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NYS Stadium study favors 4 sites (3 downtown)


YoloinOhio

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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.

Do you mean people who do not fall down on other people? I've got a good friend still in WNY with prime tix with a few guys, but his wife won't go. She goes to the Sabres games, but wants no part of a Bills game. My wife would be the same way.

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Do you mean people who do not fall down on other people? I've got a good friend still in WNY with prime tix with a few guys, but his wife won't go. She goes to the Sabres games, but wants no part of a Bills game. My wife would be the same way.

Not everyone wants to sit outside and be cold. I love it. My wife won't even consider going to a game after October 15th. Frankly it's a PIA to bring kids in bad weather as well. Indoors just makes everything easier.

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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.

 

The Vegas rodeo is huge, too and sells out solidly a major arena for two weeks. I think the Calgary Stampede is the same............The Houston one has a major concert act every night after the rodeo.

 

I know country music is huge here, but yeah probably not rodeo.

 

I just wonder if we can be creative enough to come up with something similar, maybe not quite as successful but a go to traditional event of a week or more.

 

Not everyone wants to sit outside and be cold. I love it. My wife won't even consider going to a game after October 15th. Frankly it's a PIA to bring kids in bad weather as well. Indoors just makes everything easier.

This is what this mainly is. Most women will not do it, even though they love the early games, esp. Opening Day.

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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.

Jasper , IMHO, that MetroRail just will not be able to handle any reasonable amount of game day attendance. I think you all are overestimating the appetite for people to hang around after a game. I know Buffalo is having a nice comeback, but to think people are going to come down early on a train or bus, spend $40 bucks on pre game food and drink, spend $100 on tickets at minimum, spend $30 inside, then come back out and spend $40 again eating and drinking just not realistic for the majority of fans.

 

 

Is there a subset of fans, mostly in 20-30s that will yes. But not enough that would spread 10000 people out over two hours. That has been my experience in other cities like Pittsburgh and New Orleans that have downtown stadiums. Christ, in New Orleans a block away from the atrium we sat right down at a half empty bar 20 minutes after the game.

 

And I am missing the hotel thing as I mentioned. I stayed downtown for 3 games this year, and it was a scramble to get rooms , and I reserved two of them day schedule came out.

 

I know the new Marriot is going up , but as I said with Hockey tourneys and such, demand for rooms be even greater, but just on weekends. Not sure how that translates to more rooms being sold.

 

Like I said, I want a downtown stadium, I just don't want to see it become a cluster like it did in DC. Parking has to be priority. Mass transit will not be the answer in Buffalo, nor will buses etc. Need parking and plenty of it.

Edited by plenzmd1
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best of both worlds....

 

place the stadium on the cobblestone site and use the south park site for parking.

 

 

the cobblestone site is much closer to the rest of downtown hotels, existing parking ramps, etc....

 

great idea ,would be expensive though

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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.

It has mattered though. The Bills have had that for 15-20 years and still struggle when the weather gets bad. They need the highest amenities associated with the best locations. That is how you maximze revenue. You appeal to as broad an audience that you can that can meet the financial criteria. That is why the floor seats in an NBA arena often include food and/or drinks. You charge $1000 a seat, a game (or more) because of that. In order to reach that broad of an audience a roof will be a necessity.

Do you mean people who do not fall down on other people? I've got a good friend still in WNY with prime tix with a few guys, but his wife won't go. She goes to the Sabres games, but wants no part of a Bills game. My wife would be the same way.

Pretty much what I am saying. If it was a more comfortable (less crazy) environment your wife would be more likely to go. Now the Bills have potentially sold another to let based solely on the environment. This is a micro example but the type of discussion that is going on.
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Jasper , IMHO, that MetroRail just will not be able to handle any reasonable amount of game day attendance. I think you all are overestimating the appetite for people to hang around after a game. I know Buffalo is having a nice comeback, but to think people are going to come down early on a train or bus, spend $40 bucks on pre game food and drink, spend $100 on tickets at minimum, spend $30 inside, then come back out and spend $40 again eating and drinking just not realistic for the majority of fans.

 

 

Is there a subset of fans, mostly in 20-30s that will yes. But not enough that would spread 10000 people out over two hours. That has been my experience in other cities like Pittsburgh and New Orleans that have downtown stadiums. Christ, in New Orleans a block away from the atrium we sat right down at a half empty bar 20 minutes after the game.

 

And I am missing the hotel thing as I mentioned. I stayed downtown for 3 games this year, and it was a scramble to get rooms , and I reserved two of them day schedule came out.

 

I know the new Marriot is going up , but as I said with Hockey tourneys and such, demand for rooms be even greater, but just on weekends. Not sure how that translates to more rooms being sold.

