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Old Posted Aug 9, 2014, 10:42 PM
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Our Downtown Stadium (Buffalo)

Our Downtown Stadium


08/07/2014

By Andrew Kulyk



Read More: http://artvoice.com/issues/v13n32/cover_story

Quote:
.....

Ralph Wilson Stadium will be reopening this month with $130-million in new improvements, many to enhance the fan experience, and the Bills have a current ten-year lease with Erie County to play at the Ralph–with substantial financial penalties if they relocate. That lease shouldn’t be an issue. It is basically a very generous grace period to build a new stadium, or an equally long grieving period for the fans to say goodbye to their team before they move on.

- If the team stays we’ll need a new stadium, period. Even with this season’s additions of new fan amenities, scoreboards, and fresh coats of paint, The Ralph is a crumbling four-decade old edifice lacking “good bones” and infrastructure and the revenue generators needed to be viable in today’s NFL. Fans may be happy with it but what fans think matters little compared to what the other 31 NFL owners think.

- NFL revenues are shared. That means, whatever our stadium can produce for the league outweighs whatever Buffalo fans might like. The Stadium’s location, size, the number of suites and the opportunities for sponsors are what matter to the league as a whole. This is the era of the new stadium. Billion dollar plus facilities have been built in Dallas, New York, St Paul, and more are being planned.

- Where do we build a replacement stadium? The ideas are many: build it on the current stadium’s property; build it in Batavia, midpoint between Buffalo and Rochester; or the Central Terminal; or Niagara Falls; or, as developer Scott Congel suggested, on the vacant Seneca Mall property in W. Seneca. Or, how about Buffalo, the actual birthplace of the Buffalo Bills?

- In anticipation of the announcement of a new owner, Artvoice teamed up with local architect, urban planner and respected University at Buffalo Clinical Assistant Professor Bradley Wales, to articulate a bold proposal for a new downtown stadium adjacent to the Cobblestone District. The stadium would dramatically reinvigorate not only that historic neighborhood, but also generate a ripple effect to help undo Buffalo’s most epic planning mistakes of the last generation.

- “Call it the Artvoice Downtown Stadium Plan”, said Wales, who moved to Buffalo in 1989 and has served as a teacher at UB beginning in 1997 in their School of Architecture and Urban Design. A passionate advocate of the arts and a huge sports fan, Wales has taken community leadership roles in numerous urban projects.

- “Compared to other Rust Belt cities that have experienced quicker economic recoveries, it is widely understood that Buffalo has made at least six major planning mistakes over the course of the last half of the 20th century. The likely investment of a billion dollars for a new stadium and associated development presents an opportunity to address at least five of these six major mistakes,” said Wales. “This is a very, very exciting, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”

- “Want to reconnect the City to the waterfront? Expand the Convention Center and locate it closer to Canalside? Refurbish and reuse the Central Terminal? Create mid-size development opportunities rather than relying on a silver bullet? Then move the new stadium downtown and build around it. Cleveland, Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, Jacksonville, Seattle and Indianapolis have done just that. Minneapolis has shovels in the ground for their new stadium right now.

- Wales’ proposal suggests a retractable roof, 65,000-70,000 seat stadium, situated adjacent to the Cobblestone District, on a block bounded by Perry St. to the south, Michigan St. to the east, Exchange St. on the north, and an extension of Illinois St. on the west. Most of the land is transportation brownfields or parking lots, except for the loading dock facilities for the Buffalo News, which would need to be rebuilt north of their office building. The rest of this parcel contains the voluminous network of ramps servicing the Elm and Oak Street exits off of the Niagara Thruway. The Buffalo News falls in the epicenter of the overall plan and would have a wrap-around 3-story digital media billboard facing the main stadium plazas shared by First Niagara Center and the new stadium.

- In the most ambitious part of Wales’ plan, a little less than a mile of the I-190 Thruway would be rebuilt with a section tunneled under the new stadium. The gaggle of ramps strangling that area’s development would disappear. “It could be named the ‘Small Dig’,” said Wales, referring to Boston’s enormous Big Dig project which tunneled Boston’s I-93 central artery under their downtown core. Buffalo’s remake of this section of the I-190 would be vastly less ambitious and less costly in size, scope and timetable. --- “Taking down those overhead ramps provides immediate connectivity between Buffalo’s central core and Canalside. Just think of the value of the land of those ramps,” said Wales.

