Pegula Sports & Entertainment Hires CAA ICON to Conduct a Feasibility Study for a Potential New Bills Stadium or Major Renovations to New Era Field

[DCOrange]

For reference as far as stadium costs and stuff go, the Las Vegas Raiders stadium is expected to cost roughly $1.8 billion.

 

And for what it's worth, I only know this because I'm a Milwaukee Bucks fan, but when they built their new stadium this past year, the stadium cost $500 million, half of which came from the public. This amounted to roughly 62 cents on their taxes. There will certainly be a way for Buffalo to make a new stadium happen without inflicting much harm on taxpayers.

[NoHuddleKelly12]

2 minutes ago, dollars 2 donuts said:

 

 

Huddles, let's be honest (looks to the left, looks to right, leans into the keyboard and delicately presses the keys as they whisper)

 

...it would be awesome to be a "warm weather" team indoors like the Vikes and Indy.

 

 

What?  WHAT?!

 

Who wrote that, we are a cold weather "3 yards and a cloud of dust" city!!!

 

 

shhh

 

 

 

 

Donuts? , if I could’ve awarded your post the Vince Lombardi trophy as well as the chortling guffaw which you already received, I would. While I fondly think back to our run of January playoff success shoveling snow against climate temperate teams in the 90’s, including the Fish, Raiders and Oilers for example, I’ll be happy and just fine reliving those set to the NFL Films trumpeting orchestral sounds in the background, while looking forward to JA putting up video game numbers in 70 degrees. Cheers! 

[dollars 2 donuts]

22 hours ago, NoHuddleKelly12 said:

Donuts? , if I could’ve awarded your post the Vince Lombardi trophy as well as the chortling guffaw which you already received, I would. While I fondly think back to our run of January playoff success shoveling snow against climate temperate teams in the 90’s, including the Fish, Raiders and Oilers for example, I’ll be happy and just fine reliving those set to the NFL Films trumpeting orchestral sounds in the background, while looking forward to JA putting up video game numbers in 70 degrees. Cheers! 

 

 

 

Man, can you imagine (speculation) Allen going into his 4th year, long since decided to be our franchise QB, and he gets 8 home games at 70 degrees and no wind?!

 

"Bills coming off an 11-5 season christen their new digs.  It may be raining and unusually cold outside for WNY in September, but it is just perfect for football inside here at Duff's and Rootie's Blue Cheese Stadium!"

 

Goosebumps...

Edited November 28, 2018 by dollars 2 donuts

[RyanC883]

Dome.   Was watching the Vikings game.  So loud.  Imagine how loud we would be in a 70K seat dome!! 

 

Plus, a dome can be used year-round for events like concerts,  etc. 

 

I think the "weather" aspect of our home field is overrated.  The noise we bring is the biggest factor.  We will get more people to the game in bad weather with a dome, and it will be louder. 

[May Day 10]

what concerts?

[Boatdrinks]

2 minutes ago, RyanC883 said:

Dome.   Was watching the Vikings game.  So loud.  Imagine how loud we would be in a 70K seat dome!! 

 

Plus, a dome can be used year-round for events like concerts,  etc. 

 

I think the "weather" aspect of our home field is overrated.  The noise we bring is the biggest factor.  We will get more people to the game in bad weather with a dome, and it will be louder. 

Agreed that whatever weather factor there once was is overrated, and gone. A covered stadium is in order, but 70k seats is too many. The place should seat around 60k for demand/ pricing power. The whole point of a new stadium is increase corporate revenue and to be able to charge true market rate for general tickets. The current facility doesn’t support this. It has too many seats and outdated amenities. 

[NoHuddleKelly12]

7 minutes ago, May Day 10 said:

what concerts?

Well, for awhile there last month especially, I couldn’t go a single commercial break with WGR’s stream on the radio app without getting to hear all about the kissmas bash 2018 (complete with the same annoying song snippets over and over) coming to town with tons of ✨ stars!! ??‍♂️? lol. If you build it they will come

Edited November 27, 2018 by NoHuddleKelly12

[4_kidd_4]

2 hours ago, Like A Mofo said:

Translation: Tax payers, prepare for bend over!

 

Nah, he’ll just drill a well.

[Boatdrinks]

8 minutes ago, May Day 10 said:

what concerts?

