Kim Pegula on a New Stadium: "I Don't Even Know If We Can Get There"

[Nitro]

Bills could have worked to get local civic, business and political leaders on getting a stadium built to combine with a convention center.  That seems to be a dead issue.  I doubt they keep the Bills after the least is up.  

11 minutes ago, 1ZAYDAY1 said:

I don’t understand the planning of all this....

 

Been a fan for 30 years, seems as if the talk of a new stadium has been talked about for half that time. So over the last 10-15 years the city of Buffalo, the Team with ticket sells, state of New York etc... could have created a tax credit, like raised the price of a ticket 5-10% and that tax would go towards a future stadium. State could have done something similar.

 

Its poor planning, poor investing etc. 

 

If measures were taken 15 years ago  I feel a $1B stadium could be half paid for.

 

 

I remember the citizens did not want a new stadium in the 1960s.  WNY are not fans of building football stadiums

 

[BillsSbSoon]

5 hours ago, BillsfaninSB said:

Sounds like the baby steps of moving the team.  Saw the same thing with Chargers (I live in Southern California).  Spanos kept saying it can’t be done even though he had options.  His option A was too lofty to achieve and decided to go.  Planned failure with built in excuse to leave. 

Yeah i gotta say i didnt like the way that quote read in my head. 

Retrofitting the stadium, if it can be done, remains the most logical option imo.

[Call_Of_Ktulu]

5 hours ago, baskingridgebillsfan said:

for 8-10 games a year do they really need a new stadium ?  Look at met life they get 16 plus football games .  a couple of ncaa games , a few soccer matches and several concerts

i am not an engineer but couldn't the Ralph take on a major tech upgrade and some other bells and whistles for a quarter of the cost of a new stadium and still be a fine venue ?

The final thought is , nobody is screaming for a new stadium.  Some towns are fine with what they have.  K.c upgraded Arrowhead.  Packers are fine with their situation.  The Big city Bears keep upgrading their place ect ect 

they are not selling the team.  She is saying i am not paying and the fans are not paying so if something is going to get done then there better be a ton of outside money 

The Bears are the main reason why you build a new stadium, the toilet seat on Lake Michigan needs to be flushed.

[Drunken Pygmy Goat]

1 hour ago, Dablitzkrieg said:

I hope all of you rich bastards got $100,000 for PSL's. Good luck filling the stadium if it comes to that

 

If I'm not mistaken, the most expensive PSL at Jerry World is $150,000. I seriously doubt you'd see a price tag anywhere near $100,000 in Buffalo.

 

Side note: the Rams new stadium is supposedly going to cost nearly $2.5 billion. Some of the most expensive PSLs there would be in the $175,000-$225,000 range...  

[Augie]

2 hours ago, 3rdand12 said:

he is rather awful in these matters. but he is ours.

 

 

 

 

Don’t sell me short! I’m awful in many other ways as well! 

[cba fan]

5 hours ago, corta765 said:

 

First off Lambeau went under a massive massive reno that added seat, luxury boxes etc... the stadium is like brand new and gorgeous its at the levels with the top in the league. Second Soldier Field is just the name of the stadium, they actually built a new stadium on top of it and just kept the name. People say basically is like a spaceship landed on the old stadium.

 

The Bills stadium if you have ever been to an out of town stadium is dated as heck. The renovations have at least modernized it to make it decent but its far behind in modern amenities. I know everyone is obsessed with tailgating but its also the cause of families not going because of the drunks. You will still have drunks in a new stadium and still have tailgating but you will also have an easier time controlling the rowdiness and families may actually go before kids is 11 years old.

There is a way around the drunken rowdiness in a New Era renovation.

 

Stadium could be walled off. EX: 35 or 40 or even 50% of stadium could be designated family atmosphere. Separate entrances, pre game areas, parking, restaurants, restrooms, alcohol free both in tailgating areas and stadium etc etc …. Heavy security to prevent drinkers rowdy fans to get into family side. No way for fans in rowdy drinking portion to get to family section and vice versa etc etc.... win win for both crowds.

 

Then let the market dictate what section grows or shrinks based on demand. marketed properly could be ahead of the curve trend to make pro sports family/kid friendly again. Bring back that type of family(and older fans also) who will not bring young kids to games.

Edited May 24, 2018 by cba fan

[Big Turk]

6 hours ago, NewDayBills said:

Keep it where it is, that's just fine, nothing is wrong with it.

I agree...one of the best stadium experiences in the NFL...

 

That being said if Erie County would take the big chunks of money they are giving for stadium upgrades and put it in a slush fund towards a new stadium instead this could easily be done.

Edited May 24, 2018 by matter2003

[Dr.Sack]

This is a non-story. 

