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Carl Paladino: Put new stadium in Cobblestone district


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Just now, coloradobillsfan said:

I still have not read a convincing argument that demonstrates how a football stadium that will sit idle for 300++ days per year will revitalize anything.  Baseball stadium sure, Coors Field here turned what used to be skid-row into the hottest and most active part of downtown Denver.  NO ONE considers the area around Invesco Field/Mile High a destination by any stretch of the imagination

You’re the right.  The impact is overblown.  Honestly, downtown is already seeing a Renaissance.  I think a stadium would just be a cherry on the top.   But I guess In theory,  more people will stay in hotels and spend their money downtown.  If anything, it will just hurt OP.

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2 minutes ago, coloradobillsfan said:

I still have not read a convincing argument that demonstrates how a football stadium that will sit idle for 300++ days per year will revitalize anything.  Baseball stadium sure, Coors Field here turned what used to be skid-row into the hottest and most active part of downtown Denver.  NO ONE considers the area around Invesco Field/Mile High a destination by any stretch of the imagination

 

This.  There really aren't many worthwhile  things in Buffalo that an indoor football facility would handle that the arena cannot.  

 

 

I have been harping on a nice amphitheater downtown, similar to the Molson Amphitheatre.  That would draw in a lot of people up to 80 dates a year.

 

 

Ultimately, we need at least 1 (or more) fortune 500 companies to be headquartered downtown.  

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1 hour ago, Augie said:

 

So....improve the “beer in, beer out” experience? 

I’ve been to Mercedes Benz Stadium, it is pretty nice. Big wide concourses, concessions and rest rooms everywhere. Comfortable places to hang out when not in your seat. Comfortable places to eat and drink. I did not find myself longing for the chain link “concourses “ of the Old Rockpile.

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37 minutes ago, coloradobillsfan said:

I still have not read a convincing argument that demonstrates how a football stadium that will sit idle for 300++ days per year will revitalize anything.  Baseball stadium sure, Coors Field here turned what used to be skid-row into the hottest and most active part of downtown Denver.  NO ONE considers the area around Invesco Field/Mile High a destination by any stretch of the imagination

Look at Petco park. Tons of restaurants built into the stadium Thrives year round.

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1 minute ago, Fan in San Diego said:

Look at Petco park. Tons of restaurants built into the stadium Thrives year round.

 

We are past the critical mass of restaurants and breweries without a fortune 500 company(s).

 

Also, I wouldnt want to see all the independently owned restaurants and breweries to be snuffed out by McFaddens and other large scale sports bars that are likely to open in a new NFL facility.

 

Third.... San Diego vs Buffalo.  I love Buffalo, but I will acknowledge there are many things San Diego has going for it that we do not.

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13 hours ago, Happy Gilmore said:

I wonder if this has anything to do with it:

 

Paladino, whose Ellicott Development Co. already owns a significant portion of land in the neighborhood, 

 

Poloncarz sounded like he was completely against a stadium in downtown.  While a politician may not be able to stop a private entity from this, he can make it very difficult on the Pegulas.

 

Of course that's why Paladino wants to build the stadium in the Cobblestone District.  It's the way he's operated for decades in Buffalo: buy old properties in/near downtown Buffalo cheap and wait for his pals in City Hall to decide to "redevelop" the area when he can sell them for significantly more than they're worth.  One of the reasons why he went into politics several years ago was because the current Buffalo mayor, Byron Brown, isn't a Paladino crony, so his pipeline to inside City Hall information was cut off.  Poloncarz isn't a Paladino crony, either.

 

I think if the Pegulas want city/county/state money for a new stadium, they will have to make a deal with the politicians, none of whom who have the power, are fans of Paladino.  If the Pegulas choose to build a stadium with private money, then they can do what they want.  They best be careful if they deal with Paladino, though; honesty and integrity aren't his stock in trade.

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2 hours ago, JohnC said:

building within the city is going to be extraordinarily complex financially, politically, legally and time consuming

Truth.

 

You just know when they break ground the first day they'll find Native American remains--and the whole project will be called off.

 

Or some endangered owl will be discovered nesting. Or some neckbearded preservationists will file an injunction.

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Pro stadiums very, very rarely pay back into the community. It’s accepted fact, plenty of professional studies and articles out there that prove it.

 

It would be a hulking waste of prime downtown space in Cobblestone.

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34 minutes ago, boater said:

Truth.

 

You just know when they break ground the first day they'll find Native American remains--and the whole project will be called off.

 

Or some endangered owl will be discovered nesting. Or some neckbearded preservationists will file an injunction.

The people who advocated for building a New Peace bridge to replace or augment the decrepit old bridge know exactly what you are talking about. :)

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1 hour ago, Dr.Sack said:

Just keep the stadium where it is. Retrofit and upgrade. 

