Will the Stadium Stay in Orchard Park? Hear me out

[Hammered a Lot 193]

Heard this the other day and to me it makes sense. There has been talk about the need for a new larger convention center in Buffalo. How about converting the current Buffalo, or what ever it's called now, arena into a convention center. There is conversation going on how the Buffalo arena is substandard to other arenas/venues.  So building a new up to date arena in the cobblestone district makes sense. Terry Pegulas main interest is hockey.  Look at the investment in the Penn State "Pegula "hockey arena. This would help in the so called stimulus that's needed for downtown and be near his downtown investments. Concerning expanding the lower concourse at NEF I wonder if any of his company's knowledge in fracking drilling could be used to break up the rock at the lower concourse level. Terry has also recently bought a mine. It seems his companies are specialized in Geology.  Fire Away.

Edited October 16 by Hammered a Lot

[HiddenInLight 118]

The colts have a pretty cool stadium/convention center combo in the middle of the city.  Its pretty nice but parking there sucks.  Badly.

[oldmanfan 3,698]

Based on the title of the thread and the content, your user name seems particularly appropriate.

[4_kidd_4 1,286]

The arena is less than 25 years old. If Terry wants a new barn, then he can build it with his own cash. Enough of this stadium racket.

[Dablitzkrieg 1,196]

https://images.app.goo.gl/WcATTGRgtdBnsbtx7

[HOUSE 4,929]

You used the dreaded " Hear me out"

OMG

 

[freddyjj 830]

Huh?

 

OP please rewrite title in English please.  

 

And the body of post mentions neither stadium or Orchard Park.  What did you drink for breakfast? 😎

[BillsDude 127]

Nice thinking, but I do not think this idea passes the eyes, ears, smell, touch, and taste test. 

[PetermansRedemption 1,235]

Hear me out, HMO, the kiss of death to any thought process

[PromoTheRobot 5,828]

59 minutes ago, Hammered a Lot said:

Heard this the other day and to me it makes sense. There has been talk about the need for a new larger convention center in Buffalo. How about converting the current Buffalo, or what ever it's called now, arena into a convention center. There is conversation going on how the Buffalo arena is substandard to other arenas/venues.  So building a new up to date arena in the cobblestone district makes sense. Terry Pegulas main interest is hockey.  Look at the investment in the Penn State "Pegula "hockey arena. This would help in the so called stimulus that's needed for downtown and be near his downtown investments. Concerning expanding the lower concourse at NEF I wonder if any of his company's knowledge in fracking drilling could be used to break up the rock at the lower concourse level. Terry has also recently bought a mine. It seems his companies are specialized in Geology.  Fire Away.

 

I'm no geologist but I think you have to consider the shallow water table downtown, considering you are only a few feet above Lake Erie. So there can't be much digging downward. In other words you can't build another in-ground bowl stadium, like New Era Field, downtown.

 

As for the arena, I went to Cleveland for the MAC basketball tournament last March and saw how they are building out Quicken Loan Arena. They are expanding the walls on all sides. Once done they will have wide concourses at all levels, and maybe even more club style amenities. That could be an option at Key Bank Center.

https://www.nba.com/cavaliers/releases/q-transformation-180918

Edited October 16 by PromoTheRobot

[stevewin 1,869]

Is this east of Buffalo?  Where would the parking garage go?

[billsfanmiami(oh) 435]

4 minutes ago, stevewin said:

Is this east of Buffalo?  Where would the parking garage go?

connect the dots...

[Mr. WEO 3,596]

"Terry Pegulas main interest is hockey."

 

Uh oh....lol.

 

Anyway, other than building stadiums for pro sports teams, there are few other colossal wastes of public funds than building "another convention center".  Like stadiums, adding conventions centers never results in the promised economic goals.  The current convention center looks pretty well booked.  Adding another at massive expense would just split the bookings between the 2 buildings.

 

Let Pegula tip his piggy bank upside down and buy what he wants.

 

 

[LabattBlue 845]

So let me summarize...

 

- Retrofit KBC from an arena to a convention center. 

 

- Build new hockey/general purpose arena. 

 

- Abandon current underused convention center.  

 

-  Excavate outdated RWS to somehow fix narrow concourse problem(you would still have an old outdated stadium). 

 

 

That’s a ridiculous amount of money being spent to keep your parking business going.  😂😂😂

 

 

Here’s a better idea...put a fixed roof domed  stadium downtown in proximity to arena.  Keep Bills practice and administrative offices at current location. Implode RWS. Problem solved. 

 

Edited October 16 by LabattBlue

[wagon127 375]

Having Harbor Center, and the Arena connected like they are for only a few short years would seem like a waste. I would expect extensive renovations to Key Bank center, before they build a new one. Normally new arena's and Stadiums are built to increase luxury box revenue. Its very clear that the Sabres and the Bills are having trouble selling the Luxury Boxes on a season long basis. They now have commercials hoping the general public might buy a box on a game-by-game basis instead. Right now, outside the lower bowl concourses they have a Ted's Hot Dog food Truck. If they bring in several other Food Trucks to sit outside the stadium, but inside the gates, that might alleviate the congestion in the lower bowl. In the meantime, I will enjoy my cheap goal line NFL season tickets.

