NYS Stadium study favors 4 sites (3 downtown)

[LabattBlue]

I want it in Hammers back yard

You can still tailgate at Hammer's...and then get in your car and drive downtown to the stadium.

 

If I was a betting man, I'd say the chances of the new stadium being built in OP are less than 5%.

 

Once the new stadium is opened, blow up the old stadium, fill the hole in, and turn it into another pricey OP subdivision.

[mead107]

How bout we party at Hammers and then rent a bus ?

[eball]

You can still tailgate at Hammer's...and then get in your car and drive downtown to the stadium.

 

If I was a betting man, I'd say the chances of the new stadium being built in OP are less than 5%.

 

Once the new stadium is opened, blow up the old stadium, fill the hole in, and turn it into another pricey OP subdivision.

 

Less than 0.001%.

 

The Pegulas are invested in downtown Buffalo.

[Beerball]

http://www.buffalonews.com/city-region/can-downtown-handle-60000-fans-20150123

[dhg]

http://www.buffalonews.com/city-region/can-downtown-handle-60000-fans-20150123

I guess the Snooze can't afford proofreaders anymore. Buffalo Bulls? I wasn't aware the Pegula's purchased UB as well.

Edited January 24, 2015 by dhg

[plenzmd1]

http://www.buffalonews.com/city-region/can-downtown-handle-60000-fans-20150123

I thought there was a lot of stupid stuff in this article. Just going from memory

 

1) park and ride lots with bus service to stadium is just not gunna work. Groups taking a bus to stadium one thing, but I don't know one city where that is a massively used option in a park and ride fashion. In DC when that place first opened, people would not take metro cause you had a 2 mile bus ride to stadium. Had to build a brand new metro stop to get people to use it.

 

2) including that MetroRail system as a comparison to other cites with subways etc is just a flaw. Thing goes in one direction, and even at that could not handle the volume after a game. Christ, Metro in DC one of the best systems in the country, and it sucks for Skins game.

 

3) Amtrak being on time haha. Guess these folks don't take the trains often. If you plan on a train from Syracuse being there before the game? Best leave at 8 AM When I go to Boston for the Pats game, we take train to stadium. 2000 people on board. Can't see train being a huge option that everyone wants to say it is.

 

Also saying downtown saydium would encourage people to stay downtown in hotels. Hun? I stay downtown all the time for Bills game, hard as hell to get a room now. Add in hockey tourneys and such and Harbour center, unless boatload of new hotels gunna be built for 10 days a year, hotels at capacity for Bills games now.

 

4) I also agree downtown does not mean end of tailgating as long as surface lots within a mile of stadium. been to plenty of games in downtown stadiums, still plenty of tailgating. Even in New Orleans last year plenty of tailgates , and that in a city with the best bar/ restuarant scene in the country.

 

5) for everyone who keeps saying putting a roof on the place makes it a year round facility? What else would it be used for? I am at trade shows quite often, have never been in a stadium for one. I am asking seriously... What else are these place ( outside the Cowboys olace) used for.

[dwight in philly]

I thought there was a lot of stupid stuff in this article. Just going from memory

 

1) park and ride lots with bus service to stadium is just not gunna work. Groups taking a bus to stadium one thing, but I don't know one city where that is a massively used option in a park and ride fashion. In DC when that place first opened, people would not take metro cause you had a 2 mile bus ride to stadium. Had to build a brand new metro stop to get people to use it.

 

2) including that MetroRail system as a comparison to other cites with subways etc is just a flaw. Thing goes in one direction, and even at that could not handle the volume after a game. Christ, Metro in DC one of the best systems in the country, and it sucks for Skins game.

 

3) Amtrak being on time haha. Guess these folks don't take the trains often. If you plan on a train from Syracuse being there before the game? Best leave at 8 AM When I go to Boston for the Pats game, we take train to stadium. 2000 people on board. Can't see train being a huge option that everyone wants to say it is.

 

Also saying downtown saydium would encourage people to stay downtown in hotels. Hun? I stay downtown all the time for Bills game, hard as hell to get a room now. Add in hockey tourneys and such and Harbour center, unless boatload of new hotels gunna be built for 10 days a year, hotels at capacity for Bills games now.

