PromoTheRobot Posted March 19, 2013 Posted March 19, 2013 i have friends that are customs agents at the Buffalo, and NF bridges and I can assure you all that they flock over on weekends, Bills games, holidays, like Canada has some courageous disease of something. Besides the shopping, they love coming over for gas, and Olive Garden. Tut, tut. Don't contradict WEO. PTR
mattsox Posted March 19, 2013 Posted March 19, 2013 I'm for a fabulous, retractable roof sports palace in Niagara Falls. Does my vote count? Sure Hope Not!!! No way should it be there. This is the BUFFALO BILLS! Not the Niagara Falls Bills...
DukeyBomb Posted March 19, 2013 Posted March 19, 2013 I'll just throw my two cents in the mix as if I had a vote and it mattered. I vote NO roof. I vote no Niagara Falls stadium. I vote same location 1st, Beth Steel 2nd and downtown 3rd and final option.
dpberr Posted March 19, 2013 Posted March 19, 2013 I like the idea of keeping it in Orchard Park. OP and Erie County get screwed if a new stadium is built elsewhere, left with an old stadium property to redevelop, and needing millions of taxpayer dollars to do something with it. It's akin to having a decomissioned military installiation. To do the Beth Steel site you'll need a lot of money. A lot. You'll need federal dollars and probably a program similar to what's been started in PA where a zone is established and the state tax dollars in that zone don't go back to the state but to pay off the bonds for any development in the zone.
Mr. WEO Posted March 19, 2013 Posted March 19, 2013 As an American who works for the largest hotel in Canada I can tell you that Canadians flock, by the tens of thousands, each weekend to shop in American malls. Why? Because even though the US and Canadian dollars are near par, goods in Canada are 40% higher. Crossing the border is an immediate $40 savings on a $100 purchase, Also, the new culinary school is a gem. That, coupled with the casino and Seneca hotel is a nice start on a tourist section that has a lot of available land for a new stadium. Everyone thought Cleveland was a dump before they developed the waterfront with the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Same with Baltimore with the Inner-Harbor. All it takes is a little vision. If you want to solidify the Bills in WNY long-term, the Falls is the best choice for a myriad of reasons. Even with the Fashion Mall and the casino, the town is a dump. You can roll up to the parking lot of the casino on a Friday night and find a spot right near the entrance. Having 8 or so games a year in an otherwise empty stadium won't change that. i have friends that are customs agents at the Buffalo, and NF bridges and I can assure you all that they flock over on weekends, Bills games, holidays, like Canada has some courageous disease of something. Besides the shopping, they love coming over for gas, and Olive Garden. Awesome! They are sampling NF ethnic culture! You have obvioiusly never been to the Fashion Outlet Mall or the Galleria, Ontario license plates fill the parking lots. I have been to the Galleria. It's in Buffalo. The point is the area to be reivatilized is the city of Buffalo, which is worth revitalizing. NF is a tiny town that, other than the Falls, has no redeming features. It has a casino and an outlet mall. Any Canadians coming over the border do their business in these places and drive right back out. Buffalo has had a stadium and an NFL team for many years, yet developers have not rushed in to revitalize that city to a significnat degree. The population continues to decline. If you want to pick a place that has potential, pick Buffalo. Millstein isn't moving any chess pieces--that's a joke. In fact he's not moving at all. He's bought up a bunch of blighted land which he could have developed but he hasn't. He is looking to flip this property to someone who may build a stadium there.
thebandit27 Posted March 19, 2013 Posted March 19, 2013 Regarding the retractable dome, yes, the new stadium needs one. Sure, they can keep it open during all home games, but that's not the point...the point is, the stadium should be fit for use in the fall and winter for non-football related events in order to generate revenue. Think about how much more money the area will attract if the new stadium could be used year-round for concerts, conventions, etc. Much more important than protecting football players from the elements. And yes, it at least invites the potential for a Superbowl bid somewhere in the future.
CodeMonkey Posted March 19, 2013 Posted March 19, 2013 Sure Hope Not!!! No way should it be there. This is the BUFFALO BILLS! Not the Niagara Falls Bills... I think you mean the Orchard Park Bills.