- Placing the stadium adjacent to the Cobblestone District creates a nexus of entertainment, connecting First Niagara Center, the new HarborCenter, Coca Cola Field, and the Canalside Inner Harbor development parcels. And it adds more critical mass to what’s already been developed in that area, the Pierce-Arrow Museum, the Seneca Buffalo Creek Casino, the adaptive reuse of historic buildings along Mississippi Street, the Elk Terminal residential complex, and the reconstruction of the Fairmont Creamery on Scott Street. Based on what’s happened in other cities, Wales sees the potential for much more.

- In downtown Cincinnati, developers took the vacant land situated between their new football and baseball stadiums along the Ohio River and created “The Banks”, a dynamic mixed use retail and residential development anchored by the National Underground Museum. Five years after breaking ground, there are hundreds of residential units and over 50 restaurants and shops situated in 3-4 story buildings fronting along narrow streets, all walking distance from the two sports venues.

- “One could envision these streets constituting a mixed use ‘stadium village’ with all sorts of fun things to see and do, not only on game day but all year round,” said Wales. Small development parcels are planned on all sides of the stadium, somewhat recreating the street grid that was in place before the I-190 was erected in the 50s and suggests development north and east of the stadium, providing an urban density connecting the new stadium to Coca Cola Field via an extension of Illinois Street.

.....













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  #2  
Old Posted Aug 9, 2014, 11:48 PM
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So what is going to fill the place the other 355 days? This sounds like the same monorail that every NFL owner pitches to desperate cities. Shit weather already precludes many dates.
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Old Posted Aug 10, 2014, 12:04 AM
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With the possible exception of the fountain of youth, there is no more foolish quest than stimulating economic redevelopment by building the NFL another stadium.
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Old Posted Aug 10, 2014, 12:09 AM
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A great piece to propose sucking taxpayer money to support millionaire athletes and billionaire owners. If it is such a great business opportunity, let business pay for it.
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Old Posted Aug 10, 2014, 12:22 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by krudmonk View Post
So what is going to fill the place the other 355 days? This sounds like the same monorail that every NFL owner pitches to desperate cities. Shit weather already precludes many dates.

I never understood this logic. What makes you think NFL stadiums are only used for football games?

Here's an example of what's going on at CenturyLink Field in Seattle, and this is just over the next few months:

Quote:
Originally Posted by dtell04 View Post
If anyone thinks a stadium would only be used for football games please read it carefully.
http://www.centurylinkfield.com/event-calendar/






CenturyLink Field Events Calendar





August 2014




Date

Time

Event

Location

Aug 10 7:30pm Seattle Sounders FC vs Houston Dynamo CenturyLink Field
Aug 15 7pm Preseason Week 2: Seahawks vs Chargers Seattle, WA
Aug 20 7pm Seattle Sounders FC vs San Jose Earthquakes CenturyLink Field
Aug 21 6pm Ed Sheeran with Rudimental WaMu Theater
Aug 22 7pm Preseason Week 3: Seahawks vs Bears Seattle, WA
Aug 28 7pm NCAA Football: Washington State University vs. Rutgers CenturyLink Field
Aug 29 8pm Porter Robinson WaMu Theater
Aug 30 1pm Seattle Sounders FC vs Colorado Rapids CenturyLink Field

September 2014




Date

Time

Event

Location

Sep 1 7am 5K Run: NFL Kickoff Run CenturyLink Field
Sep 4 5:30pm Regular Season Week 1: Seahawks vs Packers Seattle, WA
Sep 11 11am Seattle Fall RV Show CenturyLink Field Event Center
Sep 12 11am Seattle Fall RV Show CenturyLink Field Event Center
Sep 12 7:30pm Seattle Sounders FC vs Real Salt Lake CenturyLink Field
Sep 13 10am Seattle Fall RV Show CenturyLink Field Event Center
Sep 14 10am Seattle Fall RV Show CenturyLink Field Event Center
Sep 19 7pm benefit 2014 for pediatric cancer research WaMu Theater
Sep 20 7pm Dada Life: Dada Land Compound Seattle WaMu Theater
Sep 21 1:25pm Regular Season Week 3: Seahawks vs Broncos Seattle, Washington
Sep 27 1pm Seattle Sounders FC vs Chivas USA CenturyLink Field

