New "ironclad" Stadium deal reached

[BillsfaninSB]

4 hours ago, SUNY_amherst said:

 

There were already secure when the oilman bought it. At least that is what he promised. We didn't need to pay for a new stadium for him

 

 

Does everyone realize NYS is not building the Bills a stadium and just handing it over to Terry for free?  The Bills will pay rent and NYS will recoup.

 

NYS/Erie is similar to a commercial developer.   The developer gets the project entitled, designed and built.  The future tenant(s)  will pay rent under a lease agreement.  Developer makes a profit.  Sometimes massive.  Tenant will hopefully make a profit as well. 
 

Not sure how there is this perception that the Pegulas are getting a free stadium. 
 

I would rather see tax dollars go to a tangible asset like a stadium that will eventually pay for itself versus all the other garbage a municipality wastes money on on a regular basis. 
 

Edited April 5, 2023 by BillsfaninSB

[mrags]

11 minutes ago, Jrb1979 said:

First I will ask is how many of you have gone to any other stadiums in any of the big 4 leagues in the US? If you look around at a lot of the newer stadiums they all have major amenities. Examples are bars/restaurants and in a few stadiums I have visited they had an area for families to enjoy.  I get it that most of you on this board are hardcores and are there for the game. The thing is a lot of the casual fans want those things. For them the stadium and what's in it is the draw. The game no longer is much of one as most can watch it at home for free. 

I agree with some of this 100%. We’re at a point of watching the game can and is watched at home for much much cheaper and with the advancements in TV and broadcasting, you aren’t losing quality. Personally I get much more out of a game watching it on tv. Easier to follow. 
 

but at the stadium you don’t get the experience. The excitement. But with the cost of tickets nowadays, I feel that you really need to get every single possibility out of making the experience for as many as possible. 
 

Where I’ve always said, the days of chugging beers in the parking lots and flying through flaming tables is going to be over. Because of the cost involved you aren’t going to get young kids getting smashed before games anymore. You are going to get businesses, corporate dollars, and family getaways to away games and home games alike. 

[eball]

15 minutes ago, Jrb1979 said:

First I will ask is how many of you have gone to any other stadiums in any of the big 4 leagues in the US? If you look around at a lot of the newer stadiums they all have major amenities. Examples are bars/restaurants and in a few stadiums I have visited they had an area for families to enjoy.  I get it that most of you on this board are hardcores and are there for the game. The thing is a lot of the casual fans want those things. For them the stadium and what's in it is the draw. The game no longer is much of one as most can watch it at home for free. 

 

I'll beg to differ.  The time is loooooooong past for "if they had built it downtown" takes.  Move on, folks.

 

[Saxum]

On 3/29/2023 at 1:05 PM, Einstein said:

 

I think I remember reading that UB doesn't want to drive a half hour to play their "home" games.

When I went to school there they had no issue with students needing to go other campus needing to be on bus for almost a half hour so IMO it would fit right in.

3 minutes ago, BillsfaninSB said:

 

I would rather see tax dollars go to a tangible asset like a stadium that will eventually pay for itself versus all the other garbage a municipality wastes money on on a regular basis. 
 

 

No stadium pays for itself.

Edited April 5, 2023 by Limeaid
Duplicate post

[mrags]

3 minutes ago, JoPoy88 said:

Again you’re hammering away at this bar/restaurants and family zone gripe. We’re over 3 years away from the thing opening. They haven’t stuck one shovel in the ground yet. And yet you keep insisting and assuming this place won’t have these things. Nothing like that has been announced yet. Can you not wait and see? 
 

Yes I’ve been to other NFL/MLB/NHL/NBA venues all over the place.

I think the thought is similar to what @SoCal Deekjust mentioned. It’s pointless to even try and incorporate those things in a stadium in OP. It will have no impact other than 10-12 times a year. New bars and restaurants are all the sudden going to be popping up in OP because of the stadium. Vs the stadium being built in an area where a stadium doesn’t currently exist. 
 

6 minutes ago, SoCal Deek said:

I highly doubt that ‘other various amenities’ will ever be a draw in remote Orchard Park. I’ve said from the very beginning, if the stadium remains in OP then the design should include the very best tailgating support that the project can provide. Now THAT would make this stadium unique! 

This is likely the best possibility at this point. I just think that with the price point of the PSLs and Likely doubling or more of season tix sales, I think a big portion of what makes things special at the Ralph will be gone. Not going to completely get rid of it. But I think it will be phased out dramatically. 
 

fyi, just spoke with my seas tix rep 2 days ago. He said there’s currently a 7k person waiting list for season tix. Between that and the 10k less seats the new stadium will hold, there’s going to be a lot of pricing out. JMO. 