 

Like I said, I want a downtown stadium, I just don't want to see it become a cluster like it did in DC. Parking has to be priority. Mass transit will not be the answer in Buffalo, nor will buses etc. Need parking and plenty of it.

 

We have to do that now, with the traffic situation in Orchard Park. It's either (1) leave early, (2) sit in traffic for 90 minutes, or (3) hang out for 2 hours and then get in the car. Why would it be any worse with stuff to do around the stadium?

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

 

Up to 20,000 by Metro Rail according to the consultant? My fear is parking, espcially that controlled by the Bills. is going to so expensive that only club level and suite owners will be able to park within a reasonble walk. How many of the regional fans want to drive an hour plus only to park at some remote lot and then be hearded into some cattle car and fight ever longer lines on the way out. Contrary to some comments the purpose of tailgaiting is not to get drunk before the game but is to mitigate the cost and committment of attending a game.

With the current liquor laws how much business would bars and restaurants do for a Sunday 1PM game?

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

 

Up to 20,000 by Metro Rail according to the consultant? My fear is parking, espcially that controlled by the Bills. is going to so expensive that only club level and suite owners will be able to park within a reasonble walk. How many of the regional fans want to drive an hour plus only to park at some remote lot and then be hearded into some cattle car and fight ever longer lines on the way out. Contrary to some comments the purpose of tailgaiting is not to get drunk before the game but is to mitigate the cost and committment of attending a game.

With the current liquor laws how much business would bars and restaurants do for a Sunday 1PM game?

I think that this kind of sums up my point. The Bills are going to try to dip into that "true cost of ownership" and gain a higher %. Let's say that you spend $75 a ticket, $15 in concessions, $20 to park and $30 on your tailgate. That actual cost for you to attend a game is $140. The Bills may only be seeing $90 of that. Part of the goal of the new stadium will be to capitalize on some of that other $50 in this case.

 

In terms of the liquor laws the state will be thrilled to make that concession. It is basically a "give" to the Bills that doesn't cost them a dime (in fact it puts tax $ in their pockets). Those rules will not be a roadblock at all.

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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.

 

because the Bills have some of the cheapest tickets in the league

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We have to do that now, with the traffic situation in Orchard Park. It's either (1) leave early, (2) sit in traffic for 90 minutes, or (3) hang out for 2 hours and then get in the car. Why would it be any worse with stuff to do around the stadium?

I dont think it would..i think it would be the same. But a lot of folks, like myself, prefer to be outside cooking my own food, drinking my own beer. I guess my point was to expect people to go to bars/restuarants pre game, spend money in the stadium, and then go back the bars post game is not realistic for transportation planning.

 

 

 

 

With the current liquor laws how much business would bars and restaurants do for a Sunday 1PM game?

Holy chite... i never even thought about that...what a critical point! :worthy:

 

Guess with the amount of money they would spend on the stadium, those laws would get changed...but as of now downtown stadium based on people going to bars /restaurants before a game is non starter.

Edited by plenzmd1
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Holy chite... i never even thought about that...what a critical point! :worthy:

 

Guess with the amount of money they would spend on the stadium, those laws would get changed...but as of now downtown stadium based on people going to bars /restaurants before a game is non starter.

The state will bend on this immediately. They will love to make concessions that don't cost them anything!! If they have the option to fork over $ or give the Bills the opportunity to earn extra cash they will go that route 100 times out of 100. Teams ask for stuff like that all the time and pretty much get it every time.
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The state will bend on this immediately. They will love to make concessions that don't cost them anything!! If they have the option to fork over $ or give the Bills the opportunity to earn extra cash they will go that route 100 times out of 100. Teams ask for stuff like that all the time and pretty much get it every time.

I agree Kirby...but i never even thought of that consideration. Just shocked there was an angle that involved tipping a few and i was not even considering it...my game is slipping :lol:

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I agree Kirby...but i never even thought of that consideration. Just shocked there was an angle that involved tipping a few and i was not even considering it...my game is slipping :lol:

As it stands now, what do the current laws allow/prohibit? I assume bars can't serve alcohol before.... when? Noon?

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As it stands now, what do the current laws allow/prohibit? I assume bars can't serve alcohol before.... when? Noon?

Thats it exactly. Bills tried to get it changed last year to 11 in an effort to get folks in the stadium earlier, no go by the state. You can buy alcohol at 9 am i think in a store, but not before noon in a bar or restaurant i guess. Like Kirby said, would be changed immediately i am sure.