October 2014




Date

Time

Event

Location

Oct 3 10am Seattle Home Show 2 CenturyLink Field Event Center
Oct 4 10am Seattle Home Show 2 CenturyLink Field Event Center
Oct 5 10am Seattle Home Show 2 CenturyLink Field Event Center
Oct 10 7pm Seattle Sounders FC vs Vancouver Whitecaps FC CenturyLink Field
Oct 12 1:25pm Regular Season Week 6: Seahawks vs Cowboys Seattle, Washington
Oct 15 Seattle Auto Show CenturyLink Field Event Center
Oct 16 Seattle Auto Show CenturyLink Field Event Center
Oct 17 Seattle Auto Show CenturyLink Field Event Center
Oct 18 Seattle Auto Show CenturyLink Field Event Center
Oct 19 Seattle Auto Show CenturyLink Field Event Center
Oct 25 12pm Seattle Sounders FC vs Los Angeles Galaxy CenturyLink Field
Oct 25 7pm Safe in Sound Tour WaMu Theater
Oct 31 2 Days FreakNight 2014 WaMu Theater

November 2014




Date

Time

Event

Location

Nov 2 1:25pm Regular Season Week 9: Seahawks vs Raiders Seattle, Washington
Nov 9 1:25pm Regular Season Week 10: Seahawks vs Giants Seattle, Washington
Nov 14 2pm Ski Dazzle: The Seattle Ski & Snowboard Show CenturyLink Field Event Center
Nov 15 10am Ski Dazzle: The Seattle Ski & Snowboard Show CenturyLink Field Event Center
Nov 16 10am Ski Dazzle: The Seattle Ski & Snowboard Show CenturyLink Field Event Center
Nov 19 8am Pacific Marine Expo CenturyLink Field Event Center
Nov 20 8am Pacific Marine Expo CenturyLink Field Event Center
Nov 21 8am Pacific Marine Expo CenturyLink Field Event Center
Nov 23 1:05pm Regular Season Week 12: Seahawks vs Cardinals Seattle, Washington

December 2014




Date

Time

Event

Location

Dec 14 1:25pm Regular Season Week 15: Seahawks vs 49ers Seattle, Washington
Dec 28 1:25pm Regular Season Week 17: Seahawks vs Rams Seattle, Washington

Events calendar powered by Trumba


Printed: Sunday, August 03, 2014 at 9:08 PM PDT Calendar events displayed in Pacific Daylight Time/Pacific Standard Time
Ignoring the professional sporting games, there's multiple expos, shows, college games, concerts, etc.
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Old Posted Aug 10, 2014, 1:02 AM
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Exactly. Stadiums tend to draw more than just a Sunday afternoon professional football game.
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Old Posted Aug 10, 2014, 1:48 AM
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WaMu theatre and Centurylink Event Centre are NOT the NFL stadium. I see NFL games, MLS games and ONE college football game. And I don't expect Buffalo to get an MLS team anytime soon.
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Old Posted Aug 10, 2014, 2:20 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Derek View Post
I never understood this logic. What makes you think NFL stadiums are only used for football games?

Here's an example of what's going on at CenturyLink Field in Seattle, and this is just over the next few months:

Ignoring the professional sporting games, there's multiple expos, shows, college games, concerts, etc.
Where did I say or even imply that football games are all that could be held there? We have Levi's Stadium here now, so I am well aware of the ancillary events being booked in an NFL venue. We've already had MLS there, which is not possible for Buffalo. An NHL outdoor game is coming in February; whereas, Buffalo hosted one relatively recently and would be further down the queue for such games. Wrestlemania is going on in March, which cannot happen outside in Buffalo. Mexico and Chile will pack the place next month. Berkeley and Oregon are playing a Pac 12 game there in the fall and the conference title game will be hosted there, too, but no football conference of similar stature exists in or around Buffalo except maybe with Syracuse a few hours away.

So what events can we expect in the warm months there?
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Old Posted Aug 10, 2014, 4:31 AM
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A sports stadium has never revitalized a city. Generally speaking, they're of little economic benefit, and can even be a net negative in high-value locations.

That said, I hope the new Buffalo football stadium goes downtown. If you're gonna build a new stadium, might as well put it somewhere central and convenient to transit.
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Old Posted Aug 10, 2014, 4:36 AM
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Do you have any idea? How about roof shade? They have keep away from the snow storm. Those fans that they don't want to get cold. They have keep roof closed. They don't want to get sick. I have idea. Can they install the heating system?
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Old Posted Aug 10, 2014, 5:05 AM
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The stadium isn't being built to revitalize Buffalo, it is being built because the team needs it. I mean, it's a 40 year old stadium.

Can someone explain to me how building a stadium is a bad thing?
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Old Posted Aug 10, 2014, 5:54 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Double L View Post
Can someone explain to me how building a stadium is a bad thing?
It could be a very bad thing if built in a high density, high value location, because you're displacing a potentially active area with mostly dead uses.