ChevyVanMiller Posted March 19, 2013 Posted March 19, 2013 Even with the Fashion Mall and the casino, the town is a dump. You can roll up to the parking lot of the casino on a Friday night and find a spot right near the entrance. Having 8 or so games a year in an otherwise empty stadium won't change that. Awesome! They are sampling NF ethnic culture! I have been to the Galleria. It's in Buffalo. The point is the area to be reivatilized is the city of Buffalo, which is worth revitalizing. NF is a tiny town that, other than the Falls, has no redeming features. It has a casino and an outlet mall. Any Canadians coming over the border do their business in these places and drive right back out. Buffalo has had a stadium and an NFL team for many years, yet developers have not rushed in to revitalize that city to a significnat degree. The population continues to decline. If you want to pick a place that has potential, pick Buffalo. Millstein isn't moving any chess pieces--that's a joke. In fact he's not moving at all. He's bought up a bunch of blighted land which he could have developed but he hasn't. He is looking to flip this property to someone who may build a stadium there. The Culinary Institute, Old Falls Street, Conference Center and Wine on 3rd are all jewels. A domed stadium could be used for far more than 8 dates per year. 7 years ago I formed and organization that grew into a 501C3 called Niagara Rises, Inc. Our volunteers work hard to do our part to change the outlook of the city. We put on the yearly Niagara Homecoming event - from which the popular Main St. Music and Art Festival took flight. We also sponsor a teen center at the NF Public Library that has seen many teens turn their lives around and achieve their goals of higher education. People can continue to dump on the city all they want, but if they take a good look around some nice things are beginning to happen. When it comes to urban renewal, patience is most certainly a virtue. I know, first hand, the obstacles facing Niagara Falls, but it hit rock bottom a decade ago and is slowing rising back up.
San Jose Bills Fan Posted March 20, 2013 Posted March 20, 2013 The Culinary Institute, Old Falls Street, Conference Center and Wine on 3rd are all jewels. A domed stadium could be used for far more than 8 dates per year. 7 years ago I formed and organization that grew into a 501C3 called Niagara Rises, Inc. Our volunteers work hard to do our part to change the outlook of the city. We put on the yearly Niagara Homecoming event - from which the popular Main St. Music and Art Festival took flight. We also sponsor a teen center at the NF Public Library that has seen many teens turn their lives around and achieve their goals of higher education. People can continue to dump on the city all they want, but if they take a good look around some nice things are beginning to happen. When it comes to urban renewal, patience is most certainly a virtue. I know, first hand, the obstacles facing Niagara Falls, but it hit rock bottom a decade ago and is slowing rising back up. Thank you very much for your volunteerism and your community building efforts. Having read many of your posts, I'm not surprised that you're that kind of person. I know volunteerism is not always rewarding and I applaud you for enriching your community and the lives of many of your neighbors. I'll just throw my two cents in the mix as if I had a vote and it mattered. I vote NO roof. I vote no Niagara Falls stadium. I vote same location 1st, Beth Steel 2nd and downtown 3rd and final option. If we could "like" posts, Hammer would be likin' this. Like dpberr says, if you abandon a stadium, how the hell do you re-develop that site. That's a subject no one seems to talk about when talk of relocation comes about. How much would it cost to demo the stadium and turn the land into "Smokes Creek Park?" A helluva lot of money. That's how much.
Jim in Anchorage Posted March 20, 2013 Posted March 20, 2013 Thank you very much for your volunteerism and your community building efforts. Having read many of your posts, I'm not surprised that you're that kind of person. I know volunteerism is not always rewarding and I applaud you for enriching your community and the lives of many of your neighbors. If we could "like" posts, Hammer would be likin' this. Like dpberr says, if you abandon a stadium, how the hell do you re-develop that site. That's a subject no one seems to talk about when talk of relocation comes about. How much would it cost to demo the stadium and turn the land into "Smokes Creek Park?" A helluva lot of money. That's how much. Seems I remember Seneca mall disappeared pretty fast.
San Jose Bills Fan Posted March 20, 2013 Posted March 20, 2013 Seems I remember Seneca mall disappeared pretty fast. Not even remotely similar situation though. 1) The current stadium is still in a rural setting. There would be very few new purposes for the property. The Seneca Mall by contrast is in an urban environment. 2) The current stadium and complex sits on over 200 acres, much larger than the old Seneca Mall. What do you do with 200 acres in a largely rural area? 3) The Seneca Mall was owned by Pyramid, the company which built and operated the Walden Galleria knowing full well that they would render the Seneca Mall extinct. After they opened the Galleria, they closed the Seneca Mall, demolished it, and rebuilt a new unenclosed shopping complex there which is currently home to a Tops and a Kmart. I could go on but I don't think tearing down the Seneca Mall is relevant to tearing down the football stadium. Everything is different, including the cost and what could be done to defray that cost.