 

4) I also agree downtown does not mean end of tailgating as long as surface lots within a mile of stadium. been to plenty of games in downtown stadiums, still plenty of tailgating. Even in New Orleans last year plenty of tailgates , and that in a city with the best bar/ restuarant scene in the country.

 

5) for everyone who keeps saying putting a roof on the place makes it a year round facility? What else would it be used for? I am at trade shows quite often, have never been in a stadium for one. I am asking seriously... What else are these place ( outside the Cowboys olace) used for.

i am in total agreement with your thought on what the stadium will be used for if it has a roof.. outside of a final four B-BALL, what would it be used for? no need for a roof..FNC can handle any indoor events that the city wants to host.

[Kirby Jackson]

i am in total agreement with your thought on what the stadium will be used for if it has a roof.. outside of a final four B-BALL, what would it be used for? no need for a roof..FNC can handle any indoor events that the city wants to host.

It's not as much about the other events that they want to host as it is attracting a certain group of people to attend Bills games. The roof isn't about other events as much as it is a higher end clientel.

[Hammered a Lot]

I want it in Hammers back yard

Darn right

[dwight in philly]

It's not as much about the other events that they want to host as it is attracting a certain group of people to attend Bills games. The roof isn't about other events as much as it is a higher end clientel.

yea, i understand that, just do not want to accept it..LOL.. i am a retro-fit the ralph person not for any reasons other than tailgating and pure outdoor football experience,(nothing about "wasting tax dollars").. but am hoping if they do build downtown , they do a heinz field type deal..

[Offside Number 76]

I thought there was a lot of stupid stuff in this article. Just going from memory

 

1) park and ride lots with bus service to stadium is just not gunna work. Groups taking a bus to stadium one thing, but I don't know one city where that is a massively used option in a park and ride fashion. In DC when that place first opened, people would not take metro cause you had a 2 mile bus ride to stadium. Had to build a brand new metro stop to get people to use it.

 

2) including that MetroRail system as a comparison to other cites with subways etc is just a flaw. Thing goes in one direction, and even at that could not handle the volume after a game. Christ, Metro in DC one of the best systems in the country, and it sucks for Skins game.

 

3) Amtrak being on time haha. Guess these folks don't take the trains often. If you plan on a train from Syracuse being there before the game? Best leave at 8 AM When I go to Boston for the Pats game, we take train to stadium. 2000 people on board. Can't see train being a huge option that everyone wants to say it is.

 

Also saying downtown saydium would encourage people to stay downtown in hotels. Hun? I stay downtown all the time for Bills game, hard as hell to get a room now. Add in hockey tourneys and such and Harbour center, unless boatload of new hotels gunna be built for 10 days a year, hotels at capacity for Bills games now.

 

4) I also agree downtown does not mean end of tailgating as long as surface lots within a mile of stadium. been to plenty of games in downtown stadiums, still plenty of tailgating. Even in New Orleans last year plenty of tailgates , and that in a city with the best bar/ restuarant scene in the country.

 

5) for everyone who keeps saying putting a roof on the place makes it a year round facility? What else would it be used for? I am at trade shows quite often, have never been in a stadium for one. I am asking seriously... What else are these place ( outside the Cowboys olace) used for.

 

But the basic point is correct: If downtown Buffalo can handle 60,000 people arriving between 8 and 930 on a weekday morning, it can handle the same number arriving between 9 and 1130 on a Sunday morning. No problem.

 

Re: DC, the problem there is a little different. First, they had the bus thing, and I lived there then and experienced it. You're right, it's a nightmare. But on top of that, there is not as much of a tailgate culture there, not everyone has cars, and it's the worst traffic in the nation. So, IMO, there's more of a load on the metro there than there will be here.

 

There is enough parking in the three cardinal directions radiating from downtown for everyone, and the traffic isn't going to be any worse than it is in Orchard Park. (Seriously, is it even possible for it to be worse?) It very likely will be better for the reason pointed out in the article: the city already handles that traffic every day.

 

EDIT: I'm in total agreement w/ you on point 5 and still want a dome, for selfish reasons (I'm a weather wimp and I'll freely admit it). If there's a dome, I'll likely try to become a STH. If there isn't, I likely won't.

 

All that said, as a taxpayer, my preference is renovation. That's not going to happen, though.

