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Stadium: Waterfront Plans Move Forward, But Polian Says Stay Put



Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz says while it is not complete, he has seen enough of the county's cement study on the foundation of 40 year old Ralph Wilson stadium, to know that funding of renovations there would not be a waste of money.

But Pat Freeman continues his drive for a new stadium downtown, and is expected to take design plans, a site proposal and funding plans for a waterfront event center to the Buffalo City Council Tuesday.

WBEN Extra: See Site Plans, Renderings Below

As WBEN first reported on Sunday's Hardline program, Freeman has plans to take a waterfront stadium design, site and funding proposal to Buffalo's City Council Tuesday.

Freeman's petition drive has resulted in the hiring of a a national stadium design firm and the formation of a tentative developer group.  The Greater Buffalo Sports and Entertainment Complex is headed by - Nick Stracik and  George Hasiotis. The group has hired reknowned stadium design firm HKS to draw preliminary proposals for the Outer Harbor .


EARLIER COVERAGE:
Poloncarz Firm On OP, but Advocate Heads To City Hall With Waterfront Stadium Plan.

Photo: We have continuing coverage of the downtown stadium plans, as Bill Polian weighs in against moving the team. http://bit.ly/RS8x20SHARE A COMMENT:
At The Bottom of This Page &  Facebook.com/WBEN.com 

Meanwhile... What do the Bills think of the idea?  Not Much.  Hear Bills CEO Russ Brandon with Janet & Weaze on Kiss 98.5

While there is talk of building a new stadium for the Buffalo Bills, a former general manager honored over the weekend says the Bills should stay where they are.....

Bill Polian's name was placed on the Wall of Fame Sunday at Ralph Wilson Stadium, and spoke about his time Monday at the Monday Quarterback Club. A fan brought up the topic of a new stadium, and Polian told the group the stadium is iconic.

"It has the best sightlines in the NFL," explains Polian. "It's intimate, fans are into the game. Parking is terrific. You go to some of these new stadium, you better have a moped getting to and from the game."

Polian was impressed with retrofitting of suites a few years back. "We sat in one of the dugout boxes (Sunday) and it was great," says Polian. "If someone said to me "We'll leave the stadium as it is and get it up to speed,' why isn't it Fenway Park? Why is it Wrigley Field? Why isn't it America's most beloved football stadium?"

Polian adds fans get their money's worth going to Ralph Wilson Stadium. "This is great for the fans, and great for the players, so I don't know if you really need a new stadium, actually," notes Polian.
 

He concedes he has no idea what the structural issues are at Ralph Wilson Stadium.

  From The HKS Stadium Design  firm.....

Here's a part of the Greater Buffalo Sports And Entertainment Complex's site plan study