[SoCal Deek]

3 hours ago, BringBackOrton said:

lol if it's a bad investment, why should the taxpayers pay for it?

The answer is in your question. The government (taxpayers) doesn't make investments.  The purpose of government is to use pooled money to collectively pay costs. People make investments.

[SNICE]

6 hours ago, 26CornerBlitz said:

... We don’t have a billion-and-a-half dollars sitting around...”

Who’s she trying to kid?    You got it. Stop messin with us.

[Scott7975]

Do some tech upgrades to the current stadium.  There is nothing wrong with it.

[Drunken Pygmy Goat]

2 hours ago, jahnyc said:

I think the NFL will be difficult about the stadium.  I have no idea what kind of leverage they have in this situation, but Goodell has raised the stadium issue a number of times and I think NFL may do something to force the issue at some point in the future if no progress is made towards a new stadium or significant upgrade of the current stadium.

 

JMO, but I believe a big part of the "pressure" is derived from league shared revenue. Visiting teams receive a portion of ticket sales, and when a team plays @BUF, they are getting significantly less money than they get elsewhere. Not certain, but I believe it's either the least or 2nd least producing team (not counting the Chargers and their current 30,000+ soccer stadium seating). I'm sure teams have complained about this, and would love for the Bills to have an excuse to charge more money for tickets, so that they'll become more of a level contributor to the big pie.

 

The Bills cannot justify a 100+% ticket price increase (odd-ball figure) with the current stadium. The TV experience is just too good these days for fans to justify dropping that kind of money to sit in an outdated (by NFL standards) stadium, especially if the team isn't contending, which they haven't for 20 years. 

 

Another possible reason why the "pressure" has mounted over the last 3-4 years could have something to do with the current CBA set to expire soon, and the uncertainty of the G-4 program in the next CBA. Perhaps the league believes that the Bills should take advantage now, rather than wait until after the current agreement expires in 2020. Their motives, however, seem questionable. Perhaps the program will be amended in 2020, which could decrease league provided funds (max 1.5% of annual league revenue currently). Or, maybe due to the increasingly higher costs to build stadiums, the amendment will increase the max annual percentage, which would allow the Bills to obtain more money from the league, which they wouldn't want to do for the Bills if they don't have to (before 2020). 

 

But as far as forcing the issue goes, I really don't think there's anything the league can do, other that keep pressing to the media. The Bills know the position their in, in relation to the rest of the league and the revenue. They don't need the league to tell them as much. Its been the same issue for years, but I think the league was much more quiet in the matter due to RWJ's health. Keeping the team afloat with an aging owner was the focus, and stadium talk was put aside. 

[Drunken Pygmy Goat]

2 hours ago, DanInUticaTampa said:

If the next set of rennovations will be 600 million + might as well get a new stadium instead. I dont think this is something that needs to be done right away. And for a new stadium I dont see why it cant be more like a hienz field type stadium (more affordable) and has to be like these super fancy ones

 

Honestly, I think a renovation would be much easier to accomplish. A new stadium downtown would require a lot more money for infrastructure, and that would really hammer taxpayers. 

 

Not sure why, but the league actually provides more funding for renovations than new stadiums. Maybe it's because teams renovate much more often than they build new, but most stadiums are up to date at this point. Which stadiums would need any renovations in the next couple of years other than NEF? Bills could get .ore of the cut if they time it right. 

 

The Bills can get up to $200 mil from the league for a new building, or up to $250 mil for a renovation. $50 mil might not seem like a big difference when it comes to spending hundreds of millions of dollars, but it is a significant amount when it comes to negotiating with the state and local municipalities for public funds. 

[hmsmystic]

According to this https://www.statista.com/statistics/193553/revenue-of-national-football-league-teams-in-2010/ the Bills where 3rd last in revenue for NFL teams in 2016.  One of the main reason is likely low stadium revenue.  Buffalo is a smaller NFL market with few corporate HQs to buy luxury boxes.  NY state has absurdly high taxes and expenses with a declining population.

 

If you take emotion out of it, the Bills need a new stadium and revenue sources to compete long term in the NFL.  

 

 

[MJS]

She is strangely direct. Usually you'd see a more political answer where they use a lot of fluff to say absolutely nothing.

[mileena]

7 hours ago, NewDayBills said:

Keep it where it is, that's just fine, nothing is wrong with it.

 

Nothing wrong?? I guess you don't care about the safety of the fans. Per SiriusXM NFL radio, NFL stadiums go bad after 30 years. For New Era, the physical structure is crumbling. If they don't build a new stadium in 10 y ars, I would rather have the team move to LA, where fans would appreciate them. Buffalonians don't deserve a team due to lack of support.

