Ideas for development around new stadium

[Augie]

On 8/6/2022 at 7:53 PM, sullim4 said:

Looking at the map, I see heavy rail between I-90 and NY-5.  I wonder how hard it would be to build a 2 mile extension from the stadium to that and run a shuttle train between there and downtown.

 

That would solve a number of issues with parking, lack of lodging in the area, and drunk drivers that inevitably do stupid things after the game.  The Bills attract a lot of out-of-towners given the migration out of WNY and they really need some lodging that isn't a significant drive away.  Personally, I would really like to have something like this.

 

Let me start with this: I have absolutely no idea what I’m talking about.  If that doesn’t make you want to read on, I don’t know what will!

 

I grew up mostly in Williamsville/Amherst and only went to the stadium on game days or an occasional concert, and NEVER went downtown. I left for college when I was 17 and rarely went back after that. 

 

But…..when I go back now for a game I’ll often stay downtown and I would LOVE some kind of a shuttle or light rail option to get to games.  When I don’t stay downtown I stay on Main St in Williamsville (Hampton Inn). If downtown had a shuttle option I’d move to a hotel there for game day transportation. 

 

I realize it’s probably not easily accomplished or it would be done already, but I’d love that option. 

 

Regardless, as I’ve said all along that as long as they stayed in WNY I’d be happy with any location with or without a dome. GO BILLS! 

 

 

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Edited August 8, 2022 by Augie

[mjd1001]

1 hour ago, BTB said:

IMO the best chance to have activity around the new stadium on non game days and in the off season, it to have an attached Bills HoF, large stadium store, and stadium tours.  
 

Anything more than that beyond the handful of restaurants that already exist is a bit of a pipe dream. 
 

 

Ultimately I agree with you.  Private development and restaurants/hotel might do well during events, but will struggle year round.

Put a Bills Hall of fame there (the one at Lambeau is really nice), the larger stadium store, and stadium tours would be a hit for years after the new stadium was opened.  Creative ideas would be welcome, but year-round, non-gameday development is a tough sell. Think of things that would be cost effective and popular DURING game weekends.

[boater]

38 minutes ago, Augie said:

 

Let me start with this: I have absolutely no idea what I’m talking about.  If that doesn’t make you want to read on, I don’t know what will!

 

I grew up mostly in Williamsville/Amherst and only went to the stadium on game days or an occasional concert, and NEVER went downtown. I left for college when I was 17 and rarely went back after that. 

 

But…..when I go back now for a game I’ll often stay downtown and I would LOVE some kind of a shuttle option to get to games.  When I don’t stay downtown I stay on Main St in Williamsville (Hampton Inn). If downtown had a shuttle option I’d move to a hotel there for game day transportation. 

 

I realize it’s probably not easily accomplished or it would be done already, but I’d love that option. 

 

Regardless, as I’ve said all along that as long as they stayed in WNY I’d be happy with any location with or without a dome. GO BILLS! 

 

 

.

It's a shame buses no longer run to Highmark. When I was a teenager in 1978 I caught an NFT bus to the Fleetwood Mac, Foreigner, Bob Welsh & Pablo Cruise concert at Rich Stadium. The buses idled in the parking lot during the concerts and you rode them home at the end.

 

It was glorious. And the things my parents let me do.. unthinkable today.

[major]

On 8/6/2022 at 4:39 PM, LeGOATski said:

Indian burial ground

 

[ExiledInIllinois]

On 8/6/2022 at 6:55 PM, Solomon Grundy said:

Mighty Taco too

Moe's Southwest Grill.  That's what Green Bay has.   😆... 

[Rochesterfan]

There has been no growth or anything built around the stadium since it opened and there is little reason to believe anything successful would be built with the new stadium as the new stadium changes nothing in the dynamic.

 

There is nothing in the area to drive weekly business to the area.  
 

It is why downtown was the answer if you want to build around the stadium.  There are already 30+ bars and restaurants scattered around Pearl, Elmwood, Delaware - that survive on Weekday business traffic and Friday/Saturday night party traffic.  If you have the established infrastructure that survives without the Stadium- it would enhance and add to it with 11 more weekends of huge crowds.

 

When the stadium was decided back in OP - you are basically just building a stadium - you lose surrounding revenue because nothing will survive long in a rural community that has nothing except 1 day a week for 11 times a year.  They could build a great Hotel on ECC property and a great Hall of Fame, but the Hotel would have to survive on being full about 1/4 of the year and nearly empty the rest of the time - not a long term sustainable plan.

 

 

[SoCal Deek]

15 hours ago, Augie said:

 

Let me start with this: I have absolutely no idea what I’m talking about.  If that doesn’t make you want to read on, I don’t know what will!

 

I grew up mostly in Williamsville/Amherst and only went to the stadium on game days or an occasional concert, and NEVER went downtown. I left for college when I was 17 and rarely went back after that. 

