Future Buffalo Bills stadium

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Future Buffalo Bills stadium
LocationOrchard Park, New York (presumed)
OperatorPegula Sports and Entertainment
Tenants
Buffalo Bills (NFL)

An American football stadium has been proposed for use by the Buffalo Bills in the near future after their lease on Highmark Stadium expires in 2023. Numerous proposals from private entities have been submitted to the City of Buffalo, Erie County, the Bills, and the State of New York since the early 2010s. The Bills submitted a proposal for a $1.4 billion, 60,000-seat stadium in Orchard Park on August 31, 2021, set for completion by 2027.[1]

New Era Cap Company held right of first refusal over naming rights to the stadium as part of a naming rights deal with the team's current stadium that was signed in August 2016[2] but withdrew from that agreement in July 2020.[3]

Background[]

The Buffalo Bills' lease included a provision allowing for the creation of a working group to explore options for either a new stadium for the team, or an extensive retrofit of their current Highmark Stadium (New York).

On February 10, 2014, Governor Andrew Cuomo's administration appointed Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown, Niagara Falls Mayor Paul Dyster, Lt. Gov. Robert Duffy, Buffalo Niagara Partnership CEO Dottie Gallagher-Cohen and Empire State Development President Kenneth Adams to a new study board to discuss the feasibility and plans for a new stadium.[4]

Later, on March 6, 2014, the County of Erie appointed its seven members to the board, including future New York State governor Kathy Hochul, then with M&T Bank, and Richard Tobe, the Deputy Erie County Executive.[5]

Shortly after the death of owner Ralph Wilson, on March 27, 2014, the Bills selected their members for the panel, including U.S. Senator Charles Schumer, Bills CEO and President Russ Brandon, local developer Louis Ciminelli, Bills CFO Jeff Littman, New Era Cap Co. CEO Christoper Koch among others.[6] The group's first meeting was held on April 1.

On November 5, 2014, Terry and Kim Pegula joined the working group.[7]

In mid-January 2015, AECOM, retained by the State of New York, released a report detailing suggested stadium sites based upon criteria of site size, cost of land, infrastructure and external development, among other factors. The study narrowed the search to four sites.[8]

The Pegulas indicated on July 31, 2015 that they had no immediate plans to pursue a new stadium.[9] The situation remained unchanged as of November 2017.[10] By March 2018, the Pegulas had entered the "very early stages" of exploring long-term stadium options for the Bills.[11] In September 2018, the Pegulas stated that they would begin planning the new stadium, or possibly renovating the current one, after the November 2018 gubernatorial elections, as state funding would likely be required.[12]

During the fall of 2018, PS&E hired consultant CAA ICON to handle stadium planning for both the Bills and the Buffalo Sabres, with no constraints on potential locations. Concurrently, Erie County has created a new stadium fund, for which $500,000 was set aside in 2018 with the same amount earmarked for 2019.[13] The first focus groups were assembled in February 2019.[14]

Mark Poloncarz, the current county executive of Erie County, New York, stated in 2012 that a stadium in the city of Buffalo would not be feasible, as too much property in the city remained in private hands, which would trigger an eminent domain lawsuit if it were seized to build the stadium. He reiterated those concerns in 2019, though in that case he stopped short of ruling out a stadium within the city so as not to disrupt negotiations.[15]

During the January 2020 State of the League address, commissioner Roger Goodell stated in regard to the Bills' stadium plans: “Those are things that the group has to settle collectively and to address over the next several months, if not sooner.”[16]

On June 18, 2021, the Pegulas chose Legends Global Planning to represent ownership, consult on a new stadium and sell sponsorships and premium seats for the venue.[17] In addition, an unnamed source claimed that the Bills are planning to build a new stadium in Orchard Park to replace Highmark Stadium, with two of the television stations in Rochester, New York reporting the unnamed source's claims as fact.[18] Under the claimed plan, the project is expected to take three to five years to complete, with a possibility to be ready by 2025. The Bills may be forced to use an alternate site while the team waits for the project to be completed, with relocating to Beaver Stadium in State College, Pennsylvania and/or reviving the Bills Toronto Series being options during the construction. The Bills have refused to comment on the issue. Erie County acknowledged that the Bills had hired Legends following a late May meeting between the county and the Bills ownership but noted that the county was not involved in the hiring; they also explicitly denied that the team had agreed on a stadium site and rejected claims that the team would have to leave western New York temporarily, as the county would readily extend the lease if such a scenario would occur.[19][20] A June 19 report from WGRZ in Buffalo, also neither confirmed nor denied by any officials, stated that the Bills strongly preferred to build a new stadium and not attempt any further renovations on Highmark Stadium.[19]

In early August it was reported that Pegula Sports and Entertainment had made their first offer demanding full taxpayer funding of a new stadium in Orchard Park at a cost of $1.1 billion, part of a broader $1.5 billion package that would also include renovations to KeyBank Center, Buffalo's indoor sports arena.[21] The Pegulas reportedly threatened to relocate the team to Austin, Texas if their demands were not met, though they had not contacted anybody in Austin prior to suggesting the idea.[22]