5 minutes ago, eball said:

 

I'll beg to differ.  The time is loooooooong past for "if they had built it downtown" takes.  Move on, folks.

 

Not wrong. But again, it’s a message board for people to express their opinions about it. 

[JoPoy88]

1 minute ago, mrags said:

I think the thought is similar to what @SoCal Deekjust mentioned. It’s pointless to even try and incorporate those things in a stadium in OP. It will have no impact other than 10-12 times a year. New bars and restaurants are all the sudden going to be popping up in OP because of the stadium. Vs the stadium being built in an area where a stadium doesn’t currently exist. 
 

This is likely the best possibility at this point. I just think that with the price point of the PSLs and Likely doubling or more of season tix sales, I think a big portion of what makes things special at the Ralph will be gone. Not going to completely get rid of it. But I think it will be phased out dramatically. 
 

fyi, just spoke with my seas tix rep 2 days ago. He said there’s currently a 7k person waiting list for season tix. Between that and the 10k less seats the new stadium will hold, there’s going to be a lot of pricing out. JMO. 

I am not talking about secondary development in the vicinity around the stadium. I’m talking about on-site amenities like the ones he’s complaining about. Things that don’t have to be open year round to survive. Family zone-type areas? A staffed bar or restaurant? I see no reason why they could not incorporate these things into the place. And I have not read that these things have been ruled out. 

No, I don’t think the new stadium is going to catalyze all sorts of new commercial development around it in Orchard Park. Nor do I care in the slightest. I go to watch the game. I tailgate, I bring my food. 

[Gregg]

14 minutes ago, Jrb1979 said:

First I will ask is how many of you have gone to any other stadiums in any of the big 4 leagues in the US? If you look around at a lot of the newer stadiums they all have major amenities. Examples are bars/restaurants and in a few stadiums I have visited they had an area for families to enjoy.  I get it that most of you on this board are hardcores and are there for the game. The thing is a lot of the casual fans want those things. For them the stadium and what's in it is the draw. The game no longer is much of one as most can watch it at home for free. 

 

I live in NJ, and I will say the best things about MetLife are as follows:

 

Wider concourses to walk around in compared to Giants Stadium.

 

 

Many more bathrooms and there are more urinals/toilets in the bathrooms than at Giants Stadium. You can get in and out of the bathrooms very quickly including at halftime when everyone goes to them.

 

 

4 Giant screens inside the stadium that covers the red zone channel. So, coverage of all the out-of-town games is great. Jets fans obviously pay more attention to the Bills, Dolphins, and Pats games.

 

 

As for the restaurants/bars/stores. I don't think to many people use them considering how many people are in the stadium. You can buy piss water oops I mean Bud Light, Coors Light for the very "reasonable" price of $22 a bottle. Jets/Giants crowds are like Bills crowds. It a tailgating atmosphere. Most aren't going to pay the prices they are charging for food, drinks, and merchandise in the team store.

[mrags]

2 minutes ago, JoPoy88 said:

I am not talking about secondary development in the vicinity around the stadium. I’m talking about on-site amenities like the ones he’s complaining about. Things that don’t have to be open year round to survive. Family zone-type areas? A staffed bar or restaurant? I see no reason why they could not incorporate these things into the place. And I have not read that these things have been ruled out. 

No, I don’t think the new stadium is going to catalyze all sorts of new commercial development around it in Orchard Park. Nor do I care in the slightest. I go to watch the game. I tailgate, I bring my food. 

I think there’s likely a perfect middle ground for that. Doesn’t need to have areas or restaurants/bars all over the place. But something available. Currently in the stadium now the only real option for something like that is in the clubs. Other than that a few vending possibilities really don’t count imo. I guess it would be nice to see a bar or rest attached just for some people to be able to go ahead of game time that don’t have a desire to tailgate.  And actually it would benefit the Bills as far as from a monetary standpoint as people would be spending money on their overpriced drinks and food instead of making and bringing their own at a tailgate. I’m not saying to would greatly affect tailgate options. But it would benefit the Bills. 
 

I would add that I doubt it would happen though. Of course it’s possible it could. I just feel like it would have been noted at some point by now by someone. Hell, someone found it in the contract about “transportation hub” which we have no idea what that could mean. I would think a comment about a bar or restaurant being available would have been documented and probably talked about by the Bills org leading up to this. My money would be on the doubt that it’ll happen. 
 

but like @SoCal Deek mentioned. Just let it play out and maybe we’ll all be pleasantly surprised. 

