Golisano to bid on Bills & propose new WS staduim

[thebandit27]

Is Russ enodorsing Golisano?

 

I don't know anything other than that they've talked.

 

And have been for some time.

[major]

I would feel more comfortable with Golisano if he came in and cleaned house. Russ and company need to go.

[TXBILLSFAN]

If Russ is endorsing Golisano as owner then it's highly likely he'll get approved unanimously. I say this for 2 reasons: (1) Russ has the pulse of NFL ownership, and wouldn't back anyone that he didn't think would be a slam-dunk approval; and (2) the NFL owners like Russ as a business man.

Your talking about NFL owners voting not the trustee's, correct ? Brandon would have too much to lose if he endorsed a specific bid ahead of the trustee's vote, right ? Imagine him endorsing Golisano and Jacobs winning the bid --- not sure that would bode well for his job security post-transition.

[thebandit27]

Your talking about NFL owners voting not the trustee's, correct ? Brandon would have too much to lose if he endorsed a specific bid ahead of the trustee's vote, right ? Imagine him endorsing Golisano and Jacobs winning the bid --- not sure that would bode well for his job security post-transition.

 

In that instance I was talking about the owners, yes.

[Buftex]

I would feel more comfortable with Golisano if he came in and cleaned house. Russ and company need to go.

 

I think Brandon has done a really great job, under all the circumstances. I would wait to see how this year plays out, before being too definitive about Brandon, or Whaley, for that matter. I am actually a little more concerned with Marrone, but jury is still out on him, for me. They have me feeling pretty optimistic about this teams' future, on the field. Of course, if Golisano does, in fact, become the owner, they will get this year, at least, maybe next year too.

[PromoTheRobot]

I would feel more comfortable with Golisano if he came in and cleaned house. Russ and company need to go.

[Lurker]

Wawrow speculated on Twitter that it's the Seneca Mall.

The Seneca Mall site seems a bit too small, IMO. It would need significantly more of the adjacent land to be acquired for parking.

 

That said, both a Mighty Taco and a Wegman's within walking distance....gold mine!

[TXBILLSFAN]

I think Brandon has done a really great job, under all the circumstances. I would wait to see how this year plays out, before being too definitive about Brandon, or Whaley, for that matter. I am actually a little more concerned with Marrone, but jury is still out on him, for me. They have me feeling pretty optimistic about this teams' future, on the field. Of course, if Golisano does, in fact, become the owner, they will get this year, at least, maybe next year too.

I don't want to make this a Brandon thread, but I would give Whaley/Marrone more time, I think Brandon has a substantial body of work with the Bills from which a new owner can make an informed assessment. I'll leave it at that, as to not hijack this thread

[Kirby Jackson]

I think that I posted this earlier in the thread but don't remember. I had heard a while ago that Golisano has already gone through the NFL vetting process and been approved for ownership. That would be in line with the news last week that if he is accepted he wants to take control immediately. I am sorry of this is repetitive but I think that it is important to note in lieu of the latest news.

 

FWIW, I believe that Russ and the Doug's will be retained if Golisano takes over.

Edited May 28, 2014 by Kirby Jackson

[ICanSleepWhenI'mDead]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Pyramid_Companies

 

The Pyramid Companies, also known as Pyramid Management Group, were formed in 1970 in Syracuse, New York by Robert J. Congel.

 

http://www2.erie.gov/ecrpts/index.php?q=real-property-parcel-search

 

Real Property Information

Link Owner Name Property Loc. City/Town S-B-L

Details PYRAMID CO OF BFLO UNION RD Cheektowaga 102.08-2-41.2/BB

Details PYRAMID CO OF BFLO WALDEN AVE Cheektowaga 102.02-1-1.111

Details PYRAMID COMPANY OF V/L HARLEM RD Cheektowaga 102.03-2-1.212

Details PYRAMID COMPANY OF BFLO GALLERIA DR Cheektowaga 102.08-2-41.2

Details PYRAMID COMPANY OF BFLO GALLERIA DR Cheektowaga 102.02-1-6.2

Details PYRAMID COMPANY OF BFLO WALDEN AVE Cheektowaga 102.03-2-1.22

Details PYRAMID COMPANY OF BUFFALO GALLERIA DR Cheektowaga 102.02-1-9.142

* * * * * *

Details PYRAMID WALDEN COMPANY LP 1 WALDEN GALLERIA DR Cheektowaga 102.02-1-17.211

Details PYRAMID WALDEN COMPANY LP WALDEN GALLERIA Cheektowaga 102.02-1-17.211/G

Details PYRAMID WALDEN COMPANY LP WALDEN GALLERIA Cheektowaga 102.02-1-5.1

 

[thebandit27]

I think that I posted this earlier in the thread but don't remember. I had heard a while ago that Golisano has already gone through the NFL betting process and been approved for ownership. That would be in line with the news last week that if he is accepted he wants to take control immediately. I am sorry of this is repetitive but I think that it is important to note in lieu of the latest news.

 

FWIW, I believe that Russ and the Doug's will be retained if Golisano takes over.

 

Good stuff as always.

 

I feel very confident Russ will be back if Golisano is The Man, which means the Dougs will be back as well

[Tisker A Tasker]

There's a rail spur that goes right by that site too. It would be great if they included a platform for people coming from points east or Canada.

[stony]

I think that I posted this earlier in the thread but don't remember. I had heard a while ago that Golisano has already gone through the NFL vetting process and been approved for ownership. That would be in line with the news last week that if he is accepted he wants to take control immediately. I am sorry of this is repetitive but I think that it is important to note in lieu of the latest news.