Edited January 24, 2015 by Offsides Number 76

[BuffaloFan32]

Why do people keep talking about a smaller 60k seat stadium? The bills have less trouble selling out games than other teams with smaller stadiums. When this team is good, it can sell out a huge stadium. We are not the jaguars or the raiders who tarp off entire sections of the upper deck in order to 'fill' the stadiums. I understand that we need luxury boxes but don't sacrifice the atmosphere/home field advantage because buffalo is a small city. Build a 100k seat stadium with all the boxes you want, we will come.

[Lurker]

Build a 100k seat stadium with all the boxes you want, we will come.

You should have added "...if the ticket price remains among the lowest in the league."

 

10,000 fewer seats = better pricing power (ye old "supply and demand") and ability to sell premium seating...

[purple haze]

There is still talk of UB/NYSU to the Big Ten. While the school has a way to go athletically to catch up, there are actually several good reasons that make UB/NYSU a strong candidate. 1) They are a member of the American Association of Universities. That means they are a top research school. All Big Ten members are also AAU members. 2) UB/NYSU give the Big Ten a footprint in the nations 4th most populous state. Look at the current Big Ten footprint:

New York State fills in very nicely. New York would be the most populous state among all Big Ten schools. 3) TV markets. Buffalo is #52, Rochester is #78, and New York City, where UB/NYSU has a large base of alums is #1.

 

Reason #4 is purely speculative but if Terry Pegula has a brand new stadium and wants to put UB/NYSU games in it, he could use his influence at Penn State to lobby the Big Ten. After all a New York State/Penn State rivalry would be quite an attraction. BTW UB plays at Penn State in 2015.

That would be a good conference pairing for UB. And if it were to happen, the school would probably be known as New York State University by that time. Everything you listed, as well as the large student population at UB, is why, at some point, UB will wind up in a bigger conference. Put UB in the B1G and attendance issues go away immediately. The ACC would be another good location for UB.

[bbb]

I guess the Snooze can't afford proofreaders anymore. Buffalo Bulls? I wasn't aware the Pegula's purchased UB as well.

 

I had an argument on twitter with Mike Harrington last year some time. I think they suck. Constant mistakes - he somehow claimed they do a good job.

 

It seems like even the writer doesn't proofread the story.

 

Last week, I was infuriated trying to read on the murder trial of the bar manager. They mixed the name of the victim and the defendant at one point, making it totally confusing. Then another article talked about "also on Thursday, the closing arguments" The article was on Wed. and I knew they had no closing arguments the week before, so I had surmise they really meant Tuesday.

 

It's constant and frustrating. Especially when about key details.

 

i am in total agreement with your thought on what the stadium will be used for if it has a roof.. outside of a final four B-BALL, what would it be used for? no need for a roof..FNC can handle any indoor events that the city wants to host.

 

We need a rodeo!

 

The Houston Rodeo will have Reliant Stadium or whatever it is called now packed for something like 18 straight days in March.

 

[dwight in philly]

 

I had an argument on twitter with Mike Harrington last year some time. I think they suck. Constant mistakes - he somehow claimed they do a good job.

 

It seems like even the writer doesn't proofread the story.

 

Last week, I was infuriated trying to read on the murder trial of the bar manager. They mixed the name of the victim and the defendant at one point, making it totally confusing. Then another article talked about "also on Thursday, the closing arguments" The article was on Wed. and I knew they had no closing arguments the week before, so I had surmise they really meant Tuesday.

 

It's constant and frustrating. Especially when about key details.

 

 

We need a rodeo!

 

The Houston Rodeo will have Reliant Stadium or whatever it is called now packed for something like 18 straight days in March.

 

well, guess they like that stuff in texas, you think having a rodeo in a downtown "roofed" stadium in buffalo would be worth it for that kind of stuff.. but i do get your point.

[packfntk]

Even though I have no dog in this fight I vote OP. Came to OP this year for the first time, and it's money. Plenty of room to tailgate, great area, just an all around good time.

 

You lose something when you put a stadium downtown in my opinion. The pre and post game will never be the same. Stay in OP and renovate, the stadium can be like new, we have that at Lambeau.

[plenzmd1]

It's not as much about the other events that they want to host as it is attracting a certain group of people to attend Bills games. The roof isn't about other events as much as it is a higher end clientel.