This isn’t really much of a factor in this whole stadium process. The main point of a covered stadium is tapping into a well heeled market that currently avoids the open air stadium. 

[fridge]

2 hours ago, May Day 10 said:

The Key Bank Center part of it is interesting...

 

That place is in need of a re-do.

 

Infinite funds, we would be better served with a new arena

 

I've been to a lot of arenas and I think it's totally fine.  First I'm hearing of this.

[May Day 10]

12 minutes ago, NoHuddleKelly12 said:

Well, for awhile there last month especially, I couldn’t go a single commercial break with WGR’s stream on the radio app without getting to hear all about the kissmas bash 2018 (complete with the same annoying song snippets over and over) coming to town with tons of ✨ stars!! ??‍♂️? lol. If you build it they will come

 

The Kissmas bash is much better served in Key Bank Center, and maybe even a smaller venue because I don't believe it is a huge demand event (judging by seeing pics on social media last year and begging people to buy tickets on radio).  No need to move 9-12,000 people to a cavernous 65,000 seat venue.

 

The Hockey Arena can adequately house like 95+% of the events, especially in a 'mid-size' city.  There are a few Summer concerts that will go into the Bills' venue, and that is not dependent on a new or indoor stadium.  

The rest go to canalside or Darien Lake.  IMO, money would be very well spent on a brick and mortar amphitheater downtown for Summer concerts.

Edited November 27, 2018 by May Day 10

[Boatdrinks]

Yeah, there are maybe 4 or 5 acts out there that can justify playing a football stadium. Concerts are mostly a hockey arena/ outdoor summer venue deal now. 

[May Day 10]

3 minutes ago, fridge said:

 

I've been to a lot of arenas and I think it's totally fine.  First I'm hearing of this.

 

 

Let me preface this with 'they are not building a new arena'

 

The arena was built on the cheap compared to other venues in the same era (probably the only choice at the time to avoid the Phoenix or Winnipeg Sabres).  Building materials are noticeably cheaper.  

 

A few major structural problems are the concourses are poorly designed.  They are narrow and a lot of choke points.  

 

The inside of the arena has that giant bubble roof.  It makes for poor acoustics and combined with the gigantic blue wall below it and ductwork, it sucks all the intimacy out of the place.

The seating grade is awful.  The seats go very far away from the ice, much moreso than other modern arenas I have been to.  Especially when you are in the corners, you are very far away from the ice/performance, etc.  The way it is built, the approach of and the corners have narrow builds of seats and it gets very cramped and uncomfortable.  Also, there are many seats in the 100 level that are really bad and you need to watch much of the game on the scoreboard.  

[quinnearlysghost88]

i lived across the street from the Panthers stadium for a couple years and it gives you real perspective on the fact that these stadiums cost hundreds of millions of dollars and sit empty the majority of the year. They're a waste of money.

[Formerly Allan in MD]

Keep drilling Terry.

[Boatdrinks]

5 minutes ago, quinnearlysghost88 said:

i lived across the street from the Panthers stadium for a couple years and it gives you real perspective on the fact that these stadiums cost hundreds of millions of dollars and sit empty the majority of the year. They're a waste of money.

This has been known for decades, at least. That fact will not make a damn bit of difference on the outcome and rarely, if ever has. Stadiums are not a money maker for a locale, and nobody really thinks that they are. 

[Kirby Jackson]

This was a natural next step. There will be a public-private partnership that will come together to bring the Bills and Sabres up to modern standards. I still believe that we are looking at a new football stadium and an upgraded arena but we will see. Either way this will be a joint effort like they pretty much all are these days.

[Brianmoorman4jesus]

Build a 65,000 seat dome in the same parking lot at the current stadium. Then when it’s done, turn new era into a parking lot and move into the dome.

[Royale with Cheese]

I say open a floating stadium and tour the Great Lakes during the game day.

Tailgating would be epic.

 

[Hammered a Lot]

I see the arena being worked on first. Pegulas already have investments in the area and would want to maximize them asap $$$. Near the end of the interview,  I believe Popko stated the projects don't necessarily need to be finished by the end of their lease. 

[Pine Barrens Mafia]

If the taxpayers of western new york were REALLY that concerned about their tax burdens, they'd have quit voting Democrat about 25 years ago.