[Mrbojanglezs 1,173]

Have we heard anything on the stadium feasibility study? It was supposed to be done in late summer.

[bigK14094 234]

A politically correct stadium downtown will be the end of the franchise.  No more tailgating?  the current fans will evaporate......driving in and out would be a nightmare....as the lake and river block roads in those directions.  So, same fans on fewer roads?  rightttt.......

[I am the egg man 1,171]

Terry & Kims loss if they don't consult in here on how to do things right on their Buffalo ventures.

 

They're undoubtedly losing $$$$$$$$$$$ by not doing so.

 

[klos63 1,178]

2 hours ago, Hammered a Lot said:

Heard this the other day and to me it makes sense. There has been talk about the need for a new larger convention center in Buffalo. How about converting the current Buffalo, or what ever it's called now, arena into a convention center. There is conversation going on how the Buffalo arena is substandard to other arenas/venues.  So building a new up to date arena in the cobblestone district makes sense. Terry Pegulas main interest is hockey.  Look at the investment in the Penn State "Pegula "hockey arena. This would help in the so called stimulus that's needed for downtown and be near his downtown investments. Concerning expanding the lower concourse at NEF I wonder if any of his company's knowledge in fracking drilling could be used to break up the rock at the lower concourse level. Terry has also recently bought a mine. It seems his companies are specialized in Geology.  Fire Away.

They spent over a billion dollars on the Bills, but their main interest is hockey? How about they have interest in many ventures.

[Seasons1992 1,820]

The idea of expanding concourses either inside or outside New Era is intriguing. I'm a strong opponent of a new stadium at all, but even stronger against for a location outside of OP.

 

[Augie 11,337]

1 hour ago, freddyjj said:

Huh?

 

OP please rewrite title in English please.  

 

And the body of post mentions neither stadium or Orchard Park.  What did you drink for breakfast? 😎

 

I did hear him out, and I’m still waiting! 

[Don Otreply 758]

58 minutes ago, LabattBlue said:

So let me summarize...

 

- Retrofit KBC from an arena to a convention center. 

 

- Build new hockey/general purpose arena. 

 

- Abandon current underused convention center.  

 

-  Excavate outdated RWS to somehow fix narrow concourse problem(you would still have an old outdated stadium). 

 

 

That’s a ridiculous amount of money being spent to keep your parking business going.  😂😂😂

 

 

Here’s a better idea...put a fixed roof domed  stadium downtown in proximity to arena.  Keep Bills practice and administrative offices at current location. Implode RWS. Problem solved. 

 

I have said pretty much the same thing. New stadium downtown with the  Pegula’s other large investments, keeping the Bills training facilities in OP, and remove the vast majority of the old stadiums seating, keeping enough seating so they can still have fans out there for spring training, and of course keeping the playing field as part of the practice facilities. This is what I would like to see happen. I don’t know, but if the Bills own all that parking area, most of it will be sold off, being there will be no need for so much of it. 

 

Go Bills!!!

Edited October 16 by Don Otreply

[Don Otreply 758]

13 minutes ago, Seasons1992 said:

The idea of expanding concourses either inside or outside New Era is intriguing. I'm a strong opponent of a new stadium at all, but even stronger against for a location outside of OP.

 

This could be a very good idea, and could very well work, but the total cost would be pretty close to putting up a new stadium. It’s hard to say what will actually happen, I tend to be a city location guy, a downtown location helps the City of Buffalo more than a stadium in the burbs, imo. We shall see...I kinda think the Pegulas will put off any real action on a new stadium as long as they are able to, it after all is a huge outlay of cash.  

[thenorthremembers 1,071]

If they move the stadium downtown it is highly unlikely Ill ever go to another game.   The parking down town is a nightmare and getting in and out of the stadium will be atrocious.   Trying to get out of a Sabres game is terrible, I cant imagine what it would be like with three times the people.

[May Day 10 990]

Im not entirely sure what is possible for the arena.  It was a poorly designed arena built on the cheap for the most part, but it is still very useful.  I hate the bubble roof (with the giant blue wall) and the gradual pitch of the seats the most, but those are major structural punch list items.  Concourses get jammed up bad.  Aesthetically from the outside it looks like trash.  Cheap materials used for seats.

My guess is we will see some sort of moderate-level renovation of the arena.  Something above just a few coats of paint and a new store.  With the costs, harbor center attached and canalside, I would give almost zero chance of a new/moved facility.

 

 

Speaking as far as the known possible locations, as far as the stadium goes, based on my knowledge of construction, infrastructure, fan experience, and money, IMO the stadium dollars would go the furthest building adjacent to the current stadium in OP.  A major reno would probably rival a new stadium in cost, and provide much less options.  Downtown, lots of land acquisition and infrastructure costs, traffic, and boondoggle that we have been over 2000 times.  

 

 

If it were me, I would really be exploring around the "elbow" of the 190 and 90 by the Ogden Street exit areas.  There is room there and people would fly in and out of there efficiently.  That layout reminds me a bit of the highway situation where Philadelphia's stadiums are located.

 

Edited October 16 by May Day 10