Batavia possible stadium site?

[PromoTheRobot]

Here's an idea: Stadium stays in Erie County but NF gets Bills HQ and training facility? Training camp in the Falls.

[mrags]

In other posts I've raised the concept of Canadians crossing the Rainbow Bridge by foot, rather than by car, to maximize border efficiency. But another idea is a "football train" from Toronto to downtown Buffalo. Canadian fans can ride in and customs officials can do their job while the train is moving. No need to stop at the border.

since my wife (haha, first time I've been able to use wife on here) is a customs agent, I can strongly say this will never happen. Maybe some kind of train, subway, monorail, bus, etc... But they will never do their jobs on the bus while it's going.

 

Customs agents don't just check passports. They see and notice all kinda of things going on. Drugs. Illegal crossings. Weapons. Bomb threats. You name it. Tons of things could go wrong. So a special lane on the bridge, or maybe a monorail across with a customs office at each end might work. But not while in motion.

Edited May 18, 2014 by mrags

[machine gun kelly]

I'll bet NF. It's the most logical. I grew up in Hamburg so I understand people not wanting to drive farther, but from a business perspective, it makes the most sense.

 

You can capture the largest footprint of regionalization, and if NYS really ponies up on the new stadium deal, we are set forever of keeping our Bills in Buffalo. The state will fix the road problems, and can turn into something fantastic for years to come. With this new staff, I believe we will once again become significant in the NFL.

[LabattBlue]

Another advantage of building on current site...field house and administrative buildings do not need to be replaced.

 

 

For all those touting a NF site, sorry, but with all the corruption in NF, there is no way I can see a stadium being built there EVER.

[oman128]

The Bills were a better team when they held training camp at Fredonia.

 

Since they moved to St.John Fisher in Rochester they haven't been to the playoffs.

Edited May 19, 2014 by oman128

[Doug Flutie Band]

i would love to see them move to batavia i think its a great idea

[MarkAF43]

I'll bet NF. It's the most logical. I grew up in Hamburg so I understand people not wanting to drive farther, but from a business perspective, it makes the most sense.

 

You can capture the largest footprint of regionalization, and if NYS really ponies up on the new stadium deal, we are set forever of keeping our Bills in Buffalo. The state will fix the road problems, and can turn into something fantastic for years to come. With this new staff, I believe we will once again become significant in the NFL.

 

I'm going to again bring this up since it's been mentioned before with no one providing any real vialble solution.

What will be done? Right now you have the Robert Moses Parkway leading to the GI bridges, and all it takes is one accident and traffic is backed up for hours on end. Buffalo Ave, same issue, leads to the bridge, unless you take a 30 MPH road all the way to River Road where it's a 2 lane stretch for a good part of it where the speed limit doesn't exceed 45 MPH. Oh wait, we could take NF Blvd, which wouldn't be any better and to get to that, you'd have to take Pine Ave, to NF Blvd and intereact with the additional tourists from Canada hitting the outlet mall and such. So can anyone shed some light as to how to "fix" the road problems when the city just doesn't have an inexpensive alternative to assist with traffic flow?

[mrags]

 

 

I'm going to again bring this up since it's been mentioned before with no one providing any real vialble solution.

What will be done? Right now you have the Robert Moses Parkway leading to the GI bridges, and all it takes is one accident and traffic is backed up for hours on end. Buffalo Ave, same issue, leads to the bridge, unless you take a 30 MPH road all the way to River Road where it's a 2 lane stretch for a good part of it where the speed limit doesn't exceed 45 MPH. Oh wait, we could take NF Blvd, which wouldn't be any better and to get to that, you'd have to take Pine Ave, to NF Blvd and intereact with the additional tourists from Canada hitting the outlet mall and such. So can anyone shed some light as to how to "fix" the road problems when the city just doesn't have an inexpensive alternative to assist with traffic flow?

um ... You widen every route you just spoke about?

[MarkAF43]

um ... You widen every route you just spoke about?

 

Including the bridges? NF Blvd was expanded recently, Buffalo Avenue was repaved and I'm not sure how much more you can widen it as it goes through residental areas and schools and is 30MPH all the way through, and I don't believe the Robert Moses Parkway can be expanded either, so that still isn't really viable.