[SoCal Deek]

6 minutes ago, JoPoy88 said:

I am not talking about secondary development in the vicinity around the stadium. I’m talking about on-site amenities like the ones he’s complaining about. Things that don’t have to be open year round to survive. Family zone-type areas? A staffed bar or restaurant? I see no reason why they could not incorporate these things into the place. And I have not read that these things have been ruled out. 

No, I don’t think the new stadium is going to catalyze all sorts of new commercial development around it in Orchard Park. Nor do I care in the slightest. I go to watch the game. I tailgate, I bring my food. 

Exactly! So why not create the best tailgating experience in the nation with plenty of restrooms, electrical hookups, solar carports, performance stages, and parking lot based beverage/concession stands. This is WNY, not Southern California. If fans are going to cough up extra cash for the seats themselves, why not make the before game experience truly extraordinary at a price that your regular Bills fans can afford?

[JoPoy88]

1 minute ago, mrags said:

I think there’s likely a perfect middle ground for that. Doesn’t need to have areas or restaurants/bars all over the place. But something available. Currently in the stadium now the only real option for something like that is in the clubs. Other than that a few vending possibilities really don’t count imo. I guess it would be nice to see a bar or rest attached just for some people to be able to go ahead of game time that don’t have a desire to tailgate.  And actually it would benefit the Bills as far as from a monetary standpoint as people would be spending money on their overpriced drinks and food instead of making and bringing their own at a tailgate. I’m not saying to would greatly affect tailgate options. But it would benefit the Bills. 
 

I would add that I doubt it would happen though. Of course it’s possible it could. I just feel like it would have been noted at some point by now by someone. Hell, someone found it in the contract about “transportation hub” which we have no idea what that could mean. I would think a comment about a bar or restaurant being available would have been documented and probably talked about by the Bills org leading up to this. My money would be on the doubt that it’ll happen. 
 

but like @SoCal Deek mentioned. Just let it play out and maybe we’ll all be pleasantly surprised. 

The transpo hub was part of the agreement between the team and county. That deal’s done. Any on-site eatery/bar/restaurant would (most likely) be a partnership between the team and private vendors. Those deals are not done. So apples and oranges there.

[mrags]

1 minute ago, SoCal Deek said:

Exactly! So why not create the best tailgating experience in the nation with plenty of restrooms, electrical hookups, solar carports, performance stages, and parking lot based beverage/concession stands. This is WNY, not Southern California. If fans are going to cough up extra cash for the seats themselves, why not make the before game experience truly extraordinary at a price that your regular Bills fans can afford?

Think that’s a great idea. I’m just worried that none of that will change as far as outside the stadium options. 
 

personally I think they should remove the 300s and 200s from the current stadium now after all is said and done. Create an awning type roof over the field and create an indoor/outdoor zone right on the field of the old stadium. Blast some heat in there in the winter for a place for people to stay warm. Have multiple vendors inside maybe a few bar areas. 
 

In Baltimore where the tailgating is extremely limited they have multiple large tented areas that are like the “official colors light zone” where you could throw in TVs to watch other games, create bar spaces. And people would gladly spend money for that experience. Not everyone wants to jump through flaming tables in the parking lots. Some of us are adults now. 

3 minutes ago, JoPoy88 said:

The transpo hub was part of the agreement between the team and county. That deal’s done. Any on-site eatery/bar/restaurant would (most likely) be a partnership between the team and private vendors. Those deals are not done. So apples and oranges there.

I guess we will see. I just think it would have been commented by someone already at this point if they thought that was something they would do. 

[NC-billsfan!]

5 minutes ago, SoCal Deek said:

Exactly! So why not create the best tailgating experience in the nation with plenty of restrooms, electrical hookups, solar carports, performance stages, and parking lot based beverage/concession stands. This is WNY, not Southern California. If fans are going to cough up extra cash for the seats themselves, why not make the before game experience truly extraordinary at a price that your regular Bills fans can afford?

I’m all for improving the tailgate experience. I think there is a problem with your proposal. Liability.  Not positive, but if they acknowledge it, participate in it, they then become liable. Any lawyers here that might expand on this thought?

[SoCal Deek]

9 minutes ago, NC-billsfan! said:

I’m all for improving the tailgate experience. I think there is a problem with your proposal. Liability.  Not positive, but if they acknowledge it, participate in it, they then become liable. Any lawyers here that might expand on this thought?

Every stadium everywhere has tailgating. Think of it more like a big public park. Providing bathrooms and electricity doesn’t increase the state’s or team’s liability. It may actually decrease it. But how great would it be to go out there and have a bunch of local bands performing on well designed stages throughout the grounds? The bands get exposure and gain a following and the cost to the Team would be virtually nothing. At Cowboy stadium they have a main stage in a plaza just outside the large glass end of the stadium. It’s a blast! 

