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Mayor Brown's Vision for City Includes Football Stadium
Mark Scott
BUFFALO, NY (2006-02-28) The Buffalo Bills have a lease for use of Ralph Wilson Stadium in Orchard Park through the end of the 2013 season. But Mayor Byron Brown says it's not too soon for area leaders to start discussions of building a new stadium for the team in downtown Buffalo.
The mayor introduced the idea of a downtown stadium during his inaugural ball this past Saturday. Monday, Brown was asked to elaborate. He says it's too soon to say where a downtown stadium would be built. But Brown did not back down from what he says is his bold vision for Buffalo's future.
"Like so many others in Western New York, I love the Buffalo Bills. I think they are a great corporate citizen," Brown said. "Just sending a message to them that whatever their future needs might be, Buffalo can certainly satisfy those needs."
But County Executive Joel Giambra apparently doesn't share Brown vision. Giambra was caught off guard Monday when asked about the mayor's idea of a downtown stadium. He hadn't yet heard about it. But Giambra says Bills owner Ralph Wilson has made no mention at all of a need to replace the county-owned stadium named after him.
"I saw Mr. Wilson not too long ago. He's very happy with the tenant-landlord relationship that exists between Erie County and the Buffalo Bills," Giambra said. "The stadium has years of useful life left."
Giambra says there are more immediate priorities for downtown Buffalo, such as making the Erie Community College City Campus a centerpiece of a revitalized downtown.
Mark Scott
BUFFALO, NY (2006-02-28) The Buffalo Bills have a lease for use of Ralph Wilson Stadium in Orchard Park through the end of the 2013 season. But Mayor Byron Brown says it's not too soon for area leaders to start discussions of building a new stadium for the team in downtown Buffalo.
The mayor introduced the idea of a downtown stadium during his inaugural ball this past Saturday. Monday, Brown was asked to elaborate. He says it's too soon to say where a downtown stadium would be built. But Brown did not back down from what he says is his bold vision for Buffalo's future.
"Like so many others in Western New York, I love the Buffalo Bills. I think they are a great corporate citizen," Brown said. "Just sending a message to them that whatever their future needs might be, Buffalo can certainly satisfy those needs."
But County Executive Joel Giambra apparently doesn't share Brown vision. Giambra was caught off guard Monday when asked about the mayor's idea of a downtown stadium. He hadn't yet heard about it. But Giambra says Bills owner Ralph Wilson has made no mention at all of a need to replace the county-owned stadium named after him.
"I saw Mr. Wilson not too long ago. He's very happy with the tenant-landlord relationship that exists between Erie County and the Buffalo Bills," Giambra said. "The stadium has years of useful life left."
Giambra says there are more immediate priorities for downtown Buffalo, such as making the Erie Community College City Campus a centerpiece of a revitalized downtown.
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