Your game is never slipping!!

you are too kind to an old man! :lol:

Edited by plenzmd1
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I dont think it would..i think it would be the same. But a lot of folks, like myself, prefer to be outside cooking my own food, drinking my own beer. I guess my point was to expect people to go to bars/restuarants pre game, spend money in the stadium, and then go back the bars post game is not realistic for transportation planning.

 

 

 

It's exactly what tons of people do before and after Sabres games to avoid traffic and/or crowded trains. It really isn't unrealistic. Some will continue to tailgate, some will go to restaurants, and some will go straight home.

 

The point about the liquor law is more important. I think that the state would grant Erie the same exemptions that it grants certain counties downstate. http://www.sla.ny.gov/provisions-for-county-closing-hours Notice which counties are missing: Bronx, Kings, New York, Richmond, and Queens. The usual favorable treatment for NYC...

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My favorite plan that I have seen so far, makes the most sense, stadium built in perry projects, extension of light rail, and expansion of cobblestone district. thoughts?

 

http://twointhebox.com/2014/08/08/the-2itb-plan-for-a-bills-stadium/

 

I like the idea a lot and it seems to make sense so the Erie County and Buffalo politicians will die before they let it happen

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My favorite plan that I have seen so far, makes the most sense, stadium built in perry projects, extension of light rail, and expansion of cobblestone district. thoughts?

 

http://twointhebox.com/2014/08/08/the-2itb-plan-for-a-bills-stadium/

This has been my EXACT preference for a location. And it improves the blight of the area with the awful Perry St. projects getting removed from the face of the earth. This makes more sense than the river location that selected by the state. Hell that site the state picked could be used for parking and traditional tailgating. Let's move on this! I really like the idea of stretching the metro rail up to Larkinville also. That would be a big boost.

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To my point earlier about ownership issues, here's the ownership of the Cobblestone site. 6 of the 15 parcels are easily acquired, the others are smaller and likely easily acquired as well. The other two sites have way more ownership issues and that becomes time consuming, costly, and offers the potential of protracted legal wrangling. And the use of eminent domain is in all likelihood a possibility.

 

It's very easy to state what site offers the best options from our perspectives but the complexities of design, infrastructure, land acquisition, environmental constraints, community input and blow back (I can already hear the preservationists whining about the cobblestone streets), oh yeah and cost make any suggestion of a selected site laughable. They may very well have a preferred site (the Pegulas) but that doesn't mean that's where it'll end up.

 

Any suggestion of removing the Perry Projects indicates a lack of an historical grasp of the failed promises and epic failure of urban renewal. Because this project will certainly require political intervention, either directly through subsidy, or through assistance in land acquisition, it's unlikely any politician would get behind it. Further, those projects were built with federal monies and don't you think the feds, who have the largest black eye from the so-called "federal bulldozer," will step into this and agree to let them be demolished and the residents relocated. I think that site was off the table from the get go.

I may be wrong but I'm pretty sure a majority of the perry's are empty. I know the towers were closed a few years ago.

 

I really hope the Buffalo creek site is where the stadium is built. From the pics it looks like the site with the most available parking that will keep tailgating alive also looks to be the easiest for traffic.

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best of both worlds....

 

place the stadium on the cobblestone site and use the south park site for parking and tailgating.

 

 

the cobblestone site is much closer to the rest of downtown hotels, existing parking ramps, pegulaville, etc....

 

I like this idea, if only so I can say I'm "goin' down to South Park"...

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I like the idea a lot and it seems to make sense so the Erie County and Buffalo politicians will die before they let it happen

 

Hi. Welcome to 2015. The city has a mayor that stays the hell out of the way. The county, well, not so much, but if it's enough private money, it will happen.

 

You're welcome back to your Masiello or Griffin or whatever years now.

why cant you tailgate in the city?

 

There is no reason. When the Sabs play late in the year (I know it's been a while), people tailgate without any problems. Full-on grilling, drinking, music, fun, mini-sticks, whatever.

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no argument there.. agree 100 per-cent..

I was sipping some tequilla the other night and came up with away to save even more of my tax payer $$$$ retro only half of the Ralph. Rip down one side rebuild with the "suites to compete $$$" and what ever the upper cru$t football fan wants . If and when WNY turns around and can afford it do the other side

 

Hi. Welcome to 2015. The city has a mayor that stays the hell out of the way. The county, well, not so much.

A mayor who does not answer any tough questions like about BMHA funding.
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Donn Esmonde is anti-stadium, especially downtown. He's made some good calls about downtown over the years, so this is thought provoking:

http://www.buffalonews.com/city-region/think-hard-think-twice-about-a-new-stadium-20150131

That study assumes dropping in a stadium all by itself, much like RWS is in Orchard Park. Esmonde also argues that the current convention center would be damaged by a new one attached to the stadium. Here's a bulletin for Donn: The current convention center is mostly empty now because it's so out of date.

