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Meanwhile a Buffalo area developer has suggested what he thinks is an even better option: moving the team to a new stadium in Hamilton Ontario on gameday, with a headquarters and practice facility downtown on the water.
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He proposes a practice facility and convention center be built on the waterfront in Buffalo, but a game day stadium in Hamilton Ontario.
"We don't have corporate headquarters in Buffalo so we'll never be able to raise the amount of money we need, so if we move the stadium to Hamilton, we'll be able to attract the corporate heaquarters types that will buy suites and we'll be able to raise the necessary revenue to keep the team in Buffalo," says Termini.
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The waterfront plan envisions a multi-purpose, mixed-use facility to sit on 100 acres of vacant waterfront property that the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority (NFTA) currently owns.The NFTA has indicated its wishes to sell the property.The project has an estimated cost of $1.4 billion and would take five year to construct, George Hasiotis, A vice president of the development group proposing the project , said on Tuesday.
"This is a private sector initiative. The vast majority of money will come from private-sector investors," Hasiotis said.The group is proposing a 70,000-seat, 1.6 million square foot facility with a retractable roof. Beside a future home for the Bills, it would function as a convention center and an entertainment venue
Facilities like this could host a Super Bowl within a few years of completion, Hasiotis adds.
Preliminary plans are to build the main anchor stadium structure and additional site construction will include a high capacity hotel, on-site parking for up to 5,000 vehicles.
The group says it's invited the Strong Museum in Rochester to consider taking part in the project.
Common Councilor Richard Fontana says the GBSEC put together a credible presentation.
"They flushed this out with people ... who have actually built stadiums on waterfronts across the nation, so this is not just a pipe dream, or something that people are thinking about at home, they actually came today with their home work done on the idea and the way to do it," Fontana says.
But, he still wants to hear more about the investors involved and paying the $1.4 billion price tag for the project.
Buffalo Common Council voted to "table" the matter -- or put it on hold for future discussion. The GBSEC intends to have the lawmakers hear from the private investors once it's able to secure the Outer Harbor property for the project.
From the Greater Buffalo Sports Entertainment Complex, here's some of the pictures they presented to the Buffalo City Council Tuesday
In the view above, the stadium is in upper right, closer to the water. The First Niagara Center is lower left. The reverse view, from Lake Erie and the Buffalo River is below.
Below, a closer view of the proposed stadium