[mrags]

 

 

Including the bridges? NF Blvd was expanded recently, Buffalo Avenue was repaved and I'm not sure how much more you can widen it as it goes through residental areas and schools and is 30MPH all the way through, and I don't believe the Robert Moses Parkway can be expanded either, so that still isn't really viable.

you really don't believe the Robert Moses can be widened? There's like 100ft on each side of it like the entire way. River Rd could also easily be widened. And yes, if they build a stadium in NF, chances are there would be some sort of addition to the grand island bridges.

 

As I said before, building a new stadium, no matter if it's in NF downtown Buffalo, or Batavia, it's not just a stadium. It's a way for a revitalization of the WNY area. Infrastructure will be huge. There will be about a billion dollars spent on the stadium and then probably another 1-2 billion spent on the towns/cities themselves. Just to update roads, road patterns, subway stops, etc... Your missing the big picture here. And that picture is Cuomo and NYS trying to bring Buffalo and the surrounding area in WNY back to relevance.

Edited May 19, 2014 by mrags

[mabden]

Can someone explain how Batavia is in the mix as a potential new stadium site? I keep thinking this is a joke but it continues to be in the conversation, at least in media reports.

 

I grew up 1 mile north of Batavia on R98. My parents still live there and their home would probably be bought up to accommodate the stadium. That or their yard would be the next Bills Nation tailgate lot of choice . Talk of a Bill Stadium in Batavia has been a subject for over twenty years.

 

I believe the majority landowner (high school friend of my brother with enough to build a stadium and all the parking lots, practice facilities, etc) is involved with local politics and has some sort of connections with the Bills organization. I believe this is where the "potential consideration" exists.

 

As it is right now, there would be major problems with placing a Bills Stadium north of the thruway, first being Route 98 goes north (one lane) to rural areas and south (one lane) to the City of Batavia. The choke point is the two lane bridge over the thruway and the thruway exchange itself (maybe 4 points of entry/exit) so major road/bridge/toll booth work would have to be done. Even so, that still leaves only one way into and out of the stadium, since going north leaves any one going along back country roads through small towns to get to Route 63. Another alternative would be to put in another toll booth exit west of Batavia with a direct connect to the stadium. I wonder how much that would cost.

 

The next big consideration is the Batavia airport cannot handle large/fast planes to get teams (and other high mucky mucks) in and out of Batavia, They would have to be bused in from Buffalo, or the airport expanded at the expense of peoples homes who live in the area and roads being cut to add in a longer runway. Highly unfeasible.

 

Lastly, outside of Batavia Downs Race Track and slot machine heaven and Thurman Thomas's new bar/restaurant Rush 34, there is not much to do in Batavia.

 

Anyway that's all I have to say about it.

[MarkAF43]

you really don't believe the Robert Moses can be widened? There's like 100ft on each side of it like the entire way. River Rd could also easily be widened. And yes, if they build a stadium in NF, chances are there would be some sort of addition to the grand island bridges.

 

I guess we would have to agree to disagree. I'm not sure how much widening can be done to River Road without buying up a lot of the property that's there, but that's secondary to getting people out of the "downtown" area of Niagara Falls. They wouldn't get to River Road without having to fight their way down Pine Ave to NF Blvd, or by going down Buffalo Ave. These aren't just minor issues, the traffic in and out of the city would be more difficult to overcome than people are seeing it as.

[mrags]

 

 

I guess we would have to agree to disagree. I'm not sure how much widening can be done to River Road without buying up a lot of the property that's there, but that's secondary to getting people out of the "downtown" area of Niagara Falls. They wouldn't get to River Road without having to fight their way down Pine Ave to NF Blvd, or by going down Buffalo Ave. These aren't just minor issues, the traffic in and out of the city would be more difficult to overcome than people are seeing it as.

i added more to my argument. You can go back and re-read. But you think it's an issue. I don't at all. There's at least 3 major opportunities to get in and out of NF from the south. Niagara Falls Blvd. River Rd. And the 90. All 3 would and can easily be expanded. NFB most likely wouldn't but there's plenty of room.

 

And the state wouldn't have to buy any land. They would simply tell the public on each side of the roads that they were losing 5-10 feet of land. It's that simple. It happens all the time. The state doesn't have to purchase a thing. They flick their fingers and start sending construction vehicles overnight.

[May Day 10]

NF is tucked into a corner surrounded by natural borders. They would have to basically redesign/rebuild the city for 8-10 dates a year. NF cant get out of their own way to do anything which is why the American side features 2 competing Indian restaurants. We are talking mega-bucks and time. A football stadium also does not magically create a whirlwind of development in a vacuum like that.

