Memorial Auditorium has become nothing more than a crumbling rat-infested shell

[Ð]

From the Toronto Sun


Abandoned and unused, the decaying downtown rink is just down the street from the HSBC Arena, a building which many locals mockingly claim could face a similar fate should the Sabres either leave or dissolve in debt.

Full Story (http://www.canoe.ca/TorontoSports/ts.ts-02-07-0093.html)

[The_Philster]

It's a shame about the Aud. Before the Adelphia mess, there was talk of making that building into a downtown mall to lure shoppers to that area away from the Galleria. As far as the Arena, it gets use from other than the Sabres but they need to find more uses for it during the summer. They have the Sabres from October thru April and the Destroyers and Bandits in the spring as well. Other than concerts and a few basketball tournaments, I think it goes pretty much unused outside of those times.

[Buffarama]

I think they should knock it down and put up a big statue of the French Connection.

[Patrick76777]

Knock it down…….jesus, we never knock anything down….It’s a useless old building.

[Ebenezer]

Patrick...it's useless because here in Buffalo we have this wonderful habit of leaving things decay...if the state/city/county had been diligent and done the environmentally responsible thing they would have had the people who wanted the new arena pay for the upkeep or removal of the old building. That would have led to either:

1. The building being taken care of until there was a new tenent.

2. Removal of the Aud at no cost to the taxpayer (for removal or upkeep)

or

3. It would have been a deal killer...the Sabres would still be playing in the Aud and would probably not have most of the debt problems they now face.


Oh well...forsight in this city?? NEVER!

[Earthquake Enyart]

I keep telling you, there is your parking ramp. Gut the inside and build your ramps.

[Ð]

Look at what they did with the old Furum in Montreal. It took 3 years to convert it into a state of the art entertaiment complex, the Pepsi Forum

http://www.montrealforum.com/english/ani.gif

http://www.montrealforum.com/english/nav.html

[LtBillsFan66]

They should throw some prairie dogs in there and have them fight it out.

[BillC]

:rofl:@ BF1

[SABuffalo786]

The Punch Imlach memorial Park.

[MissBuffalo]

I knew this would happen. The city of Buffalo loves to let old, historic buildings rot away into dust. It's a shame. Look at how they abandoned the old Train Terminal. That building used to be amazing! It was even in The Natural. I used to go there a lot and photograph it. Explore inside.
Now you can't even get within' 200 feet of it. :unhappy:

[Guy Incognito]

Originally posted by Earthquake Enyart
I keep telling you, there is your parking ramp. Gut the inside and build your ramps.

I remember the Aud was crazily filled with ramps!

[fushetti]

The aud was a great building. I'd pay through the nose to see another game there. Great place to see a game and a great place to run around when youre a kid. Just had to have enough sense not to get lost. I had alot of fun in that building

[Dozerdog]

My best freind Chuck- His dad was a beer stand operator- we used to go 3 hours before a game with him, hang out back by the doors, and he's sneak us in every Sunday night.

We would hang out in the SRO area in the rafter for the 1st period, then all the usherettes near his stand (in the corner under the Gold section) would scope out seats for us. There were a lot of Canadian season ticket holders that wouldn't show for a game.

Remember the Fat Guy and the Bald guy in behind the net underneath those big ugly skyboxes? They would yell with these deep voices all the great chants... Like 1....2...3...4...we want 5! I think the fat Guy was named Primo or something. They were big whigs in the Buffalo sabre Booster club. They hung out at Chuck's dad's stand.
Or if The Sabres got 5 goals everyone would get a free big mac with their ticket stub.

[fushetti]

Do you guys remember that smell that hit you when you walked in the aud? That was the best smell. I loved that place.

[Ð]

Speaking of smell, I had golds right behind the bench for a Leafs/Sabres at Maple Leaf Gardens back when Scotty Bowman was coaching. No word of a lie, I swear he had mexican food for dinner. He just about knocked four of us over.


http://www.gasbgon.com/animation.htm

[Earthquake Enyart]

Originally posted by Dozerdog

Remember the Fat Guy and the Bald guy in behind the net underneath those big ugly skyboxes? They would yell with these deep voices all the great chants... Like 1....2...3...4...we want 5! I think the fat Guy was named Primo or something. They were big whigs in the Buffalo sabre Booster club. They hung out at Chuck's dad's stand.
Or if The Sabres got 5 goals everyone would get a free big mac with their ticket stub.

I remember the bald guy. There were a whole row of guys there that were pretty funny. Right down the row from where Punch used to sit.

[MissBuffalo]

Oh so many Aud memories!!!!!! I remember seeing them play the Kings (when they still had the yellow and purple jerseys) and there was that little spot where you could go and take pictures of the players walking from the ice to the dressing rooms. I still have the photos. Puppa, Andreychuck, Vaive (loved him), Foligno.