On August 31, 2021, the Bills submitted their plans for a $1.4 billion, 60,000-seat stadium in Orchard Park to representatives of the state and Erie County to be completed by 2027. The proposed capacity is 12,000 seats less than Highmark Stadium and 1,500 seats less than Soldier Field, the lowest capacity stadium currently used in the NFL (and whose main tenant the Chicago Bears are also exploring a new stadium[23]). The new venue will not include a roof, but it would be designed so that a majority of the seats would be protected from the elements, and thus the stadium would be ineligible to host the Super Bowl. The report states there were three potential locations for the stadium that were considered before choosing the parking lot across the street from the current stadium, and Pegula Sports and Entertainment is negotiating the question of how much public money would be spent on the new stadium with state and county officials.[24][25][26] The Bills set a deadline of July 2023, when the team's current lease on Highmark Stadium expires, for municipalities to agree to terms on a new stadium, and that they would "absolutely not" renew their lease if no such agreement is struck.[27]

Proposals[]

Outer Harbor stadium proposal[]

The first major Buffalo Bills stadium proposal was presented in 2012. On October 23, George Hasiotis and Nicholas Stracick of Greater Buffalo Sports and Entertainment Complex, a Delaware-based LLC, presented a rendered plan created by architect firm HKS, Inc. to the Buffalo Common Council. The plan included a $1.4 billion, 72,000-seat retractable roof stadium, convention center, hotel and sports museum plan for the Buffalo Outer Harbor.[28] At first this plan was met with some cynicism, in particular because of the feasibility of the project.

On December 11, the company met with local AFL-CIO members to discuss the number of jobs created by the proposed project, which was said to be 10,000. Stracick also disclosed that there are "15 private, secret sponsors" willing to fund the project. He also stated that no tax money would be used to fund a stadium.[29]

In January 2013, the group met with Erie County legislators, their second major appearance since October. During this meeting, the idea of having the Strong Foundation open a sports museum on the $1.8 billion premises was also strengthened.[30]

Howard Zemsky, chairman of the NFTA has said that he is opposed to the project, referring to the idea of granting a nine to twelve month option on the waterfront land, saying simply "we're not doing that."

In May 2013 the GBSEC submitted a $500,000 offer to the NFTA for the exclusive right to negotiate the purchase of 150 acres (61 ha) of outer harbor land.[31]

On August 26, 2014, it was announced that the Outer Harbor site was no longer being considered, after a study showed that at least four bridges would need to be built to effectively service the increase in traffic.[32]

Buffalo Sports Corridor[]

On May 11, 2014, another proposal for an outer harbor sports complex was announced by Buffalo Sportz Complex, known as "Olympia Sports Park." This complex would be located slightly south of the GBSEC proposed site.

Thomas Dee, President of the Erie County Harbor Development Corporation, acknowledged the proposal but also noted that similar projects, including the GBSEC proposal, also exist for competition.[33]

Artvoice proposal[]

The August 7, 2014, issue of Artvoice, a local magazine for the Buffalo area, detailed a plan for a new Bills stadium and retail in downtown Buffalo, immediately to the east of the KeyBank Center.[34]

Possible locations[]

The AECOM report recommended four sites, including along the Buffalo River and Ohio Street, next to the KeyBank Center, at the current site of Highmark Stadium, and across from Sahlen Field.

Other potential stadium locations have been mentioned or rumored, including:

On August 26, 2014, it was announced that the Niagara Falls (which may have used a large plot being held by Howard Milstein) and Buffalo Outer Harbor sites have been ruled out based on similar issues with infrastructure related to the two sites.[38]

References[]

