The Lancaster, NY Dome Stadium that never was.

[Draconator]

https://spectrumlocalnews.com/nys/buffalo/news/2015/08/27/decades-old-blueprints-for-proposed-bills-dome-stadium-in-lancaster-on-display

 

Article is from 2015. I wonder if we can still see the plans somewhere.

 

LANCASTER, N.Y. -- The debate over a location for a Bills stadium is apparently nothing new. Recovered blueprints from the 1970's show that a dome stadium was proposed in Lancaster nearly 50 years ago.

Looking at 1970s blueprints for the proposed Dome Stadium in Lancaster brings back memories for Paul Welker.

"I had some mixed emotions because I thought it would be a great thing for Lancaster, you know, like put us on the map," said Welker of Lancaster.

That actually never happened. But close to 50 years later, the original blueprints were discovered in old Erie County Hall storage untouched for decades. Erie County Legislator Ted Morton delivered them to the Lancaster Historical Society Thursday for public display.

"All of the talk of the stadium took place in the late 60's, and of course just reading myself some of the articles at that time the divide that existed not only with Ralph Wilson but with residents to build this stadium here," said Morton.

The dome stadium was proposed for Pleasant View Drive, where an environmental consulting firm has stood since 1988.

"I know there were people who were really opposed to it they were going to lose their home if they lived on Pleasant View Drive. But then other people who lived on Pleasant View Drive said I'll build the biggest hot dog stand you ever saw and I'll be rich," said Theresa Wolfe, Lancaster Historical Society vice president.

The Lancaster stadium that never was, was intended to house the Bills and a baseball team. But not everyone was on the same page.

"Matter of fact it appears that it was the legislature at that time that wanted Lancaster and wanted a Dome stadium, not the owner of the Buffalo Bills," said Morton.

The long drawn out project ultimately ended with the Ralph Wilson Stadium being built in Orchard Park. But the blueprints for a Lancaster stadium make some wonder... what if?

"The only thing that I thought was maybe not so good was the congestion. But I still probably would've leaned more for having it here," said Welker.

The blueprints are being loaned to the Lancaster Historical Society, while work is underway to have them legally turned over. 

[LeGOATski]

In before this is the stadium thread that never was....

[LabattBlue]

The plot of land is now filled with several hundred houses, and is renowned for this Christmas tradition...

 

https://www.stonybrookshines.com/

 

 

[Draconator]

2 minutes ago, BTB said:

The plot of land is now filled with several hundred houses, and is renowned for this Christmas tradition...

 

https://www.stonybrookshines.com/

 

 

We went last year and were blown away!

[LabattBlue]

3 minutes ago, Draconator said:

We went last year and were blown away!

Yes.  Easy to lose your bearings, in an attempt to see all the lights,  😂  but a "must see" every year!

 

Maybe this should be added to the "things to see and do list" for out of towners coming in for a game between Thanksgiving and New Years.  

Edited October 29, 2021 by BTB

[ExiledInIllinois]

6 minutes ago, BTB said:

The plot of land is now filled with several hundred houses, and is renowned for this Christmas tradition...

 

https://www.stonybrookshines.com/

 

 

How lame!

 

20 something drunks smashing tables and setting themselves on fire 🔥 is much better!  😏 

[Draconator]

3 minutes ago, BTB said:

Yes.  Easy to lose your bearings, in an attempt to see all the lights,  😂  but a "must see" every year!

 

Maybe this should be added to the "things to see and do list" for out of towners coming in for a game between Thanksgiving and New Years.  

 

That is a really great idea!

[MarkyMannn]

That stadium would have been outdated in 20 years

[Draconator]

1 minute ago, MarkyMannn said:

That stadium would have been outdated in 20 years

True, but it would probably have been renovated, a la the Ralph, or may have been a catalyst for an more modern facility. And if a Major League Baseball team were to have been moved to Buffalo, we could have seen Football and Baseball only stadiums. 

[Utah John]

I remember at one point there was an announcement that the domed stadium was going to be built.  All the parties that had to sign off on it, had done so.  I remember one of the old AM stations with a little jingle, We've Got the Dome.  It seemed to be a done deal.  All the talk of Ralph Wilson visiting Seattle died down.