 

If a renovation was done there is limitation on how much time it would take to make a major renovation like keeping the bowl (best part) and rebuilding rest of stadium between last game of season and first game of next even if Bills were willing to play preseason games elsewhere and NFL did a "favor" and not scheduled home games until week 3 meaning likely 3 games or more in December.  Some could be done by pre assembled pieces put together on site (have a cousin who did engineering work on this subject).  

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1 hour ago, Dr.Sack said:

Just keep the stadium where it is. Retrofit and upgrade. 

 

As if that's any cheaper.

 

NEF is built half in the ground, so you can't expand concourses and make any changes that alter the footprint of what's there. So you're pretty much stuck with building new. I'm sure they are crunching the numbers but my feeling is building new in OP has less revenue potential than downtown. Let's not forget why this is being built; to get more $$$ for the NFL pot off gold.

8 minutes ago, Limeaid said:

 

If a renovation was done there is limitation on how much time it would take to make a major renovation like keeping the bowl (best part) and rebuilding rest of stadium between last game of season and first game of next even if Bills were willing to play preseason games elsewhere and NFL did a "favor" and not scheduled home games until week 3 meaning likely 3 games or more in December.  Some could be done by pre assembled pieces put together on site (have a cousin who did engineering work on this subject).  

 

Like @Limeaid says, where are the Bills going to play if you are doing a full renovation of NEF? 

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2 minutes ago, PromoTheRobot said:

Like @Limeaid says, where are the Bills going to play if you are doing a full renovation of NEF? 

 

Don't lump me with your campaign for a downtown stadium.  I think it is a terrible idea and I am pretty sure Erie County would not support it and I cannot see City of Buffalo running a stadium authority group.  I would rather take the pain of a year Bills playing elsewhere rather than play downtown.

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Just now, Limeaid said:

 

Don't lump me with your campaign for a downtown stadium.  I think it is a terrible idea and I am pretty sure Erie County would not support it and I cannot see City of Buffalo running a stadium authority group.  I would rather take the pain of a year Bills playing elsewhere rather than play downtown.

 

I was talking new wherever vs renovation. OP or downtown or under the falls, it's easier than trying to rebuild in 6 months.

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6 minutes ago, Limeaid said:

 

Don't lump me with your campaign for a downtown stadium.  I think it is a terrible idea and I am pretty sure Erie County would not support it and I cannot see City of Buffalo running a stadium authority group.  I would rather take the pain of a year Bills playing elsewhere rather than play downtown.

 

Agreed... no way Erie County would be interested in a new stadium build, and on top of the cost of a new stadium, building on this proposed area would require MASSIVE amounts of infrastructure to accommodate 70K people in and out of there... are you telling me people are going to drive city of buffalo streets and use the Ohio St. Bridge, thruway, and skyway to get to it? HAHAHAHAHAAH YEAH OKAY!!!!!

 

Canalside is gridlocked when a big inflatable rubber duck comes to town and there also happens to be a concert... and thats like 20K people... picture 3+times that! 

 

Renovate the Ralph! 

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1 hour ago, chris heff said:

I’ve been to Mercedes Benz Stadium, it is pretty nice. Big wide concourses, concessions and rest rooms everywhere. Comfortable places to hang out when not in your seat. Comfortable places to eat and drink. I did not find myself longing for the chain link “concourses “ of the Old Rockpile.

 

I actually gave up on getting to concessions a couple times when the Bills played there. Just too backed up, but it was all new, so they get a bit of a pass. I’ve been back for soccer a couple times and things were much more smooth, and actually had higher energy which shocked me. 

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18 minutes ago, MR8 said:

 

Agreed... no way Erie County would be interested in a new stadium build, and on top of the cost of a new stadium, building on this proposed area would require MASSIVE amounts of infrastructure to accommodate 70K people in and out of there... are you telling me people are going to drive city of buffalo streets and use the Ohio St. Bridge, thruway, and skyway to get to it? HAHAHAHAHAAH YEAH OKAY!!!!!

 

Canalside is gridlocked when a big inflatable rubber duck comes to town and there also happens to be a concert... and thats like 20K people... picture 3+times that! 

 

Renovate the Ralph! 

 

It's up to the people in Erie County to decide what to do BUT I will make one suggestion.

I go back to Buffalo every year in the fall and take in a football and hockey game.

Every time getting out of the Key Bank Center I laugh at my brothers about the gridlock.

 

The 190 is right next to the parking lots and you got to travel small city streets (many cars having to make 3 left turns) to get on it.

The Buffalo 190 entrance and exits between Smith and Church streets need to be re-engineered.

Traffic flow has changed in Buffalo drastically in the last 65 years and needs to be updated.

 

I hope you guys get it done right.

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