Jim in Anchorage Posted March 20, 2013 Posted March 20, 2013 Not even remotely similar situation though. 1) The current stadium is still in a rural setting. There would be very few new purposes for the property. The Seneca Mall by contrast is in an urban environment. 2) The current stadium and complex sits on over 200 acres, much larger than the old Seneca Mall. What do you do with 200 acres in a largely rural area? 3) The Seneca Mall was owned by Pyramid, the company which built and operated the Walden Galleria knowing full well that they would render the Seneca Mall extinct. After they opened the Galleria, they closed the Seneca Mall, demolished it, and rebuilt a new unenclosed shopping complex there which is currently home to a Tops and a Kmart. I could go on but I don't think tearing down the Seneca Mall is relevant to tearing down the football stadium. Everything is different, including the cost and what could be done to defray that cost. Rural? It's not like it's in Wellsville. It's a 5 minute drive from Milestrip and McKinley and I used to hunt deer there. Look at it now.
San Jose Bills Fan Posted March 20, 2013 Posted March 20, 2013 Rural? It's not like it's in Wellsville. It's a 5 minute drive from Milestrip and McKinley and I used to hunt deer there. Look at it now. I worked in Orchard Park/Hamburg/East Aurora for 10 years, basically 1990 to 2000. It's not Strykersville for sure but it's still kinda rural. Last time I drove down California Road there were still lots of old farms and fields. Put it this way; the area around the stadium isn't really suburban either.
Jim in Anchorage Posted March 20, 2013 Posted March 20, 2013 I worked in Orchard Park/Hamburg/East Aurora for 10 years, basically 1990 to 2000. It's not Strykersville for sure but it's still kinda rural. Last time I drove down California Road there were still lots of old farms and fields. Put it this way; the area around the stadium isn't really suburban either. It's still a easy commute to anyone in Erie county. Given the large size of the property, and it's location, I could easily see it become a high end housing development or a industrial park.
PromoTheRobot Posted March 20, 2013 Posted March 20, 2013 (edited) They could just tear down the upper decks but leave the stadium bowl. Make it a county facility for high schools and ECC. Maybe a soccer team. Or it could still be used by the Bills as a training facility? Why tear down a perfectly good field house? PTR Edited March 20, 2013 by PromoTheRobot
billsfanmiami(oh) Posted March 20, 2013 Posted March 20, 2013 It's still a easy commute to anyone in Erie county. Given the large size of the property, and it's location, I could easily see it become a high end housing development or a industrial park. Unmm Bass Pro! Duh!
Mr. WEO Posted March 20, 2013 Posted March 20, 2013 The Culinary Institute, Old Falls Street, Conference Center and Wine on 3rd are all jewels. A domed stadium could be used for far more than 8 dates per year. 7 years ago I formed and organization that grew into a 501C3 called Niagara Rises, Inc. Our volunteers work hard to do our part to change the outlook of the city. We put on the yearly Niagara Homecoming event - from which the popular Main St. Music and Art Festival took flight. We also sponsor a teen center at the NF Public Library that has seen many teens turn their lives around and achieve their goals of higher education. People can continue to dump on the city all they want, but if they take a good look around some nice things are beginning to happen. When it comes to urban renewal, patience is most certainly a virtue. I know, first hand, the obstacles facing Niagara Falls, but it hit rock bottom a decade ago and is slowing rising back up. I think it's great that you are helping your commnuity in such a way. I hope you succeed. I just don't see NF as a viable location for an NFL stadium for the reasons I mentioned.
Jim in Anchorage Posted March 20, 2013 Posted March 20, 2013 Unmm Bass Pro! Duh! How did I forget that?
FLFan Posted March 20, 2013 Posted March 20, 2013 What to do with the orchard Park facility should be the least of the concerns. This could be an opportunity to right the collosal mistake made in not building the stadium in downtown Buffalo to begin with. This, along with the decision to build the new SUNY Campus is Amherst set the city back 30 years or more. There can be no renewal of the WNY Region without a renewal of the relevance of the City of Buffalo. A downtown stadium would provide a lynchpin to redevelopment and a draw for business, and provide a public perception bonanza. This should be the course IMO. Lets hope the local politicians for once can get it together enough to work toward the right long term solution for the region rather than an expedient short term one for their own purposes. It's still a easy commute to anyone in Erie county. Given the large size of the property, and it's location, I could easily see it become a high end housing development or a industrial park. Absolutely. Valuable land.
KollegeStudnet Posted March 20, 2013 Posted March 20, 2013 (edited) Howard Millstein owns half the vacant land in the Falls. He's a billionaire too. I expect him to make a bid on the Bills when that time comes. FYI the GI bridges are not the only way into NF. There's River Road/LaSalle Expy, NF Blvd and Rt 104 from the East PTR I'm on board with you PTR! I remember a guy who posted this video based on "If" it was in the falls...this would happen alot if Fitz was our QB still Edited March 20, 2013 by KollegeStudnet
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