Carl Paladino: Put new stadium in Cobblestone district

[C.Biscuit97]

This dude is human trash.  

[zonabb]

Downtown is not likely. I've outlined the reasons here multiple times. Pala-dinosaur is angling for his own benefit and not the benefit of the city, which he has NEVER given two sheets about. He knows downtown is unlikely and this is a classic attempt to build public support for the most expensive option regarding a new stadium. Now, if the Pegulas want to shell out the entire cost, let them. But those greedy corporate frackers will certain turn their grubby palms up and ask taxpayers to help. And if that's the case, the location decision is directly connected to cost first, and again, downtown will be the most costly. No question. Again: land acquisition will be costly and almost certainly require the City to utilize its eminent domain powers to take land from owners. Politically, shelling our millions will be challenging enough, taking people's land on top of it, and lower and moderate income people's land at that, isn't a good look for a mayor, esp. a Democrat Mayor doing it for a fracking billionaire. Add in the massive investment in infrastructure to service that stadium in an old, dense, deteriorated, industrial part of town, it's wicked costly before a penny is spent on the actual building. So everyone can pine for a downtown arena all you want, my knowledge/connections, understanding of land development and costs, has my money on continuing to prop up the current stadium or build across the street from it. 

[bigK14094]

10 hours ago, PromoTheRobot said:

 

Downtown Buffalo has changed a ton in the last decade.

Ahhhh,,,still limited in roads in and out because the lake and river have not changed.

[Cheektowaga Chad]

10 hours ago, Happy Gilmore said:

I wonder if this has anything to do with it:

 

Paladino, whose Ellicott Development Co. already owns a significant portion of land in the neighborhood, 

 

Poloncarz sounded like he was completely against a stadium in downtown.  While a politician may not be able to stop a private entity from this, he can make it very difficult on the Pegulas.

Without reading the article, I was gonna comment: I now know who owns the majority of land/buildings in the cobblestone district ha

 

[Bleeding Bills Blue]

umm where?  

 

I always thought conway park would work - lot of project tear-downs to make it work though.  Where do you put all those people?

[JohnC]

5 minutes ago, zonabb said:

Downtown is not likely. I've outlined the reasons here multiple times. Pala-dinosaur is angling for his own benefit and not the benefit of the city, which he has NEVER given two sheets about. He knows downtown is unlikely and this is a classic attempt to build public support for the most expensive option regarding a new stadium. Now, if the Pegulas want to shell out the entire cost, let them. But those greedy corporate frackers will certain turn their grubby palms up and ask taxpayers to help. And if that's the case, the location decision is directly connected to cost first, and again, downtown will be the most costly. No question. Again: land acquisition will be costly and almost certainly require the City to utilize its eminent domain powers to take land from owners. Politically, shelling our millions will be challenging enough, taking people's land on top of it, and lower and moderate income people's land at that, isn't a good look for a mayor, esp. a Democrat Mayor doing it for a fracking billionaire. Add in the massive investment in infrastructure to service that stadium in an old, dense, deteriorated, industrial part of town, it's wicked costly before a penny is spent on the actual building. So everyone can pine for a downtown arena all you want, my knowledge/connections, understanding of land development and costs, has my money on continuing to prop up the current stadium or build across the street from it. 

The Pegulas are well aware that wherever they decide to build a new stadium (if they do) they will be bearing the brunt of the cost of the stadium. And they are sophisticated enough to realize that building within the city is going to be extraordinarily complex financially, politically, legally and time consuming. I just don't see that type of daunting challenge materializing within the city and the waterfront. 

 

It wouldn't surprise me that when their own feasibility study is completed the most reasonable option will be either dramatically renovating the current stadium or building a new stadium on the land near where the current stadium resides. 

[PromoTheRobot]

12 minutes ago, bigK14094 said:

Ahhhh,,,still limited in roads in and out because the lake and river have not changed.

 

Bigger cities with downtown stadiums have rivers and lakes to deal with and manage somehow.

6 minutes ago, dneveu said:

umm where?  

 

I always thought conway park would work - lot of project tear-downs to make it work though.  Where do you put all those people?

 

I think Perry Projects are more than half empty now anyway.

[uticaclub]

9 hours ago, mrags said:

So is Brian Moorman. But everyone here loves him for some reason. 

Because he was the best player on our team for years. 

[Bleeding Bills Blue]

3 minutes ago, PromoTheRobot said:

 

Bigger cities with downtown stadiums have rivers and lakes to deal with and manage somehow.