 

But they didn't. So they're not.

 

Build the stadium, split the cost with the public and quit screwing around.

 

[Brianmoorman4jesus]

If they are doing something with the Sabres arena and are going to rebuild that, it would be cool if they somehow built a building where the arena was either attached to or inside the football stadium. Like one big convention center where they both play and then build up the area around it. I live nowhere near orchard park or buffalo for that matter and I am a rangers fan so I don’t have a lot of input on the down town buffalo scene. I have a 6 hour each way shot to new era right now but it’s simple. I’m not sure what the logistics would be of getting to a stadium down town. I know a lot of people feel like the bills will or should go downtown but I wonder if anyone has thought about the Sabres moving closer to orchard park and putting both teams next to each other? It would help sell the “one buffalo” idea and make it easier on the pegulas. Most sports cities that have multiple teams have the stadiums close to each other. It makes a lot of sense from a marketing and logistics point of view. Perhaps the thought is they will bring the bills closer to the Sabres but I guess we will see.

 

I think no matter what the bills need a stadium with a roof. In a perfect world they could get a roof over the current stadium and just use the renovation money to just improve the physical structure of the stadium. Make sure the place doesn’t collapse. I don’t think the stadium needs all the bells and whistles of a new place. It’s got a great feel to it as is it. But it needs to be safe and not in danger of falling apart. I’d also love to hear the crowd noise for a Bills home game in an inclosed stadium. The other offense would be at such a disadvantage. A dome would probably get us 2 extra wins a year from a crowd noise perspective.

[BillnutinHouston]

2 hours ago, corta765 said:

 

I still believe the stadium is going into a master project downtown with both arena's and the development they have which can work and not completely screw tax payers given the amount of activity. 

 

 

I agree - it will be the "One Buffalo Sports, Entertainment & Convention Complex".

[Returntoglory]

Truthfully, we need a new stadium and it needs to be located near the downtown area. OP is just a pain in the Butt to get to, especially in the winter time. I can envision a new stadium located downtown that has rail access coming in from multiple directions. That's the Ticket

[buffalobillsfootball]

Also, let's not forget another significant funding source: the NY Power Authority must be leveraged for a significant percentage of the tab.

 

 

[fridge]

The stadium looked really awesome on MNF with the heated seats.  It popped off the screen and I had some people mention to me later how cool they thought it looked on TV.

 

[May Day 10]

11 minutes ago, Brianmoorman4jesus said:

I’m not sure what the logistics would be of getting to a stadium down town. I know a lot of people feel like the bills will or should go downtown but I wonder if anyone has thought about the Sabres moving closer to orchard park and putting both teams next to each other? It would help sell the “one buffalo” idea and make it easier on the pegulas. Most sports cities that have multiple teams have the stadiums close to each other. It makes a lot of sense from a marketing and logistics point of view. Perhaps the thought is they will bring the bills closer to the Sabres but I guess we will see.

 

 

Having a 19,000 seat arena that hosts 41+ sabres games, like 8 bandits games, NCAA Hoops, Concerts, etc downtown is beneficial to the area, which is the goal.  

 

Dropping it in Lackawanna (the town between OP and Buffalo) would be extremely foolish and counter-productive

 

 

Also, remember the Harbor Center is connected to Key Bank Center.  

[Hammered a Lot]

Hands off. That is only to be used by Brian Higgins. 

3 minutes ago, Returntoglory said:

Truthfully, we need a new stadium and it needs to be located near the downtown area. OP is just a pain in the Butt to get to, especially in the winter time. I can envision a new stadium located downtown that has rail access coming in from multiple directions. That's the Ticket

Rail lines?  Right. 

[Brianmoorman4jesus]

1 minute ago, May Day 10 said:

 

Having a 19,000 seat arena that hosts 41+ sabres games, like 8 bandits games, NCAA Hoops, Concerts, etc downtown is beneficial to the area, which is the goal.  

 

Dropping it in Lackawanna (the town between OP and Buffalo) would be extremely foolish and counter-productive

 

 

Also, remember the Harbor Center is connected to Key Bank Center.  

Yeah full disclosure I am a big rangers fan. I know nothing about the Sabres arena or what it’s like down there. I only go up there for Bills games. I only hear stuff about it here and there in the wgr radio app. I know they do things with that harbor center but I don’t know about how vital it is to all of this. I’m sure the plan is to integrate the Bills to that area. Selfishly I’m not sure I want it to be there.

