Bills Staying in Orchard Park? Buying Up Land Around...

[KellyToTasker]

Land bought for purpose A and later used for purpose B.

[Hammered a Lot]

 

LOL

 

Grass has gotta grow man...

Oh Grass Hopper you have so much to learn.

The land they purchased is what some of us tailgaters affectionately call the "Mud Lot". Been going there for years. Now I have to find a new place.....damn.

No you don't. The Mud Lot owners only sold a portion of the property. Plenty of Mud for You!

[papazoid]

Oh Grass Hopper you have so much to learn.

No you don't. The Mud Lot owners only sold a portion of the property. Plenty of Mud for You!

 

if you count the wooded area, that lot looks the size of 3 - 4 football fields.

 

kinda surprised ralph or erie county didn't buy that long ago.

 

http://www.buffalorumblings.com/bills-news-notes/2016/5/5/11595804/buffalo-bills-building-new-practice-field-adjacent-ralph-wilson-stadium

Edited May 6, 2016 by papazoid

[RalphOP83]

People I know who work in the natural gas industry have told me that the general public is only aware of about 1/2 of pegulas holdings/net worth... He could make another sale any time, similar to the one made when he bought the team.

[The Wiz]

 

if you count the wooded area, that lot looks the size of 3 - 4 football fields.

 

kinda surprised ralph or erie county didn't buy that long ago.

 

http://www.buffalorumblings.com/bills-news-notes/2016/5/5/11595804/buffalo-bills-building-new-practice-field-adjacent-ralph-wilson-stadium

Ralph is cheap.

[ChevyVanMiller]

I'm having déjà vu all over again.

[sodbuster]

 

if you count the wooded area, that lot looks the size of 3 - 4 football fields.

 

kinda surprised ralph or erie county didn't buy that long ago.

 

http://www.buffalorumblings.com/bills-news-notes/2016/5/5/11595804/buffalo-bills-building-new-practice-field-adjacent-ralph-wilson-stadium

3-4 fields? I dare say that would be enough to run training camp.

[Kirby Jackson]

3-4 fields? I dare say that would be enough to run training camp.

I'd be surprised if the Bills left SJF. It is too important to their regionalization efforts. They want to have a presence in Rochester.

[Hammered a Lot]

 

if you count the wooded area, that lot looks the size of 3 - 4 football fields.

 

kinda surprised ralph or erie county didn't buy that long ago.

 

http://www.buffalorumblings.com/bills-news-notes/2016/5/5/11595804/buffalo-bills-building-new-practice-field-adjacent-ralph-wilson-stadium

The Mud Lot could have been bought for $150,000 roughly 30 years ago. I tried to get two former Bills to buy it at that time but they already invested in other commercial properties. The Pegulas paid $275,000 for 3 acres of the Mud Lot. (At that ppf. I would have sold the whole lot now.) According to survey markers it looks like land will be bought from the a joining property also. As I stated all the land will become part of the stadium complex property tax free zone. I don't think the county had any interest in buying, the Bills I think wanted to buy some/all of the land but Mrs Barco had other things to worry about, her failing health and had no interest in selling.

People I know who work in the natural gas industry have told me that the general public is only aware of about 1/2 of pegulas holdings/net worth... He could make another sale any time, similar to the one made when he bought the team.

Gas is low, he ain't selling now. I hope his current businesses make him $$$. You know how fast one can plow through a billion dollars!

I'd be surprised if the Bills left SJF. It is too important to their regionalization efforts. They want to have a presence in Rochester.

I don't see them moving from SJF. I have never been there but didn't the Bills recently spend $$ there upgrading the training camp experience?

[boater]

People I know who work in the natural gas industry have told me that the general public is only aware of about 1/2 of pegulas holdings/net worth... He could make another sale any time, similar to the one made when he bought the team.

Let me correct to internet gossip norms.

 

People I know who work in the natural gas industry have told me Sources tell me that the general public is only aware of about 1/2 of pegulas holdings/net worth... He could make another sale any time, similar to the one made when he bought the team.

[Heitz]

Oh Grass Hopper you have so much to learn.

 

And to that I say

[3rdand12]

just a thought bubble but the outdoor stadium complex and training facility is not exactly a place to have multiple events, except for concerts.

doomed?

I think i went to some concerts there many years ago. it was okay.

I'm guessing there is a reason pegula is investing in the area w practice fields etc and upgrades. That we will be in OP 10+ yrs. That the option to do a retractable downtown isn't that possible. And as such, the value it would add to uptown can't be that much. Having a building take up that much space downtown, needing the infrastructure it would need is a massive undertaking. Keeping the game 20 minutes away and improving the downtown of Buffalo would help create a place for after the game. Perhaps, soon transportation to get to OP from downtown will be likely. Chill in Buffalo until 1130-1145 hop on train. Head to OP. Get there by 1210. Go in game?

I think this is genuis. dedicated tram to and from OP from Downtown. like the Olde Rochester Railway / Trolley.

Create seamless routing to hotel districts, restaurants, entertainment and then to the local and state bus lines, the airport and harbor of course.

Just make the travel portion much more attractive than a city bus line .

The Mud Lot could have been bought for $150,000 roughly 30 years ago. I tried to get two former Bills to buy it at that time but they already invested in other commercial properties. The Pegulas paid $275,000 for 3 acres of the Mud Lot. (At that ppf. I would have sold the whole lot now.) According to survey markers it looks like land will be bought from the a joining property also. As I stated all the land will become part of the stadium complex property tax free zone. I don't think the county had any interest in buying, the Bills I think wanted to buy some/all of the land but Mrs Barco had other things to worry about, her failing health and had no interest in selling.