  1. ^ Watson, Stephen T. (August 31, 2021). "Bills submit plan for $1.4 billion, 60,000-seat stadium in Orchard Park". The Buffalo News. Retrieved 31 August 2021.
  2. ^ Fink, James (August 17, 2016). "New Era Field replacing Ralph Wilson Stadium name". Business First. Retrieved August 17, 2016.
  3. ^ "New Era Field no more; Buffalo Bills pursuing new name for stadium". WGRZ. July 15, 2020. Retrieved July 15, 2020.
  4. ^ Warner, Gene (February 10, 2014). "Cuomo names first members to group tasked with exploring new Bills stadium". Buffalo News. Retrieved 12 February 2014.
  5. ^ "County Names Seven Members to New Stadium Committee". WKBW. 6 March 2014. Retrieved 29 March 2014.
  6. ^ McCarthy, Robert (27 March 2014). "Bills announce their picks to panel that will explore options for new stadium". The Buffalo News. Retrieved 29 March 2014.
  7. ^ Brown, Chris (November 5, 2014). "Pegulas update their plans for Bills". Buffalo Bills. Retrieved November 6, 2014.
  8. ^ "BUFFALO NFL STADIUM SITE OPTIONS ANALYSIS" (PDF). WGRZ. December 23, 2014. Retrieved January 18, 2015.
  9. ^ http://wlvl.com/2015/07/31/pegula-no-immediate-plans-for-new-bills-stadium/
  10. ^ Sommer, Mark (11 February 2017). "New stadium? The ball is in Pegula's court, Zemsky says".
  11. ^ http://wivb.com/2018/03/28/sal-capaccio-goodell-says-pegulas-are-looking-at-long-term-stadium-planning/
  12. ^ "Pegula: Bills stadium plans on hold until after elections". Pro32: Head to Head.
  13. ^ Tan, Sandra; Epstein, Jonathan D. (27 November 2018). "Everything on the table as Pegulas weigh Bills, Sabres stadium options". The Buffalo News. Berkshire Hathaway. Retrieved 13 December 2018.
  14. ^ Fink, James (February 6, 2019). "Next step in stadium study: Focus group number one". Business First. Retrieved February 6, 2019.
  15. ^ Whalen, Ryan (July 15, 2019). Poloncarz Says County Told State a Downtown Stadium Wasn't Feasible in 2012. Spectrum News. Retrieved July 16, 2019.
  16. ^ Alper, Josh (January 29, 2020). "Goodell: Bills stadium issues have to be settled in coming months". Profootballtalk.com. Retrieved January 29, 2020.
  17. ^ "Report: Buffalo Bills, PSE consulting with Legends Global Planning about potential new stadium". WKBW. 2021-06-18. Retrieved 2021-06-19.
  18. ^ Parrino, Matt (June 18, 2021). "Bills to build new stadium in Orchard Park (report)". syracuse.com. Retrieved June 18, 2021.
  19. ^ a b "Sources: Bills would prefer to build new stadium over more renovations". June 18, 2021. Retrieved June 19, 2021.
  20. ^ "Poloncarz says some speculating about a new Buffalo Bills stadium are getting ahead of themselves". MSN.com. Retrieved June 25, 2021.
  21. ^ Precious, Tom (August 1, 2021). "Bills seek $1.1 billion new stadium in Orchard Park – paid for by public". The Buffalo News. Retrieved 1 August 2021.
  22. ^ Orr, Conor (August 2, 2021). "Austin Bills? NFL Owners Are Running Out of Plausible Ways to Squeeze Taxpayers". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved August 3, 2021.
  23. ^ Alyssa, Bariberi (2021-06-17). "Bears submit bid to purchase Arlington International Racecourse for potential new stadium". bearswire. Retrieved 2021-06-18.
  24. ^ Wawrow, John (August 31, 2021). "AP Exclusive: Bills propose 60,000-seat stadium by 2027". Associated Press. Retrieved September 1, 2021.
  25. ^ Watson, Stephen T. (August 31, 2021). "Bills submit plan for $1.4 billion, 60,000-seat stadium in Orchard Park". The Buffalo News. Retrieved September 1, 2021.
  26. ^ "AP: Proposed new Bills' stadium to include 60,000 seats and be built by 2027". WRGZ. August 31, 2021. Retrieved September 1, 2021.
  27. ^ "Bills Won't Renew Lease In July '23 Without New Stadium Deal". Associated Press. September 2, 2021. Retrieved September 3, 2021.
  28. ^ Sommer, Mark (October 23, 2012). "Retractable-roof stadium proposed for outer harbor". The Buffalo News. Retrieved 27 October 2012.
  29. ^ Martinez, Natalia (December 11, 2012). "Pitch to Union for New Bills Stadium". TWCNews. Retrieved January 17, 2013.
  30. ^ Raguse, Lou. "Businessmen push for downtown stadium". Archived from the original on 17 January 2013. Retrieved 17 January 2013.
  31. ^ Holmes, Melissa. "Waterfront Stadium Group Makes $500K Land Offer to NFTA". WGRZ.com. Gannett. Archived from the original on 16 June 2013. Retrieved 18 May 2013.
  32. ^ "Finalists for site of a new Bills stadium are likely in Erie County - The Buffalo News". www.buffaloNews.com. Retrieved 2015-11-17.
  33. ^ "A park is born, while waterfront planning proceeds - The Buffalo News". www.buffaloNews.com. Retrieved 2015-11-17.
  34. ^ "Our Downtown Stadium". artvoice.com. Retrieved 2015-11-17.
  35. ^ Kulyk, Andrew (August 7, 2014). "Our Downtown Stadium". Artvoice Daily. Artvoice Daily. Retrieved September 29, 2014.
  36. ^ Maiorana, Sal (May 25, 2014). "Batavia knows it's a long shot for stadium". Democrat and Chronicle. Retrieved September 29, 2014.
  37. ^ McKinley, Dave (May 29, 2014). "Poloncarz Says Congel Only Casually Mentioned Interest in Bills, Stadium". WGRZ. Retrieved September 29, 2014.
  38. ^ Precious, Tom (August 28, 2014). "Finalists for site of a new Bills stadium are likely in Erie County". The Buffalo News. Retrieved September 29, 2014.
Preceded by Home of the
Buffalo Bills 		Succeeded by
none
Retrieved from ""