 

I think Perry Projects are more than half empty now anyway.

 

Honestly its probably more than half empty.  The low rise stuff near conway is a ghost town.

[mrags]

4 minutes ago, uticaclub said:

Because he was the best player on our team for years. 

That’s sad

 

and even sadder that people care about the punter. 

[C.Biscuit97]

57 minutes ago, chris heff said:

Last summer I stayed at the Marriott Canal Side. I had not been to downtown Buffalo in decades. It is significantly better. I know there are a lot of people that would like the Bills to stay in Orchard Park. If my memory serves me, I believe they Bills ended up in Orchard Park by default. I think downtown still has a way to go. Just my opinion, but I think a stadium downtown is the right location. 

Gotta say downtown Buffalo has never been better.  New stuff being built every time I go there.  It’s starting to look like a real city!!!

[C.Biscuit97]

10 minutes ago, PromoTheRobot said:

 

Bigger cities with downtown stadiums have rivers and lakes to deal with and manage somehow.

 

I think Perry Projects are more than half empty now anyway.

Yeah, I don’t think they are renewing any leases there.  That would be a great location.  They could also extend a subway route there.

13 minutes ago, uticaclub said:

Because he was the best player on our team for years. 

That is such a sad statement. 

[May Day 10]

20 minutes ago, JohnC said:

The Pegulas are well aware that wherever they decide to build a new stadium (if they do) they will be bearing the brunt of the cost of the stadium. And they are sophisticated enough to realize that building within the city is going to be extraordinarily complex financially, politically, legally and time consuming. I just don't see that type of daunting challenge materializing within the city and the waterfront. 

 

It wouldn't surprise me that when their own feasibility study is completed the most reasonable option will be either dramatically renovating the current stadium or building a new stadium on the land near where the current stadium resides. 

 

I agree with these.  Between land acquisition and infrastructure, we could be talking doubling the cost of the stadium.  The benefits to the downtown 'foot traffic' are very minimal as proportioned with the investment.

[Bleeding Bills Blue]

3 minutes ago, C.Biscuit97 said:

Yeah, I don’t think they are renewing any leases there.  That would be a great location.  They could also extend a subway route there.

That is such a sad statement. 

 

Some sort of train would be huge - you could build parking there, but you could also run something west-east to help alleviate traffic from there.  Its hard to get in and out of there with only one highway access.  Building up some way to get to route 5 easier would be good for south towners.  North towners can go both directions on 190 and still head home.  

[Augie]

4 hours ago, BuffaloBill said:

I had an interesting conversation with a guy from Cleveland yesterday who said the stadium. In Buffalo sucks.  He was not being a dick just honest in hos opinion.  I told him that while I agreed that the concessions and amenities were lacking compared to other NFL stadiums it was a great place to watch the game.  He agreed with this adding that the bowl concept really works well.  

 

So for me, I would love the idea of a major overhaul of the current stadium. Keep the bowl and build better access, concession areas and restrooms.

 

So....improve the “beer in, beer out” experience? 

[Malazan]

How about "Do nothing Carl Paladino wants...ever" instead?

[RyanC883]

Build a dome downtown.  Then compete for the Final 4 and other events.   A year-round, downtown stadium (which is what a Dome is) would bring concerts, and other activities to downtown.  If Buffalo's rebirth is anything like Pittsburgh, and I suspect it is, having a lot of events downtown drives increases in restaurant and hotel openings, existing ones staying open longer, and provides a place for people to congregate before and after events.  

[C.Biscuit97]

1 hour ago, dneveu said:

 

Some sort of train would be huge - you could build parking there, but you could also run something west-east to help alleviate traffic from there.  Its hard to get in and out of there with only one highway access.  Building up some way to get to route 5 easier would be good for south towners.  North towners can go both directions on 190 and still head home.  

I believe there is a plan to extend the subway (I know people from WNy who didn’t even know BuffAlo had a subway!) to extend to AMHERST.  So if you build the stadium in the Perry projects and then build another stop there, that could help with some of the traffic.  

 

I love the Ralph and OP.  But it’s a matter of time before we have a downtown stadium. 

[Dr.Sack]

Just keep the stadium where it is. Retrofit and upgrade. 

[coloradobillsfan]

I still have not read a convincing argument that demonstrates how a football stadium that will sit idle for 300++ days per year will revitalize anything.  Baseball stadium sure, Coors Field here turned what used to be skid-row into the hottest and most active part of downtown Denver.  NO ONE considers the area around Invesco Field/Mile High a destination by any stretch of the imagination