 

Esmonde has it backwards. The stadium doesn't attract the economic development, the economic development that is already there draws the stadium. Pegula is building his own downtown filled with shops, restaurants, bars and attractions. Putting a stadium next to all that feeds those venues. Between the FNC, Canalside, Coca Cola Field, and a proposed stadium, you have crowds of people at the foot of Main year round, including those new millennials moving here, spending money.

 

I guess if there's a danger it's that Pegulaville might supplant the rest of downtown, but I don't see that happening. Look at the growth of the medical campus and the new restaurant district near Genesee St., an area that was derelict just a few years ago.

 

The part about being a Buffalonian for 30 years explains a lot. Sadly a lot of locals expect things to go badly so they'd rather not attempt anything. It took a billionaire not from Buffalo to show everyone the potential of the city. It's not surprising guys like Esmonde, defender of the old guard, cluck their tongues at progress.

Edited by PromoTheRobot
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Donn Esmonde is anti-stadium, especially downtown. He's made some good calls about downtown over the years, so this is thought provoking:

http://www.buffalonews.com/city-region/think-hard-think-twice-about-a-new-stadium-20150131

 

The little bit I've read by Esmonde from afar suggests he'd just as soon see the Bills leave town, period.

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The UB campus is a hell of a lot farther out to the stadium site then Canisius is. I don't get UB students. They have a ton of kids there & for the most part they usually have a decent basketball team but my son & I will go up to Alumni Arena for a Saturday afternoon game in Feb & the place will be empty & the people that are there are older alums & not students. Is it they just have so many kids from NYC going there & these kids from there can give 2 sh*ts about anything from Buffalo as New Yorkers tend to snub there noises down at people that live in NYS west of the hudson river? You could put the football games down at the new stadium but my guess is you won't get much of a turnout. The kids don't even turnout when the event is right on campus.

One more thing. my friend took me to a Sabres game about a month ago & he does a lot of work for the Sabres & he has gotten kind of close to Pegula with the work he has done for the team & he told me mark it down that it is going to be a dome stadium built on the Perry Projects. Says it is a done deal & it is what T Pags wants.

well then fine. Perry projects it is. Good. Biggest eyesore on the waterfront, other than the Skyway to nowhere and the idiotic niagara thruway. Perry projects stadium may finally lead to Skyway teardown.

 

Gotta love Pegs. total son of WNY, he fell somewhat unpredictably into relatively easy billions, he knows it and has the good sense and conscience to plow that cash back into an area he knows can't get it any other way. good for him. good for WNY. the place needs a big big money benefactor who doesn't sweat the numbers and they have one... took 30 years and the loss of an entire generation (mine) but hey it looks like its happening

Edited by 8and8Forever
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Esmonde's business logic is a bit lacking. While it makes sense to him that a new stadium would have been needed to entice an owner who would pay about $1 billion and wouldn't be committed to Buffalo otherwise, because Pegula plunked down $1.4 billion, he doesn't need to see a better return on his investment because the extra money he paid is like charity.

 

Sorry, Don. But because Pegula paid so much more than any other prospective bidder, he needs to get a better revenue stream from the Bills to justify the high purchase price. For Pegula, the economics are tied with the budding Pegulaville at Harborside and having a major asset 20 miles physically removed from Pegulaville is idiotic.

 

The real question for the fans is would you rather pay much more at a first class football facility and have an owner who will use your ticket money to try to field the best team and coaching staff in the league. Or would you rather attend a fun and cheaper mid college-level venue but knowing that your dollars will be spent to field a testament to mediocrity?

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Esmonde's business logic is a bit lacking. While it makes sense to him that a new stadium would have been needed to entice an owner who would pay about $1 billion and wouldn't be committed to Buffalo otherwise, because Pegula plunked down $1.4 billion, he doesn't need to see a better return on his investment because the extra money he paid is like charity.

 

Sorry, Don. But because Pegula paid so much more than any other prospective bidder, he needs to get a better revenue stream from the Bills to justify the high purchase price. For Pegula, the economics are tied with the budding Pegulaville at Harborside and having a major asset 20 miles physically removed from Pegulaville is idiotic.

 

The real question for the fans is would you rather pay much more at a first class football facility and have an owner who will use your ticket money to try to field the best team and coaching staff in the league. Or would you rather attend a fun and cheaper mid college-level venue but knowing that your dollars will be spent to field a testament to mediocrity?

Not just that, but has anyone paid any attention to the current stadium? It's old, it's dilapidated, it's outdated as an NFL venue in terms of fan experience, and the structural integrity isn't exactly sustainable over the long-term.

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