[May Day 10]

4 minutes ago, Brianmoorman4jesus said:

Yeah full disclosure I am a big rangers fan. I know nothing about the Sabres arena or what it’s like down there. I only go up there for Bills games. I only hear stuff about it here and there in the wgr radio app. I know they do things with that harbor center but I don’t know about how vital it is to all of this. I’m sure the plan is to integrate the Bills to that area. Selfishly I’m not sure I want it to be there.

 

I understand.  The arena being there is one of the biggest draws of humans to the downtown area, that frankly, doesnt have a ton going for it.  A goal that all stakeholders have been trying to realize.  It is well placed.  IMO, arenas and baseball stadiums do have a positive affect on downtown areas, but football stadiums are not.  The downtown area can barely move 19,000 people out of there at once, and even that is debatable.  It isn't well designed for heavy traffic volume.  A football stadium would require major transportation upgrades.  

Edited November 27, 2018 by May Day 10

[Charles Romes]

Nice.  Go the low cost Reno route a la KC and get everyone off our backs.  

[plenzmd1]

1 hour ago, May Day 10 said:

 

 

Let me preface this with 'they are not building a new arena'

 

The arena was built on the cheap compared to other venues in the same era (probably the only choice at the time to avoid the Phoenix or Winnipeg Sabres).  Building materials are noticeably cheaper.  

 

A few major structural problems are the concourses are poorly designed.  They are narrow and a lot of choke points.  

 

The inside of the arena has that giant bubble roof.  It makes for poor acoustics and combined with the gigantic blue wall below it and ductwork, it sucks all the intimacy out of the place.

The seating grade is awful.  The seats go very far away from the ice, much moreso than other modern arenas I have been to.  Especially when you are in the corners, you are very far away from the ice/performance, etc.  The way it is built, the approach of and the corners have narrow builds of seats and it gets very cramped and uncomfortable.  Also, there are many seats in the 100 level that are really bad and you need to watch much of the game on the scoreboard.  

everything here is 100% dead on..not a fan of that place

46 minutes ago, Royale with Cheese said:

I say open a floating stadium and tour the Great Lakes during the game day.

Tailgating would be epic.

 

 

now this looks awesome..why has no one done that yet? 

 

imagin when the "gales of November come early"..now that would make some hard field goas when the damn posts are rolling from side to side!

[OldTimeAFLGuy]

53 minutes ago, Royale with Cheese said:

I say open a floating stadium and tour the Great Lakes during the game day.

Tailgating would be epic.

 

 

[Returntoglory]

14 minutes ago, Hammered a Lot said:

Hands off. That is only to be used by Brian Higgins. 

Rail lines?  Right. 

It's a possibility. A centralized collection point along the route that already exists. Watch for it

[boater]

1 hour ago, dollars 2 donuts said:

Who wrote that, we are a cold weather "3 yards and a cloud of dust" city!!!

It was obviously a blue collar lunch pail poster... with a high motor.

[Victory Formation]

DOME!!!!!!!!!

[ndirish1978]

They don't care about your tailgating experience, they don't profit from it enough and the antics quite frankly make the fanbase look boorish. A new stadium downtown with a retractable roof allows them to hold more events (concerts) and would have a net positive effect on the economy. Reduced tailgating space means people would be funneled into the bars/restaurants in the area. Expect this to be the route they go with. 

[Wo-Bah]

Whatever they decide to do, I hope they don't make it a "stale" experience.  One of the unique things about going to a Bills home game is the atmosphere both inside and outside.

 

 

[RiotAct]

5 minutes ago, ndirish1978 said:

They don't care about your tailgating experience, they don't profit from it enough and the antics quite frankly make the fanbase look boorish. A new stadium downtown with a retractable roof allows them to hold more events (concerts) and would have a net positive effect on the economy. Reduced tailgating space means people would be funneled into the bars/restaurants in the area. Expect this to be the route they go with. 

so the ketchup ceremony will just have to be done inside Lagerhaus or something.

[wagon127]

I have a hard time believing people will want to tailgate like they do now, if you just end up going inside a heated indoor stadium afterward.