 

To me, Batavia is more of a believable option. If in "Niagara Falls" it would have to be out toward Wheatfield.

[MarkAF43]

NF is tucked into a corner surrounded by natural borders. They would have to basically redesign/rebuild the city for 8-10 dates a year. NF cant get out of their own way to do anything which is why the American side features 2 competing Indian restaurants. We are talking mega-bucks and time. A football stadium also does not magically create a whirlwind of development in a vacuum like that.

 

To me, Batavia is more of a believable option. If in "Niagara Falls" it would have to be out toward Wheatfield.

 

I'm still not even sure of that. I make the drive daily from South Buffalo to the falls. I just have a hard time believing that the answer to a new stadium lies anywhere in Niagara County, maybe thats my own personal bias, but I just don't see it being logical and practical.

 

i added more to my argument. You can go back and re-read. But you think it's an issue. I don't at all. There's at least 3 major opportunities to get in and out of NF from the south. Niagara Falls Blvd. River Rd. And the 90. All 3 would and can easily be expanded. NFB most likely wouldn't but there's plenty of room.

 

 

It would appear you're forgetting a couple of key points. to get to Niagara Falls blvd, you'd have to travel down Pine Ave, which is a 2 lane stretch with small businesses on each side of the road. River Road would have to be accessed by either taking the Lasalle Expressway (after sitting on Robert Moses, or heading down Buffalo Avenue, which is 30 MPH all the way through, and not the greatest travel route. And to get to the 90, the bridges would either need to be rebuilt or expanded to accomodate more than 2 lanes of traffic. And who would foot the bill for that? the Thruway Authority? That would only happen after raising tolls for the current GI bridge to pay for the new ones we would need.

[Marv's Neighbor]

Not much is being said about the E-W rail access. Depending on the Stadium location that could be developed to take a lot of traffic, and DWI's off the Thruway.

 

Also, as far as the Erie County lease deal is concerned, NYS could likely get around that while still satisfying the County.

 

I would rather see the BILLS stay in Buffalo but Batavia is much more reasonable than Toronto.

[PolishDave]

Although I never expect it to happen, I think the Batavia site makes a lot of sense for these reasons:

 

1) As it will be primarily NYS taxpayers paying for the stadium, the stadium should be built with NYS taxpayers in mind. Most of the people paying for this new stadium construction live east of Buffalo. Shouldn’t the stadium location be chosen with that in mind?

 

2) Isn’t it in the long term best interests of the team to expand its fan base to the east rather than to the west? The people of Toronto have already shown their lack of interest in supporting and cheering for the Bills. The future of the Bills fan base is to the east if only the Buffalo Bills organization would exploit that opportunity.

 

3) Corporate Suite Sales should improve substantially because of the much closer proximity to Rochester. Existing Canadian market would be barely affected in terms of drive time.

 

4) Batavia exit is ½ hour east of Williamsville exit and ½ hour west of Henrietta exit which makes the stadium equally as accessible to both the greater Buffalo market and the greater Rochester market.

 

5) Traffic will be split in two primary directions away from the site – I90 east and I90 west. Additional Thruway exits would be added to the Batavia exit from both the east and west directions that would only be open on game weekends. These exits would take people directly to stadium lot parking. Or they could create a new additional exit called Batavia exit North and make the existing exit Batavia exit South.

 

Main reasons I don’t like downtown Buffalo or Niagara Falls is that the congestion nightmare it would create. At times the city of Buffalo has a hard time dealing with traffic for hockey games. How in the world would they ever deal with something 4x larger in terms of traffic? And Niagara Falls would be even worse except for Canadian fans attending a game. And the Canadians aren’t funding this stadium through their taxes are they?

 

I am assuming that Toronto is going to get its own NFL team someday. And the existing Bills games in Toronto experiments have proven that the Bills aren’t going to be able to regionalize the Toronto market as part of the Bills nation. Fort Erie and Niagara Falls yes, but Toronto no. However, the Rochester market and to a lesser degree Syracuse market are both ripe for expanding the Bills fan base. I think it is crazy not to maximize their efforts there.

 

As of right now, my personal bias is to keep the stadium where it is now rather than relocating it anywhere. But if a stadium is to be relocated in the best interests of the team and taxpayers, then I would rather see a move a bit farther into New York State whether it is Genesee County or the Eastern outskirts of Erie County.

[May Day 10]

shouldve beaten the Jets to hold camp in Cortland.