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People : Bill Polian
10/22/2012 5:41PM
Polian: Ralph Wilson Stadium is Iconic
Please enter your comments below.
10/23/2012 9:12AM
What a joke
We're going to build a new stadium that costs $250,000,000 more than the most expensive stadium ever built... Why not spend another $100 billion and have a Bills logo inscribed on the moon. I'll do the feasability study on that one for the mere cost of 1 months mortgage payment. Buffalo is a joke, I can't wait to see how much money is spent on this one, and who gets this money thats spent. I wish they would just cut themselves checks, its insulting when they steal from us this way
10/23/2012 9:26AM
Field of Dreams
If you build it they will come!
10/23/2012 9:27AM
BILLS
NO MORE TAXPAYERS MONEY TO THE BILLS!!!!!!!
10/23/2012 9:45AM
Put it in the city
I presently live in Charlotte where our football stadium is uptown. It brings people and money to the city on the weekends. People come early and stay late. You can't keep it in Orchard Park where the only people that have benefited from it are people making money on parking and a choice few businesses. The city needs the revenue. With more revenue coming in, it improves the quality of life. Which then brings more people and businesses to the city. Our city is amazing because it's well planned. There is something always going on and it's clean.
10/23/2012 9:52AM
new stadium
I suppose the most popular thing to say is "Who is going to play there? When will Buffalo get a team?"
10/23/2012 11:06AM
Keep Ralph Wilson
Spending over a billion dollars to build a new stadium for a team that consistantly has a losing record is not an intelligent decision. There is nothing really wrong with Ralph Wilson Stadium, and we don't really even know how long the team will stay in the area. Fans and politicians need to quit whinning about how old Raplh Wilson Stadium is.
10/23/2012 11:58AM
Multi-purpose sports complex
We need a multi-purpose sports complex with a retractible roof. The water front is a perfect location. It will attract new business and draw people downtown again.
10/23/2012 12:50PM
new stadium
Build it!...our waterfront needs it!...its a great spot...better to spend money on a new stadium then fund plastic surgery for all the teachers in buffalo
10/23/2012 1:00PM
Multi-Purpose sports Complex
With the problems of getting into and out of the city, ie stoplights at every block , limited , old expressways and the thruway, who would bother to go through the hassle of looking at all the blighted old nighborhoods to get in there? The first consideration when the Ralph was built was access, remember the domed stadium proposed for Lancaster at the same time. It's not there because it lacked access. War Memorial Stadium lacked size and access and expandibility, let's not go back there.
10/23/2012 1:48PM
New Stadium
Will this go right next to the indoor waterpark? Will there be signage up on the new signature span bridge leading people to the stadium? Is Bass Pro signing on as a major sponsor? Will the stadium be visible from the Adelphia Tower? How will this affect the Major League Baseball team we brought in to play at Pilot Field? And with the 33 now covered with a park, isn't there concern about bumper to bumper traffic inside the new 33 inbound tunnel?
10/23/2012 3:13PM
Whaaaaaaaat?
This should not be a concern to anyone. by th time all the bribes are paid to the local politicians, all the money will be gone ; the same way all the other projects have.
10/23/2012 5:02PM
WHY??????
I can understand wanting to have a new stadium, but really why? There is not enough parking in that are to accommodate the masses! Why would you want that on the waterfront? It is in a perfect spot now in Orchard Park, plenty of parking easy in, easy out! Just stop spending money Buffalo!!!!
10/23/2012 7:28PM
waste of $$$$
WHO will be paying for this?
10/24/2012 8:47AM
IT'S ABOUT MUCH MUCH MORE THAN JUST A STADIUM ON THE WATERFRONT!
We are in dire need of a state of the art larger Convention Center to continue the steady increase of tourism in Buffalo. if we want to keep a football team and compete with other stadiums we need to seriously consider the state of the art domed option being put forth. A state of the art multifunctional complex on the waterfront is a solution to the above and provides endless opportunities for other venues as well. Parking, access and tailgating can all be managed. This is the next step required for the revitalization of Buffalo! If a multifunction complex could be built at a 30% cost to taxpayers Vs putting $ into the current stadium that is only used by the Bills and very few others, it seems to me that it could make economical sense. Let's all try to see the big picture without being so cinical. Buffalo's worst enemy is negativity! Politicians and the Public, let's make this happen by focusing on the project as a whole: -Quantify the positives, negatives, and risks. -justify the economics. -Obtain the funding. -Make it happen in record time!
10/24/2012 10:31AM
cool idea, wrong place
The proposed facility looks great, but why on the water? It can go downtown near the ballpark, or it can go on the other side of Rte. 5 within eye-shot of the water. Just don't put it on the water. Leave that for water-related projects. Let'snot lose the view of a beautiful waterfront that finally is becoming beautiful.
10/24/2012 2:12PM
In True Buffalo Fashion
Someone comes up with an idea that is "out of the box" and Buffalonians are tripping over each other with negativity. UB 2020 finnaly happened because of the positive people in this community who did not take no for an answer. Just look at the medical complex downtown and all of the surrounding activity. Buffalo can be whatever we want it to!
10/24/2012 5:30PM
What "In True Buffalo Fashion" said
It is simply astounding the myriad reasons people come up with to deride one of the most visionary ideas to the outer harbor yet. The current stadium is fully functional, YES, and this new idea is very costly, YES, BUT if the Bills are staying in Buffalo, you can sure as hell bet that they can't compete unless they have a sleeker facility. The outer harbor is dying a screaming opportunity to drive this city forward, the concept is forward-thinking, and what's the response, "Parking will be impossible!" "Why on the waterfront!?". Then the Same people are complaining that nothing gets done. If it's a sound investment (i.e. if the Bills become committed to Buffalo one way or another—ideally a new owner interested in the Bills staying here), ante up. It's long overdue that our waterfront becomes a gem and a stadium/convention center can be one of the centerpieces.
10/25/2012 11:16PM
Great proposal , right place.
Many of these people from Buffalo are so backward having no sense of vision. This will be a perfect anchor site for other development on the outer harbor that has seen nothing built in this area except "The Pier Nightclub" years ago. You need a multifunctional venue that can be used 12 months a year to attract people and tax revenue. Unfortunately many local politicians are so narrow minded & cynical to make this a real possibility as usual. I just hope they seriously evaluate its potential to draw great numbers of people to the outer harbor. As for the person who want the stadium away from the edge of the waterfront to not spoil the beauty, the only thing you will see is the breakwall separating the lake from the channel. Nice view!
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