do one great thing, then skate on your laurels while running the team based on cronyism and the bottom dollar.

The good news is that he'll keep the team in Buffalo. The bad news is that nothing will change in terms of how the team is run, which means nothing will change in terms of the results on the field.

[better days]

I'm sure most of you already know this, but for those who aren't from WNY and/or don't follow hockey:

Golisano sucked as owner of the Sabres.

Yes, he saved the team from bankruptcy, and yes he kept the team in Buffalo. But he was EXACTLY like Ralph Wilson. He was loyal to a fault with Larry Quinn, Darcy Reiger, Lindy Ruff and his core group of players: Miller, Vanek, Roy, Pominville. He let key free agents walk- most notably Danny Briere and Chris Drury. He tried to get by with 2nd tier FA's and never shelled out for players in positions of need. He was quite literally the NHL's version of Ralph: Do one great thing, then skate on your laurels while running the team based on cronyism and the bottom dollar.

The good news is that he'll keep the team in Buffalo. The bad news is that nothing will change in terms of how the team is run, which means nothing will change in terms of the results on the field.

Well, how bad was he really? The Sabres made the playoffs 4 of the 6 years he owned them.

And without Golisano, there would no longer be a Buffalo Sabres team.

That is a pretty IMPORTANT FACT IMO with regards to Golisano as an owner.

But maybe you would have preferred Bon Jovi had bought the Sabres.

[OpIv37]

Well, how bad was he really? The Sabres made the playoffs 4 of the 6 years he owned them.

And without Golisano, there would no longer be a Buffalo Sabres team.

That is a pretty IMPORTANT FACT IMO with regards to Golisano as an owner.

But maybe you would have preferred Bon Jovi had bought the Sabres.

WTF are you talking about?

Without Ralph, there would be no Bills in Buffalo, but he's still directly responsible for the team sucking for roughly 80% of their existence.

The state of the Sabres now is the direct result of Golisano's ****-ups. Pegula made one enormously bad decision with Leino because Pegula's a fan like us. He drank the Golisano/Reiger Kool-aid and thought he could get by with minor additions to the core group of ****heads. He was wrong, but the reality is that he inherited the majority of this mess.

[better days]

WTF are you talking about?

Without Ralph, there would be no Bills in Buffalo, but he's still directly responsible for the team sucking for roughly 80% of their existence.

The state of the Sabres now is the direct result of Golisano's ****-ups. Pegula made one enormously bad decision with Leino because Pegula's a fan like us. He drank the Golisano/Reiger Kool-aid and thought he could get by with minor additions to the core group of ****heads. He was wrong, but the reality is that he inherited the majority of this mess.

I am talking about BOTH the Bills & Sabres STAYING in BUFFALO as a result of those two men.

If you don't want to be a fan, nobody is forcing you to be one, But I doubt you will find many people from Buffalo that are not happy the Sabres & Bills are in BUFFALO where they belong.

[Skooby]

WTF are you talking about?

Without Ralph, there would be no Bills in Buffalo, but he's still directly responsible for the team sucking for roughly 80% of their existence.

The state of the Sabres now is the direct result of Golisano's ****-ups. Pegula made one enormously bad decision with Leino because Pegula's a fan like us. He drank the Golisano/Reiger Kool-aid and thought he could get by with minor additions to the core group of ****heads. He was wrong, but the reality is that he inherited the majority of this mess.

So your upset these guys fail to bring a winner but set the teams up to stay in Buffalo because one found a real wealthy homer for the Sabres (who will never allow the team to leave) & another basically that forces the next owner to stay in town / get max money for his family?

If you owned the Bills, would have left your family with less than the maximum they could get, while keeping them local for an extended period of time ? Would that have been your plan? Who did Ralph hurt with this type of estate planning ? Who did Tom G. hurt with selling it to Pegula ??

You need to get over these temporary failures, teams can get better so can situations. Both these teams will remain local & just to be clear both teams sucked for an extended period of times but got better. They brought us fans joy & pain, through many years. You need to get over yourself & realize the big picture, not everything happens on a timely clock. It might not be fun all the time or easy but I assure you it's a local event and we can get better. Drop your short term pain, plan for better.

[Fletch]

In all honesty I don't even care about tailgaiting. Why are we so obessesed with it? I don't hate tailgaiting but I would easily have just as much fun hitting up a couple bars pre game.

I think you'll find a lot of opposition there. In the cities/places I've been where there are bars near or at the stadiums, they're always way crowded, service sucks, time to get food takes forever, and to top it all, it's off the foodservice truck restaurant food.

For me the tailgating is just as much the experience as the game. Of course I wax nostalgic in thinking about the Super Bowl era tailgates, which don't compare to the modern ones anyway.

[Fletch]

So your upset these guys fail to bring a winner but set the teams up to stay in Buffalo because one found a real wealthy homer for the Sabres (who will never allow the team to leave) & another basically that forces the next owner to stay in town / get max money for his family?

If you owned the Bills, would have left your family with less than the maximum they could get, while keeping them local for an extended period of time ? Would that have been your plan? Who did Ralph hurt with this type of estate planning ? Who did Tom G. hurt with selling it to Pegula ??

You need to get over these temporary failures, teams can get better so can situations. Both these teams will remain local & just to be clear both teams sucked for an extended period of times but got better. They brought us fans joy & pain, through many years. You need to get over yourself & realize the big picture, not everything happens on a timely clock. It might not be fun all the time or easy but I assure you it's a local event and we can get better. Drop your short term pain, plan for better.

Two things.

First, as long as taxpayer money is involved, then fans have a say. Especially the local ones that are the ones paying the taxes for stadium goodies or whatnot, which the Wilson family has benefited from. Otherwise, who cares about the Wilson family, they don't care about you. They have more money than they'll ever need by a longshot.