 

FWIW, I believe that Russ and the Doug's will be retained if Golisano takes over.

 

I'm all on board here.

 

My only concern is his age. Wouldn't it be something if Pegula was sold the team upon his death? Talk about deja vu.

[bbb]

There's a rail spur that goes right by that site too. It would be great if they included a platform for people coming from points east or Canada.

 

I was thinking about that rail line, too. They might be able to get a bunch of parking by buying and knocking out that strip mall on the other side of the tracks, and then build a footbridge or two over the tracks.

[I_want_2_BILL_Lieve]

I was on board until I read this article. I don't want Congel anywhere near my team.

 

http://pro32.ap.org/...plans-buy-bills

 

"A person says Golisano, the former Buffalo Sabres owner and failed gubernatorial candidate from Rochester, New York, also has had talks with developer Scott Congel to be as his partner in the potential ownership group."

 

If you're from Rochester, you have to be familiar with Congel as having failed to develop the Medley Center.

 

http://en.wikipedia....i/Medley_Centre

 

"An article in the Rochester Democrat & Chronicle in November 2012 noted: "no apparent work has been done since he (Congel) bought the property in 2007."^[10]"

Edited May 28, 2014 by I_want_2_BILL_Lieve

[ICanSleepWhenI'mDead]

OK, this is pure speculation, and it differs from what AP's "source" reported as to stadium location south of Buffalo, but how about . . . .

 

1. A stadium in Irondequoit to replace a vacant mall owned by Scott Congel? Don't know how big the parcel is. Irondequoit is within 75 miles of the Buffalo city limits, so it's within the Bills' existing territory in the NFL By-laws. It would be central to the Buffalo/Rochester/Syracuse corridor. If the NFL wants to eventually grant Toronto its own franchise, this would allow the Bills to rely more on the Rochester and Syracuse markets and less on the Toronto/Southern Ontario population that might be cannibalized if Toronto gets its own team.

 

http://www.democratandchronicle.com/story/news/2014/03/14/scott-congel-medley-centre-irondequoit/6431965/

 

http://www.democratandchronicle.com/story/yp/2014/01/12/irondequoit-macys/4441997/

 

http://blogs.reuters.com/david-cay-johnston/2012/06/01/how-corporate-socialism-destroys/

 

http://www.distance-cities.com/distance-buffalo-ny-to-irondequoit-ny

 

Again, the above is pure speculation, but it might make business sense if the NFL wants to eventually put a team in Toronto. NFL could also require the new Bills owner to give up claims to the Toronto market as a condition to being approved to buy the Bills.

 

Edit: If you scroll down to Appendix 10 in the link below, you will see an aerial photo of the now vacant mall site. In the upper left corner of the aerial photo, it looks like there is a football field and baseball field on nearby property, which gives a sense of scale when trying to figure out whether a stadium could be built on the site:

 

http://s3.documentcloud.org/documents/83324/medleyfeisvolumeiii.pdf

 

This link contains a different aerial photo, and says Scott R. Congel bought the entire property in 2007:

 

http://www.democratandchronicle.com/story/money/business/2014/01/08/medley-centre-timeline/4381747/

Edited May 28, 2014 by ICanSleepWhenI'mDead

[Just Jack]

Not the Congels...ANYBODY but the Congels...

I was on board until I read this article. I don't want Congel anywhere near my team.

 

http://pro32.ap.org/...plans-buy-bills

 

"A person says Golisano, the former Buffalo Sabres owner and failed gubernatorial candidate from Rochester, New York, also has had talks with developer Scott Congel to be as his partner in the potential ownership group."

 

If you're from Rochester, you have to be familiar with Congel as having failed to develop the Medley Center.

 

http://en.wikipedia....i/Medley_Centre

 

"An article in the Rochester Democrat & Chronicle in November 2012 noted: "no apparent work has been done since he (Congel) bought the property in 2007."^[10]"

 

Agreed. If there's a Congel involved, get ready for long drawn out "gimme tax breaks or I won't build" talks.

[Kirby Jackson]

I was on board until I read this article. I don't want Congel anywhere near my team.

 

http://pro32.ap.org/...plans-buy-bills

 

"A person says Golisano, the former Buffalo Sabres owner and failed gubernatorial candidate from Rochester, New York, also has had talks with developer Scott Congel to be as his partner in the potential ownership group."

 

If you're from Rochester, you have to be familiar with Congel as having failed to develop the Medley Center.

 

http://en.wikipedia....i/Medley_Centre

 

"An article in the Rochester Democrat & Chronicle in November 2012 noted: "no apparent work has been done since he (Congel) bought the property in 2007."^[10]"

My suspicion is that Congel will get a small piece of the team in exchange for the development. That is functionally the same thing that happened with Larry Quinn I believe.

 

 

 

I'm all on board here.

 

My only concern is his age. Wouldn't it be something if Pegula was sold the team upon his death? Talk about deja vu.

That would be pretty wild. I can see Pegula being involved in this. I believe that Jeremy Jacobs is the most active behind the scenes though. He wants this team.

[Lurker]

OK, this is pure speculation

The Bills are NOT moving to Rochester...

[ICanSleepWhenI'mDead]

 

The Bills are NOT moving to Rochester...

Not sure why my search of Erie County property records (results posted above) for ownership by Congel or Pyramid didn't find the "Shops at West Seneca," but according to AP, Pyramid does own it:

 

http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/2014/05/28/ap-sources-golisano-expresses-plans-to-buy-bills/9678877/

 

Here's some info on the West Seneca site:

 

http://www.deadmalls.com/malls/seneca_mall.html