TheKickIsGood Posted January 15, 2013 Posted January 15, 2013 This was less time consuming and more fun than you might think... The Kick Is Good's Plan for Renovating Ralph Wilson Stadium http://www.thekickisgood.com/?p=4254 and DON'T worry, almost all of the current parking stays intact!
ACor58 Posted January 15, 2013 Posted January 15, 2013 (edited) That was fun to read. May I suggest actual seperate entrances and exits to the men's room please. Edited January 15, 2013 by ACor58
dwight in philly Posted January 15, 2013 Posted January 15, 2013 excellent!!!! i have been suggesting that something like that be done.. i prefer your idea much more than a new stadium.. if its good for lambeau, why not us?
bowery4 Posted January 15, 2013 Posted January 15, 2013 Very decent plan but I wonder about budget, honestly looks kind of expensive. I think in the long term they ought to do a thing sort of like this but not with the Ralph.When they are ready (if they are ever ready) to build new they ought to look into using/reusing a space IMO, the old terminal would be a great place to have a hall of fame and could possibly help revitalize a down trodden neighborhood. The stadium architectural effects could reflect one of the most beautiful buildings in the area. And (I know this isn't popular around here but it should be domed or partial roofed) maybe the site lines of the Ralph could even be incorporated in the design because you are right about that too.. The building should also be multi-use, This has been a problem with the Ralph for ages now. In you plan the glass atrium and the green space is nice but football season is in the winter and I wonder if park like areas around it would get much use. And Yes to the wifi. Think about if they would have spent the money on the rockpile instead of building the Ralph and now (or sometime in the past) the did what they did at Lambau.I hope next time they build to last 60 or more years (40 seems like a kind of short run to me).
mrags Posted January 15, 2013 Posted January 15, 2013 First of all, thank you for all your hard work. Your reads are truly awesome. I also agree with why we shouldn't build a new stadium we should just upgrade the Ralph. New stadiums mean new ticket prices, corporate take-over, more PSLs, probably a dome, Etc... I'd put more into some open area concourse, probably on the scoreboard side end zone with resturaunts, bars, open seating where you can watch the game. Very decent plan but I wonder about budget, honestly looks kind of expensive. I think in the long term they ought to do a thing sort of like this but not with the Ralph.When they are ready (if they are ever ready) to build new they ought to look into using/reusing a space IMO, the old terminal would be a great place to have a hall of fame and could possibly help revitalize a down trodden neighborhood. The stadium architectural effects could reflect one of the most beautiful buildings in the area. And (I know this isn't popular around here but it should be domed or partial roofed) maybe the site lines of the Ralph could even be incorporated in the design because you are right about that too.. The building should also be multi-use, This has been a problem with the Ralph for ages now. In you plan the glass atrium and the green space is nice but football season is in the winter and I wonder if park like areas around it would get much use. And Yes to the wifi. Think about if they would have spent the money on the rockpile instead of building the Ralph and now (or sometime in the past) the did what they did at Lambau.I hope next time they build to last 60 or more years (40 seems like a kind of short run to me). i agree with a partial roof. If we did something along the lines of Dallas, or Seattle. Open playing field for the weather but the fans, or the majority of fans are safe from the elements.
dwight in philly Posted January 15, 2013 Posted January 15, 2013 First of all, thank you for all your hard work. Your reads are truly awesome. I also agree with why we shouldn't build a new stadium we should just upgrade the Ralph. New stadiums mean new ticket prices, corporate take-over, more PSLs, probably a dome, Etc... I'd put more into some open area concourse, probably on the scoreboard side end zone with resturaunts, bars, open seating where you can watch the game. i agree with a partial roof. If we did something along the lines of Dallas, or Seattle. Open playing field for the weather but the fans, or the majority of fans are safe from the elements. i agree there also.. cover the fans, just like seattle, but please, no dome! so antiseptic.. sterile.. atlanta already wants out of the georgia dome.. wants to go open air..
BringBackFergy Posted January 15, 2013 Posted January 15, 2013 (edited) Maybe we should get the Sheldon family to agree to move the "Sheldon Family Cemetary" to the 50 yd line and create a vault. We can then have our own "friendly ghosts" to counteract the Indian Burial and Flutie curses. Once the vault is constructed (with air conditioning, tv monitors, etc...because the Sheldon's would be huuuuge Bills fans having founded Orchard Park), then we make a nice green lot where the cemetery was and give Pinto Kenny free parking for his rig. Edited January 15, 2013 by BringBackFergy
Just Jack Posted January 15, 2013 Posted January 15, 2013 Your plan gets rid of all the Bills employee and player parking lots.
JM57 Posted January 15, 2013 Posted January 15, 2013 First of all, thank you for all your hard work. Your reads are truly awesome. I also agree with why we shouldn't build a new stadium we should just upgrade the Ralph. New stadiums mean new ticket prices, corporate take-over, more PSLs, probably a dome, Etc... Unfortunately, there is a reason that the negotiating teams for Buffalo and NYS left the possibility of a new stadium open with this new lease. Concrete doesn't exactly hold up well to the whole freeze/thaw weathering process of WNY and with The Ralph edging closer and closer to 50 years old, you can only put a BandAid on the structural issues for so long before the work costs more than the added benefit.