 

It fell through, obviously, and I don't remember what stopped things.  I loved the Orchard Park location, since I grew up in SW West Seneca and could walk home from the stadium.  I think I did that twice, on warm late-summer evenings, and despite the distance I wasn't very far behind the people who drove and had to deal with traffic on Abbott Road. 

 

I think a domed stadium would deprive the Bills from a serious home-field advantage in December (or November) and would detract from the atmosphere.  Regardless of where the new stadium ends up, I hope it's not a dome.

[Draconator]

5 minutes ago, Utah John said:

It fell through, obviously, and I don't remember what stopped things. 

 

An article I found earlier answers that question. 

 

https://buffalonews.com/news/two-decades-later-developers-rediscover-dome-stadium-site/article_e32e5e06-b116-5aa0-afb3-e3e4afbc93fd.html

 

Quote

Construction estimates came in at least $22 million higher than the $50 million the county had bonded. The county backed out and a 20-year legal battle began.

 

[Beast]

47 minutes ago, MarkyMannn said:

That stadium would have been outdated in 20 years

 

Kind of like Rich Stadium was?

[LeGOATski]

13 minutes ago, Utah John said:

I remember at one point there was an announcement that the domed stadium was going to be built.  All the parties that had to sign off on it, had done so.  I remember one of the old AM stations with a little jingle, We've Got the Dome.  It seemed to be a done deal.  All the talk of Ralph Wilson visiting Seattle died down.

 

It fell through, obviously, and I don't remember what stopped things.  I loved the Orchard Park location, since I grew up in SW West Seneca and could walk home from the stadium.  I think I did that twice, on warm late-summer evenings, and despite the distance I wasn't very far behind the people who drove and had to deal with traffic on Abbott Road. 

 

I think a domed stadium would deprive the Bills from a serious home-field advantage in December (or November) and would detract from the atmosphere.  Regardless of where the new stadium ends up, I hope it's not a dome.

Yep. 

 

Roofs sterilize the game. 

 

It's ***** football. Anyone watching the world series? It's raining! Oh no! 🙄

[doubledd67]

I agree the new stadium should be outside 

[Draconator]

I'm in favor of a retractable roof, but there won't be funding for that. I like the proposal set by the Bills for covered seating with the field open. A full time dome although nice during the winter takes away from Buffalo Bills football.

[Bison bread and buttered]

My grandmother owned 20 of those stadium acres in some way shape or form.....she was offered 100K an acre and a 50K a year stripend for 25 years with a 5% increase a year back then....my mom was her only child ...... the "what if" at our family get togethers brings lots of laughs.....she end up selling the land for something like 50K in the late 70's ...we probably would have all stayed in the area if it had happened(we all left the BUF to chase the "George"  in America's neither lands).....I would love to hear how life turned out for some of the original/majority land owners of where The Rich/Ralph/New E stands......GO BILLS!!!!! 

[LeGOATski]

10 minutes ago, Draconator said:

I'm in favor of a retractable roof, but there won't be funding for that. I like the proposal set by the Bills for covered seating with the field open. A full time dome although nice during the winter takes away from Buffalo Bills football.

I'd be a fan if they used it sparingly or never for football games. Close it for other stuff like concerts or whatever. But retractable roofs become overused crutches. They close them at any slight hint of precipitation. I say don't even give them that option for football.

[Marv's Neighbor]

As I recall, the dome was an inflatable type.  Not sure how that would have handled the Blizzard of 77, etc.  I think the contractor was an outfit called Bird/Byrd? air.

 

It would have been very handy to the airport.

[MarkyMannn]

4 hours ago, Draconator said:

True, but it would probably have been renovated, a la the Ralph, or may have been a catalyst for an more modern facility. And if a Major League Baseball team were to have been moved to Buffalo, we could have seen Football and Baseball only stadiums. 

Wasn't that stadium holding like 48k? It was just small

3 hours ago, Beast said:

 

Kind of like Rich Stadium was?

Yeah but we're still using it LOL

[Just Jack]

3 hours ago, Utah John said:

I loved the Orchard Park location, since I grew up in SW West Seneca and could walk home from the stadium.  I think I did that twice, on warm late-summer evenings, and despite the distance I wasn't very far behind the people who drove and had to deal with traffic on Abbott Road.