[Klaista2k]

Wait when the Pegula's bought the team wasn't part of the agreement that they would build a new stadium?

 

 

Edited May 24, 2018 by Klaista2k

[mileena]

8 hours ago, 26CornerBlitz said:

Kim Pegula on new Bills stadium: 'I don't even know if we can get there'

 

“I don’t even know if we can get there,” the team’s co-owner told The Buffalo News while attending the NFL spring meeting. “I know fans in Buffalo don’t want higher ticket prices, they don’t want PSLs.

 

Cheap-a$$ broke welfare Bills fans. SMH. I live in San Francisco, where the rent for a 1 BR apartment is $2,500 per month. Pay up cheapskates or lose the Bills forever.

[CommonCents]

13 minutes ago, mileena said:

 

Cheap-a$$ broke welfare Bills fans. SMH. I live in San Francisco, where the rent for a 1 BR apartment is $2,500 per month. Pay up cheapskates or lose the Bills forever.

Median income in SF is 78,000, the median income in Buffalo is 31,000. Enjoy your one bedroom.

[purple haze]

4 hours ago, Limeaid said:

 

Well I did say barges which could be towed but the whole point was in past someone cited Jacksonville as a example of team getting Superbowl without adequate number of rooms.

It used extra housing on river/ocean to boost room stock for game.

After the fact, that  Super Bowl was considered one of the worst in the modern era due to that housing situation.  I don't think the league will be looking for a replay of that.

[JerseyBills]

Keep the Ralph. 

Finally a coach realizing how great that home field can be ... It's a special place

[billsintaiwan]

8 hours ago, joesixpack said:

Exactly. They'd better pony up.

 

yes, the representatives of the people (in theory) should make the people pony up money for the bloody pegulas.

[uticaclub]

8 hours ago, BillsfaninSB said:

Sounds like the baby steps of moving the team.  Saw the same thing with Chargers (I live in Southern California).  Spanos kept saying it can’t be done even though he had options.  His option A was too lofty to achieve and decided to go.  Planned failure with built in excuse to leave. 

The Q didn’t have a single update in over 20 years and makes The Ralph look like Jerry World. 

[BillsfaninSB]

1 hour ago, uticaclub said:

The Q didn’t have a single update in over 20 years and makes The Ralph look like Jerry World. 

 

The Q was bad.  No doubt.  If there was a team that had a legitimate need for a new stadium it was the Chargers.   But Spanos had little interest in staying.  Looked for the hardest option to achieve and it gave him out to leave when it couldn’t get done. 

[Mountain Man]

9 hours ago, BillsfaninSB said:

Sounds like the baby steps of moving the team.  Saw the same thing with Chargers (I live in Southern California).  Spanos kept saying it can’t be done even though he had options.  His option A was too lofty to achieve and decided to go.  Planned failure with built in excuse to leave. 

You really can't compare the two. The Chargers old stadium was far far worse than New Era Field. They HAD to move, the Bills WANT to move, big difference.

[BillsfaninSB]

3 minutes ago, Mountain Man said:

You really can't compare the two. The Chargers old stadium was far far worse than New Era Field. They HAD to move, the Bills WANT to move, big difference.

 

Sure I can. The Chargers wanted to move.  Plain and simple.   The value of the team increased a lot with move to LA.

 

But They didn’t have to move.  They could have got a new stadium in the County.  

[Richard Noggin]

2 hours ago, mileena said:

 

Nothing wrong?? I guess you don't care about the safety of the fans. Per SiriusXM NFL radio, NFL stadiums go bad after 30 years. For New Era, the physical structure is crumbling. If they don't build a new stadium in 10 y ars, I would rather have the team move to LA, where fans would appreciate them. Buffalonians don't deserve a team due to lack of support.

Aye-o! Take it easy there, blasphemer...

[Buffalo Barbarian]

Sure thing, Kim

 

 

 

 

Edited May 24, 2018 by Buffalo Barbarian

[transplantbillsfan]

11 hours ago, NewDayBills said:

Keep it where it is, that's just fine, nothing is wrong with it.

 

Seriously... it's not remotely like the Colosseum in Oakland.

 

Just keep making upgrades at Rich Stadium/The Ralph/New Era!

[Buffalo Barbarian]

11 hours ago, BringBackOrton said:

The Pegulas are poor!

 

Kim is cheap.

 

 

[Buffalo_Stampede]

9 hours ago, RocCityRoller said:

 

The Green Bay Packers and KC Chiefs play in two of the oldest stadiums and are pretty competitive.

With extensive renovation we can compare to KC, Green Bay is on a different level revenue wise.