Guffalo Posted January 15, 2013 Posted January 15, 2013 (edited) Your plan gets rid of all the Bills employee and player parking lots. Yes, as a sign of commitment to a better team, players and employees will have no need to leave the facility, so no parking lots will be required. Back to the original poster, it looks like an idea that could actually work, maybe a dome is controversial, but the atrium surrounding the facility is indeed appealing. Edited January 15, 2013 by Guffalo
Maddog69 Posted January 15, 2013 Posted January 15, 2013 My question is this: If they are seriously considering a new stadium in the next 5-7 years, why are they wasting over $100m in renovations to RWS? I wish they would just do whatever structural improvements they need to and save the rest of the money for the new stadium.
The Wiz Posted January 15, 2013 Posted January 15, 2013 What kind of football field is that!?!? A football field for ants! It's going to need to be at least.... 3 times bigger for anyone to get in. Honestly though, solid ideas, really like the green space. Even as a model I think it makes the stadium look much more attractive.
mrags Posted January 15, 2013 Posted January 15, 2013 My question is this: If they are seriously considering a new stadium in the next 5-7 years, why are they wasting over $100m in renovations to RWS? I wish they would just do whatever structural improvements they need to and save the rest of the money for the new stadium. ill back this. I think it's a logical point. But in the end, 100m is not that much for a 7-10 year fix until something gets finalized. With resturaunts, bars, additional concourse level seating like the 200s at First Niagara Arena and you could probably make up $10m a year over those 10 years and be out even in the end.
UConn James Posted January 15, 2013 Posted January 15, 2013 Unfortunately, there is a reason that the negotiating teams for Buffalo and NYS left the possibility of a new stadium open with this new lease. Concrete doesn't exactly hold up well to the whole freeze/thaw weathering process of WNY and with The Ralph edging closer and closer to 50 years old, you can only put a BandAid on the structural issues for so long before the work costs more than the added benefit. Not to mention that removing and replacing the buttressing in order to create wider concourses at the 300 level.... Having a background in construction, I'm not sure of the structural feasibility of that (that's a lot of weight on the upper deck), nor would it be anywhere near worth its cost. It's one thing to have the idea and think it would be nice, it's quite another to make it work architecturally. I would save major structural changes like that for the next stadium. Pretty much all they should be doing with RWS is improving the fan experience with smaller-scale projects like more screens, wifi, cabling, more minor structural stuff, paint, etc.
Wooderson Posted January 15, 2013 Posted January 15, 2013 I really liked the atrium idea. I also went to the Bills game in Dallas last year and that atrium was one of the coolest parts of the stadium. Not to mention once you walk through the gates there were 4 beer vendors waiting 5 feet from the entrance. Also, every single vendor I saw in Dallas had no more than 1-2 people in line because there were so many of them. It was also cool that they had a band playing right inside gate prior to the start of the game.
TheKickIsGood Posted January 15, 2013 Author Posted January 15, 2013 Your plan gets rid of all the Bills employee and player parking lots. There's a team parking lot and a miniature entrance behind the new hall of game building
eball Posted January 15, 2013 Posted January 15, 2013 (edited) Nice work, KIG! You should email it to the Bills -- seriously. If nothing else, maybe it jumpstarts some ideas. Edit: I'd really like to see individual chair seating throughout the stadium. Bleacher/benches are just cheesy. Edited January 15, 2013 by eball
McD Posted January 15, 2013 Posted January 15, 2013 I love the time and effort you put into this. All of your plans seem feasible, practical and would definitely enhance the game day atmosphere as well as provide a year long reason to visit the stadium. If I would suggest one thing it would be to include a Bills Express railway from downtown to the stadium. I can't say I know if any existing railways could be used or not, but I think that would alleviate a lot of congestion for fans that really don't go to tailgate, etc... McD
dwight in philly Posted January 15, 2013 Posted January 15, 2013 (edited) I love the time and effort you put into this. All of your plans seem feasible, practical and would definitely enhance the game day atmosphere as well as provide a year long reason to visit the stadium. If I would suggest one thing it would be to include a Bills Express railway from downtown to the stadium. I can't say I know if any existing railways could be used or not, but I think that would alleviate a lot of congestion for fans that really don't go to tailgate, etc... McD another good idea! i know a few years back they utilized rail service for fans coming in from downstate, not sure what happened with it.. but i am quite sure there has to be rail lines from the north that can be used.. even it means a drop off a little ways away.. incorporate shuttles, seems worth it. Edited January 15, 2013 by dwight in philly
mrags Posted January 15, 2013 Posted January 15, 2013 I love the time and effort you put into this. All of your plans seem feasible, practical and would definitely enhance the game day atmosphere as well as provide a year long reason to visit the stadium. If I would suggest one thing it would be to include a Bills Express railway from downtown to the stadium. I can't say I know if any existing railways could be used or not, but I think that would alleviate a lot of congestion for fans that really don't go to tailgate, etc... McD ok. My opinion on this is that it woul be a waste. The city of Buffalo has aproximately 300k people. That's fine. More the. Enough to fill up the Ralph and no doubt that many fans downtown take a trip to OP on Sundays. But my personal opinion is that Buffalo is more made up from the surrounding suburbs. I would bet that the amount of people coming from the north towns is much more than anywhere else in the surrounding areas. So with that said, I think a railway system from OP to downtown would be a waste. Maybe if the stadium was downtown and we had an actual railway system (not like the train to nowhere that we have now) it would be a good idea. Nice work, KIG! You should email it to the Bills -- seriously. If nothing else, maybe it jumpstarts some ideas. Edit: I'd really like to see individual chair seating throughout the stadium. Bleacher/benches are just cheesy. please don't get rid if the end zone bleachers!!!
Recommended Posts