Secondly, I think you've missed his point completely, apparently.

We're not talking about "temporary" failure when we discuss the Bills. We're talking about perpetual failure. The only era where failure was not prevalent for the Bills was during Polian's administration and shortly thereafter on the fumes of it.

What he was saying is that Golisano's MO and history is one of buying the team and leaving the current administration in place. So let me ask you, how much hope and BILL-ieving will you have if Golisano buys the team and leaves all the same key people in the FO?

If you say you'll then have hope you're either lying or a fool. This team's admin hasn't done **** since they've been in charge.

If the only option is Golisano buying the team and leaving the same FO in there, and administration otherwise, then I don't care if they leave town.

I want a competitive football team, not just a logo that gets ridiculed every year, not only by the rest of the sports world but by our own fans even.

Then again, from reading these forums, it doesn't sound as if some fans care if we win or not.

[Fletch]

In fact, if I knew that Golisano (or anyone) would buy this team and leave the current FO intact, and that it wouldn't change for 20 years, I'd rather have the team move.

It'll save me a whole lot of f'in heartache.

[DraftBoy]

First, tailgating is what makes the games fun even when the team sucks, which is far more often than not.

If you need tailgating to make the game fun then you're doing this all wrong.

[better days]

If you need tailgating to make the game fun then you're doing this all wrong.

Well, I don't see how restaurants work for 1:00 PM Sunday games.

When I lived there, you could not buy alcohol before 12:00 PM on Sunday.

If that law is still in effect, it would leave no time to go to a restaurant then get to the game.

[Skooby]

In fact, if I knew that Golisano (or anyone) would buy this team and leave the current FO intact, and that it wouldn't change for 20 years, I'd rather have the team move.

It'll save me a whole lot of f'in heartache.

Good for you.

[DraftBoy]

Well, I don't see how restaurants work for 1:00 PM Sunday games.

When I lived there, you could not buy alcohol before 12:00 PM on Sunday.

If that law is still in effect, it would leave no time to go to a restaurant then get to the game.

Ordinances can be passed to adjust that or god forbid you just don't get absolutely **** faced before the game? I know that's a radical concept.

[Skooby]

Two things.

First, as long as taxpayer money is involved, then fans have a say. Especially the local ones that are the ones paying the taxes for stadium goodies or whatnot, which the Wilson family has benefited from. Otherwise, who cares about the Wilson family, they don't care about you. They have more money than they'll ever need by a longshot.

Secondly, I think you've missed his point completely, apparently.

We're not talking about "temporary" failure when we discuss the Bills. We're talking about perpetual failure. The only era where failure was not prevalent for the Bills was during Polian's administration and shortly thereafter on the fumes of it.

What he was saying is that Golisano's MO and history is one of buying the team and leaving the current administration in place. So let me ask you, how much hope and BILL-ieving will you have if Golisano buys the team and leaves all the same key people in the FO?

If you say you'll then have hope you're either lying or a fool. This team's admin hasn't done **** since they've been in charge.

If the only option is Golisano buying the team and leaving the same FO in there, and administration otherwise, then I don't care if they leave town.

I want a competitive football team, not just a logo that gets ridiculed every year, not only by the rest of the sports world but by our own fans even.

Then again, from reading these forums, it doesn't sound as if some fans care if we win or not.

I want a championship & I'll make no bones about it.

[better days]

Ordinances can be passed to adjust that or god forbid you just don't get absolutely **** faced before the game? I know that's a radical concept.

So, they are going to change a law that has been on the books FOREVER to accommodate Bills fans 8-10 days a year?

DOUBTFUL. And like MANY other people, I am not looking to get ***** faced, but I enjoy a couple beers with my food.

Some people prefer a couple glasses of wine.

Canadians prefer to get ***** faced, but they do that on the bus ride over.

[OpIv37]

I am talking about BOTH the Bills & Sabres STAYING in BUFFALO as a result of those two men.

If you don't want to be a fan, nobody is forcing you to be one, But I doubt you will find many people from Buffalo that are not happy the Sabres & Bills are in BUFFALO where they belong.

This is the bull**** Buffalo inferiority complex that has to STOP. Simply having a team isn't good enough for any other city and it shouldn't be enough for us either. At some point we need to stop admiring these guys for simply allowing us to keep a team and start holding them accountable for the appalling manner in which the teams are run.

[OpIv37]

So your upset these guys fail to bring a winner but set the teams up to stay in Buffalo because one found a real wealthy homer for the Sabres (who will never allow the team to leave) & another basically that forces the next owner to stay in town / get max money for his family?

If you owned the Bills, would have left your family with less than the maximum they could get, while keeping them local for an extended period of time ? Would that have been your plan? Who did Ralph hurt with this type of estate planning ? Who did Tom G. hurt with selling it to Pegula ??

You need to get over these temporary failures, teams can get better so can situations. Both these teams will remain local & just to be clear both teams sucked for an extended period of times but got better. They brought us fans joy & pain, through many years. You need to get over yourself & realize the big picture, not everything happens on a timely clock. It might not be fun all the time or easy but I assure you it's a local event and we can get better. Drop your short term pain, plan for better.
The Bills have been around for 54 years. They sucked for at least 40 of those. Zero Super Bowl wins, no playoffs for 14 years.

You might be able to argue that the Sabres' recent failures are a down cycle and they will improve, but sucking is modus operandi for the Buffalo Bills. It was complete organizational failure on Ralph's part.

And that has nothing to do with maximizing profits for his family after his death. Hell, if anything the team would be worth MORE if he had built a perennial contender.