 

The Bills are not secure long-term in Buffalo until a new stadium is built or extensive renovations are made. 

 

Kim saying Buffalo can't afford the modern NFL should concern everyone. 

Edited May 24, 2018 by TheTruthHurts

[Commish]

I like New Era the way it is - never once felt that bells and whistles would add to the experience. In fact, the "old school" atmosphere of the place is one of it's charms - very Buffalo, in a good way.

[Klaista2k]

I like the Ralph but isn't a new stadium required to keep the Bills in Buffalo long term?

 

 

[Kirby Jackson]

22 minutes ago, Roch-A-Bill said:

I like New Era the way it is - never once felt that bells and whistles would add to the experience. In fact, the "old school" atmosphere of the place is one of it's charms - very Buffalo, in a good way.

It’s not about “adding to the experience” it is about “adding to the bottom line.”

47 minutes ago, TheTruthHurts said:

With extensive renovation we can compare to KC, Green Bay is on a different level revenue wise.

 

The Bills are not secure long-term in Buffalo until a new stadium is built or extensive renovations are made. 

 

Kim saying Buffalo can't afford the modern NFL should concern everyone. 

While it is concerning, their investments in WNY pretty much assure the team’s future there. This, to me, is the natural next step to the stadium being built. It is posturing. She’s just saying “we aren’t paying for it ourselves.” There will be some back and forth and at the end of the day it will work out. The team, the state (or county) and fans will fund it it. 

 

She is correct though that this is essential. The Bills cannot remain viable long-term playing at New Era as is presently constructed. The stadium yields a fraction of the revenue of other venues around the country. Every year that is the case, the gap widens betweens the Bills and every other team in the league.

[KRT88]

13 hours ago, NewDayBills said:

Keep it where it is, that's just fine, nothing is wrong with it.

 

A stadium built in 1972, what could possibly be wrong? 

[eball]

49 minutes ago, Kirby Jackson said:

 

While it is concerning, their investments in WNY pretty much assure the team’s future there. This, to me, is the natural next step to the stadium being built. It is posturing. She’s just saying “we aren’t paying for it ourselves.” There will be some back and forth and at the end of the day it will work out. The team, the state (or county) and fans will fund it it. 

 

She is correct though that this is essential. The Bills cannot remain viable long-term playing at New Era as is presently constructed. The stadium yields a fraction of the revenue of other venues around the country. Every year that is the case, the gap widens betweens the Bills and every other team in the league.

 

Nail.  Head.  I read the interview, saw this thread and thought "10 pages?  Really?"  The gist of her interview was "talk to me in a couple of years after we figure out who's going to pay for this thing."

[BigDingus]

If it weren't for NY state having such high taxes and construction costs, it'd be a done deal by now.

Plenty of new stadiums in the last 10 years have gone up for under $1 Billion, it's just that they have the luxury of not being located in New York. 

$1.4 Billion for a new stadium is absurd for Buffalo. Metlife was $1.6 Billion, and was the most expensive stadium ever built (but also had 2 teams paying for it), yet a new stadium for the Bills would cost $1.4 Billion???? That's just unnecessary. 

13 hours ago, HansLanda said:

The money will not be an issue if the Bills have themselves a bonafide franchise QB and is, in turn, a perennial playoff team. 

 

I doubt it. There were empty seats during the glory years while going to 4 straight Super Bowls, especially in the winter. And with Buffalo being even smaller now, it's unlikely we'd get much better turnout with higher prices.

[papazoid]

by the time this stadium starts (2026) and finishes (2030) with cost overruns it will be $2.0 Billion

[Pine Barrens Mafia]

2 hours ago, TheTruthHurts said:

 

 

Kim saying Buffalo can't afford the modern NFL should concern everyone. 

 

This guy gets it.

[ALF]

Would be nice if another billionaire could be a minor owner and help pay for a new stadium when the time comes.

 

I would be ok with keep renovating New Era if the structure is sound.

 

The price tag for the new Los Angeles Rams stadium under construction in Los Angeles has reached $4.25 billion, according to L.A. Biz. The figure includes the cost of a 6,000-seat amphitheater next to the stadium, but a planned buildout of retail and commercial development is likely to push the project past the $5 billion mark.

 

https://www.constructiondive.com/news/4b-plus-los-angeles-stadium-could-be-countrys-most-expensive-yet/523790/

 

Las Vegas

 

Construction of the $1.8 billion stadium began in September 2017 and is expected to be completed in time for the 2020 NFL season.

The financing for the project is expected to come in the form of $750 million in public funding and $1.1 billion from the Raiders.[47] The public portion of the funding will come from municipal bonds issued by Clark County

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Las_Vegas_Stadium

Edited May 24, 2018 by ALF