 

I just don't think it matters it Buffalo. Give the fans a stadium like Seattle with a quasi roof and heated club seats for the swells. Think cities like Piitsburgh, Cleveland, Green Bay have proven that.

 

 

 

Darn right

 

Buy land soon in downtown Hammer..maybe you can apply for some sort of "historic" designation and get preferred placement form the city. Your lot is historic in my mind, and I only park there occasionally!

 

 

But the basic point is correct: If downtown Buffalo can handle 60,000 people arriving between 8 and 930 on a weekday morning, it can handle the same number arriving between 9 and 1130 on a Sunday morning. No problem.

 

Re: DC, the problem there is a little different. First, they had the bus thing, and I lived there then and experienced it. You're right, it's a nightmare. But on top of that, there is not as much of a tailgate culture there, not everyone has cars, and it's the worst traffic in the nation. So, IMO, there's more of a load on the metro there than there will be here.

 

There is enough parking in the three cardinal directions radiating from downtown for everyone, and the traffic isn't going to be any worse than it is in Orchard Park. (Seriously, is it even possible for it to be worse?) It very likely will be better for the reason pointed out in the article: the city already handles that traffic every day.

 

EDIT: I'm in total agreement w/ you on point 5 and still want a dome, for selfish reasons (I'm a weather wimp and I'll freely admit it). If there's a dome, I'll likely try to become a STH. If there isn't, I likely won't.

 

All that said, as a taxpayer, my preference is renovation. That's not going to happen, though.

 

Agree Offsides. I think downtown stadium inevitable, and I like you prefer retro fit. That being said , when they go downtown I do not want to see money wasted on transport options that have failed in other cities. I have no worries on Ingres and egress as mentioned, happens everyday now. But to start saying that light rail or Amtrak is going to magically carry even 20 % of fans is just a pipe dream.

[DJasper Probincrux III]

Sitting here thinking about the Exchange St and Cobblestone sites and I can't help but wonder if they used those sites if the playing field itself would not be at "ground level" but instead elevated inside the building on what would be the 2nd or 3rd floor. That would open up the ground floor to street level retail and dining space that would be useable 365 days a year and much more aesthetically pleasing than than large blank wall. Sort of like Harbor Center but on a bigger scale. The field will be turf so it really doesn't matter if it's on the ground or 100 ft in the air.

 

The other thought I had about an elevated playing surface was that at the Exchange St. site it would allow Seneca Street to remain intact. Obviously it'd be shut to through traffic on gamedays but it would offer a way to incorporate a small, team only garage, as well as a convenient, sheltered way in/out for the opposing team bus and media people, and a staging area for ambulances that are required to be on site. If you did it right you could make it so the ambulance could drive right onto the field and then right out onto Seneca Street. Ideally, you'd make it so an 18 wheeler could get to the floor/field level directly. That would make loading and unloading for concerts or large conventions/trade shows much quicker and easier.

[DJasper Probincrux III]

 

But to start saying that light rail or Amtrak is going to magically carry even 20 % of fans is just a pipe dream.

The light rail system as it stands today can handle 5k people an hour, and honestly those trains will be full so to expect 10k to arrive by that route is reasonable. The Amtrak thing is sketchier. Not that you have done this, but I also see people say "how will 10k people get on the train all at once at the end of the game???" Simply put, they wouldn't because they wouldn't want to. They'd want to come out of the stadium and go to dinner or have some drinks or go to the Casino, etc. You'd build that into the day out. Would everyone do this? Obviously not, but many would and that would be the goal of the downtown projects in general in trying to create a critical mass of people and entertainment/dining/retail options that people would want to stay rather than immediately get into their car and leave. If you brought 60k people to that area and even retained 15% of them after the game that would be a bustling scene and bustling scenes tend to build on themselves because they are fun.

 

What is, I think, underestimated in the traffic conversation is the number of people who simply won't need to drive to the game at all because they will already be staying downtown. I come up once or twice a year and only drive to RWS because you basically have to. If I were coming up for a downtown stadium there is no way I would not be staying downtown and the downtown hotels will all be full. There are 2,500 downtown rooms built or in the pipeline being built now. That's easily another 5k people who aren't driving to the game at all and I wouldn't be shocked to see the big hotels run their own shuttles to the stadium. I also wouldn't be surprised to see more hotel space pop up in that area, including a Seneca hotel attached to the Casino.