 

But…..when I go back now for a game I’ll often stay downtown and I would LOVE some kind of a shuttle or light rail option to get to games.  When I don’t stay downtown I stay on Main St in Williamsville (Hampton Inn). If downtown had a shuttle option I’d move to a hotel there for game day transportation. 

 

I realize it’s probably not easily accomplished or it would be done already, but I’d love that option. 

 

Regardless, as I’ve said all along that as long as they stayed in WNY I’d be happy with any location with or without a dome. GO BILLS! 

 

 

.

Augie…..don’t look now but you might just be….me! Similar story growing up. Where’d you go to high school? 
 

I find it interesting that now that they decided to keep the stadium way out in the outskirts, they’re looking to develop around it? If they wanted to do that they should’ve put it downtown. Now don’t get me wrong, it didn’t matter to me where they put it, but once it’s out in the suburbs the ship sailed. Just make it the very best game/event day experience and leave it at that.

[PromoTheRobot]

On 8/6/2022 at 7:48 PM, WhoTom said:

 

I heard it was Niagara Falls.

 

 

Nah. Batavia. Connect the dots.

[PromoTheRobot]

On 8/6/2022 at 3:13 PM, mjd1001 said:

Even near Boston with the money and population around there it is an iffy proposition.  I lived in that area in the past, my work office is about 10 minutes from Patriot Place, and when we vacation or visit friends in the area we stop by on occasion.  Not on gameday, but on an average typical weekday, its open but it isn't that busy. Over the years, a lot of shops have come and gone.  

Unless you live right near it, the shine has kinda worn off of it over the years. If you want nightlife, entertainment, or even a fun meal out, The Seaport District in Boston seems to be the new 'in' place to be.

 

I'm sure its great on gamedays or when events are going on, but I'd say 60% or more of time its pretty dead.  And that is in the Suburbs of Boston (not to mention Providence  RI being less than an hour away also.).  I agree something that size wouldn't do well in OP.

 

 

You can't do anything on a scale of Patriot Place. But I wonder how difficult or practical it is to have restaurants that are only open game weekends, or at least scalable downward when there aren't games? Putting a hotel there might help. The is nothing in the way of decent places to stay by the stadium now.

[Ned Flanders]

On 8/6/2022 at 2:27 PM, mjd1001 said:

'Walking distance' to the stadium is not 1.5 miles away, if you can't figure out something that is within sight of the new stadium, then that distance is too far.

"Everywhere is within walking distance...if you have the time."

Steven Wright

[badassgixxer05]

16 hours ago, boater said:

It's a shame buses no longer run to Highmark. When I was a teenager in 1978 I caught an NFT bus to the Fleetwood Mac, Foreigner, Bob Welsh & Pablo Cruise concert at Rich Stadium. The buses idled in the parking lot during the concerts and you rode them home at the end.

 

It was glorious. And the things my parents let me do.. unthinkable today.

They had the gameday bus like 10-15 years ago that I would always take. It was amazing to not have to deal with post game traffic. was super cheap too(a couple bucks) and didnt have to pay for parking. Miss those days.

[Augie]

3 hours ago, SoCal Deek said:

Augie…..don’t look now but you might just be….me! Similar story growing up. Where’d you go to high school? 
 

I find it interesting that now that they decided to keep the stadium way out in the outskirts, they’re looking to develop around it? If they wanted to do that they should’ve put it downtown. Now don’t get me wrong, it didn’t matter to me where they put it, but once it’s out in the suburbs the ship sailed. Just make it the very best game/event day experience and leave it at that.

 

I was shipped in to St Joe’s for high school, and that was as close as I got to downtown. I had two completely different sets of friends. I had the kids I spent the school days with, then the friends who lived out near me. There was very little overlap in those crowds. A bit strange as I look back on it, but it certainly could have been worse. 

 

[mjd1001]

If they want to try to build something 1.5 miles away from the stadium, with private money or "orchard park" money go ahead, I don't think a new stadium is going to help whatever they do all that much.  The attraction will the the stadium. The things that might/will succeed will probably not be private businesses outside of the Bills, but rather anything/everything that the Bills can do right on that plot of land.  Bills Hall of fame, Restaurant ON site, as other have said stadium tours, etc.

 

Its a fallacy that sounds good...that development can happen outside of a football stadium that gets used 10-15 times per year.

 

A few years ago I talked to a small business owner up in Lewiston about how business was on Tuesday nights when Artpark used to have their free concerts in the summer.  5,000, 10,000, sometimes more than that would show up and many would have to park in the village or beyond it to get to Artpark. He told me it was awful, probably his worst night of the week. Why?  The locals didn't want to come to the village shopping and deal with traffic, and the people attending the 'event' would walk right by because they wanted to get to the concert. Once they were in Artpark, they ate and drank there, but then once the concert was done, their goal again was not to go shopping or go out to eat, but rather to get to their cars and get out of traffic and get home.

 

Any thing you can build 'on site' will do fine. Development even across the street from the stadium will be 'iffy'.  Development more than 1/2 mile away that you think will be supported by fans...pipe dream.

 

Edited August 8, 2022 by mjd1001