For example, Madison Square Garden, despite regularly being the busiest arena on earth, is almost universally thought of as a huge blight, because it displaces what would otherwise be millions of square feet of highrise development and transit infrastructure. That's why the mayor and city council are forcing the arena to move.

A football stadium would be much worse, because you will never get the same usage as an indoor arena (especially smaller basketball/hockey type arena), the use requires far more space than a smaller arena, and there are often greater ancillary needs like tailgating and parking.

All that said, Manhattan is an extreme case, and so in most urban centers a sports arena will not really be a negative use. But I doubt another sports arena is ever built in Manhattan again, simply because the use would be a guaranteed negative. No arena can match the 24/7 vibrancy of high density mixed use development.
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Old Posted Aug 10, 2014, 6:25 AM
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^^^^

With MSG though, couldn't we say that the income generated in economic activity is greater than if it was to just be offices? Plus, mass transit wise, it can't get any better being on top of the businesses train station in the U.S.. NYC has enough vibrancy IMO, and MSG adds to it in a way.

Despite its old appearance, and not so stellar station below, it definitely is a cultural icon for NYC.
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Old Posted Aug 10, 2014, 1:57 PM
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The stadium appears to be part of a greater plan for vibrancy in the downtown. With making the downtown more walkable, burying part of a highway and better transit options.
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Old Posted Aug 10, 2014, 2:12 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by M II A II R II K View Post
The stadium appears to be part of a greater plan for vibrancy in the downtown. With making the downtown more walkable, burying part of a highway and better transit options.
thats exactly it - an almost stealth plan to pull away from suburbia, where the stadium is now in op, and improve transit and vibrancy downtown. rather brilliant too as its an easier sell playing on emotions of losing the bills to toronto or wherever than it is to selling a big downtown transit revitalization project on its own merits. good luck to them.
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Old Posted Aug 11, 2014, 12:46 AM
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So they're going to stick $130 mil in the Ralph only to tear it down? Please tell me that's not the case.

How do you build a stadium in Downtown Buffalo and not put it on the riverfront?
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Old Posted Aug 11, 2014, 10:45 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Rail>Auto View Post
So they're going to stick $130 mil in the Ralph only to tear it down? Please tell me that's not the case.

How do you build a stadium in Downtown Buffalo and not put it on the riverfront?
Because the river front and the out harbor are more valuable (and also slated for other redevelopment) than this land in the cobblestone district which is currently a sea of parking. This plan also assumes that Terry Pegula buys the team and wants to put them next to the Sabres and continue his empire building. I think if it comes downtown it would be a retractable dome and I think you'll see it sold to the state and the county with major convention center component, which the city desperately needs. I would look at a stadium like this in this location as being a buffer between downtown and the Perry Projects, which aren't too bad, but the BMHA doesn't seem very interested in keeping them looking nice either. It leaves Ohio street, the Old First Ward and the Buffalo river open for redevelopment and gentrification which is surely coming if the city keeps its momentum.
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Old Posted Aug 16, 2014, 3:55 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Derek View Post
I never understood this logic. What makes you think NFL stadiums are only used for football games?

Here's an example of what's going on at CenturyLink Field in Seattle, and this is just over the next few months:



Ignoring the professional sporting games, there's multiple expos, shows, college games, concerts, etc.
We'll, not to be a cynic... But buffalo isn't exactly seattle. Buffalo is a poor rust belt city that can't afford a billion dollar stadium. If you look at football stadiums, they do nothing in development. Even cowboy stadium is only used maybe 20-30 days a year. Seattle is a different case because there are 2 teams there...and buffalo is not getting a mls team...likely ever. Sad to say, but as big of a piece as this team is to the city, it would likely be much more valuable to toronto. They should at least consider moving the stadium closer to toronto. Buffalo is just a different case because it's the only team in ny...but it's not NYC. Those people could care less about what happens I wny.
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Old Posted Aug 16, 2014, 11:42 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by LouisianaCharm View Post
They should at least consider moving the stadium closer to toronto.
No thanks, we here in Toronto have a football team already. If Torontonians want to watch NFL they can continue traveling to Buffalo like they're doing now. I hope this downtown stadium assures that the Bills remain there for the next 4-5 decades.
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Old Posted Aug 16, 2014, 7:19 PM
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I hope the Sabres owner wins the bid to keep the Bills in Western New York. Why should Toronto get them?
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