[JoPoy88]

3 minutes ago, SoCal Deek said:

Every stadium everywhere has tailgating. Think of it more like a big public park. Providing bathrooms and electricity doesn’t increase the state’s or team’s liability. It may actually decrease it. But how great would it be to go out there and have a bunch of local bands performing on well designed stages throughout the grounds? The bands get exposure and gain a following and the cost to the Team would be virtually nothing. At Cowboy stadium they have a main stage in a plaza just outside the large glass end of the stadium. It’s a blast! 

100% agree. On Populous’ site page for the stadium, they speak of this “Family circle” open area (the area with the large bison sculpture.) I’m assuming they have plans to utilize that space.

[mrags]

3 minutes ago, SoCal Deek said:

Every stadium everywhere has tailgating. Think of it more like a big public park. Providing bathrooms and electricity doesn’t increase the state’s or team’s liability. It may actually decrease it. But how great would it be to go out there and have a bunch of local bands performing on well designed stages throughout the grounds? The bands get exposure and gain a following and the cost to the Team would be virtually nothing. At Cowboy stadium they have a main stage in a plaza just outside the large glass end of the stadium. It’s a blast! 

Was thinking something like this as well. Maybe not like something I’d expect out of Nashville. But something. Again, the liability wouldn’t be anymore than why it is already by offering booze in the stadium. 

 

[SoCal Deek]

14 minutes ago, mrags said:

Was thinking something like this as well. Maybe not like something I’d expect out of Nashville. But something. Again, the liability wouldn’t be anymore than why it is already by offering booze in the stadium. 

 

And then include super large format TV screens at even more sub-stages so people can hang around afterwards and watch the late games while the parking lots are clearing out. (Or the occasional early game from London.)

[mrags]

13 minutes ago, SoCal Deek said:

And then include super large format TV screens at even more sub-stages so people can hang around afterwards and watch the late games while the parking lots are clearing out. (Or the occasional early game from London.)

All things I’d like to see. And hope to see. I just fear we won’t. I really feel like it’s going to be more of the same 

[SoCal Deek]

3 minutes ago, mrags said:

All things I’d like to see. And hope to see. I just fear we won’t. I really feel like it’s going to be more of the same 

Think of it more like a Disneyland devoted to football. An all day experience in which the game is more like the headline event on the main stage. Before Disney created the ‘theme’ park all anyone knew was a bunch of carnival rides set in asphalt. But, what if you could create a similar themed experience centered on the Buffalo Bills and the NFL? Fans would come from everywhere just to be part of it. Super cool! 

[mrags]

8 minutes ago, SoCal Deek said:

Think of it more like a Disneyland devoted to football. An all day experience in which the game is more like the headline event on the main stage. Before Disney created the ‘theme’ park all anyone knew was a bunch of carnival rides set in asphalt. But, what if you could create a similar themed experience centered on the Buffalo Bills and the NFL? Fans would come from everywhere just to be part of it. Super cool! 

I agree and it’s what is needed going forward imo. Like it was brought up in the thread before it can’t just be the game and tailgating. It’s got to be a whole day of experience. Drunks 20 somethings aren’t bringing anything to the table as far as what the Bills, the NFL, or the town/city/state is looking for.
They want families spending weeks worth of savings to come to town on a road trip to games. Spending money on organization parking, drinks, food, and memorabilia to go with everyone in the family on their way out.
Showing up a few hours before game time, chugging beers in the lot, puking in your bleacher end zone seat, and getting into an accident on the way home isn’t doing anything for the Bills, the NFL, or the town. 

[Buffalo716]

2 minutes ago, mrags said:

I agree and it’s what is needed going forward imo. Like it was brought up in the thread before it can’t just be the game and tailgating. It’s got to be a whole day of experience. Drunks 20 somethings aren’t bringing anything to the table as far as what the Bills, the NFL, or the town/city/state is looking for.
They want families spending weeks worth of savings to come to town on a road trip to games. Spending money on organization parking, drinks, food, and memorabilia to go with everyone in the family on their way out.
Showing up a few hours before game time, chugging beers in the lot, puking in your bleacher end zone seat, and getting into an accident on the way home isn’t doing anything for the Bills, the NFL, or the town. 

First , Any family that comes to Buffalo to see a Bills game has plenty of options

 

There are tons of restaurants and nightlife and nicer things downtown… Sheas district is beautiful…. There are tons of really nice mom and pop restaurants

 

People are parking in the RV lot a week before the game

 

There’s not a better city the day of a game than buffalo … And I’ve been to 13 stadiums