Gas is low, he ain't selling now. I hope his current businesses make him $$$. You know how fast one can plow through a billion dollars!

I don't see them moving from SJF. I have never been there but didn't the Bills recently spend $$ there upgrading the training camp experience?

SJF Camp IS a big deal to us in the Rochester area. i think it has great support here.

[KellyToTasker]

I was fortunate enough to visit the SJF training camp last year (the first time for me since the Fredonia days as a kid). It was a great set up. I do think it was very much more "commercialized" than it was 20 years ago. I don't think this was a result of SJF, but more by way of what the NFL has become.

 

I have fond memories of waiting for hours (patiently) on the Bills 90's players to depart the Fredonia facilities and acquire a coveted autograph.....And there were some good ones (Kelly, Reed, Levy, Bruce, etc.).

 

This past year was my son's first trip to training camp. There was not as much access to the players, we weren't allowed to stick around, and it felt like a very controlled environment.

 

I get it, it's how things are now. That said, my sons were smiling and had a GREAT time. They were able to meet our Wide Receivers (including Sammy) and forged a lifelong memory. Hopefully, they are now Bills fans for life! I couldn't ask for anything more! That's all I wanted from that day (seeing that we traveled from multiple states away).

[jimmy10]

They'll have to take training camp out of Rochester from my cold, dead hands.

[Saxum]

 

There's always a million reasons to not do something (classic Buffalo thinking), but you havent mentioned anything that can't be addressed and improved.

 

 

Yes there are a million reasons to NOT stay in Orchard Park (Buffalo politicians, NFL owners pressure, snobs who want new smaller stadium, etc) but we will keep telling how it is that the best path is following the Green Bay model and update the stadium.

 

Hammer's Lot TWO - a 25 story, state-of-the-art, parking garage / tailgate zone!?

 

 

 

Per Bart Scott, "CAN'T WAIT!"

 

 

What??? I remember a satistic about safety in neighborhoods around NFL stadiums. Foxboro #1, Ralph #2 What do they have in common, not a city stadium. I know people who went to the Jets vs Bills game in Detriot, never again will they go to D town. Future stadium location or rehab Ralph, its out of our control. Who knows in 7 years we all might be watching the games at home via virtual reality glasses!

I don't think I can build that high in OP. Something to do with flight path of the crows and seagulls who scavage the stadium lots for days after the games!

 

Who says that parking garage is above ground? It is probably below ground with land over it used for tailgating!

[Just Jack]

Gas is low, he ain't selling now. I hope his current businesses make him $$$. You know how fast one can plow through a billion dollars!

Especially if you are buying sports teams every couple of years.

[Hammered a Lot]

Especially if you are buying sports teams every couple of years.

Buffalo Bisons Baseball next?

[RalphOP83]

The Mud Lot could have been bought for $150,000 roughly 30 years ago. I tried to get two former Bills to buy it at that time but they already invested in other commercial properties. The Pegulas paid $275,000 for 3 acres of the Mud Lot. (At that ppf. I would have sold the whole lot now.) According to survey markers it looks like land will be bought from the a joining property also. As I stated all the land will become part of the stadium complex property tax free zone. I don't think the county had any interest in buying, the Bills I think wanted to buy some/all of the land but Mrs Barco had other things to worry about, her failing health and had no interest in selling.

Gas is low, he ain't selling now. I hope his current businesses make him $$$. You know how fast one can plow through a billion dollars!

I don't see them moving from SJF. I have never been there but didn't the Bills recently spend $$ there upgrading the training camp experience?

He sold some gas rights for $1.75 billion prior to buying the Bills. His net worth was pegged at nearly $4Billion prior to that sale. Essentially the sale he made while bidding on the Bills was enough to buy the Bills and Sabres in cash, with nearly enough leftover to build harborcenter.

 

NFL teams make $$ hand over fist. The Sabres also do pretty well.

 

My point was that prior to that sale everyone thought he'd be dipping into his $4 Billion fortune, then out of nowhere he came up with a fresh $1.75 Bil cash.

[May Day 10]

Buffalo Bisons Baseball next?

 

Ideally, the #1 sport that helps a downtown proper is MLB. It has been a lifelong dream of mine for Buffalo to land an MLB team. That many people downtown 81+ dates a year. Terrific. Also fits into the 'empty void' left by no Bills/Sabres from April - September.... They couldnt do any worse attendance-wise than a few franchises including Cleveland (who Im a fan of).

 

With that said, MLB might have little interest in Buffalo. Probably couldn't support a team long term and the balance sheet would be awful if they even attempted to compete. I do see a ton of upcoming housing/loft options becoming available downtown. Maybe someday it will be feasible.

[KellyToTasker]

 

Ideally, the #1 sport that helps a downtown proper is MLB. It has been a lifelong dream of mine for Buffalo to land an MLB team. That many people downtown 81+ dates a year. Terrific. Also fits into the 'empty void' left by no Bills/Sabres from April - September.... They couldnt do any worse attendance-wise than a few franchises including Cleveland (who Im a fan of).

 

With that said, MLB might have little interest in Buffalo. Probably couldn't support a team long term and the balance sheet would be awful if they even attempted to compete. I do see a ton of upcoming housing/loft options becoming available downtown. Maybe someday it will be feasible.

Didn't they make a push in the 90's for MLB? Triple A standards, the Bison's park is nice! Even better in comparison 20 plus years ago. I'd be an instant fan if the Bisons became an MLB club.....I just don't think it'll ever happen.