If Roger Goodell ever says we need a new stadium to keep the Bills in Buffalo…
Yes, sir.
OK, where are we putting it? Orchard Park?
Nah. Let’s get it out of there.
The waterfront? Lousy access.
Batavia? Too far.
Niagara Falls? Yuck.
How about these four spots you probably haven’t considered?
1. “Thruway Mall”- Walden Avenue and Harlem Road, Cheektowaga
Once a thriving commercial entity, the Thruway Mall’s free fall began when the Walden Galleria opened in 1989.
The site currently houses a Home Depot, the worst Walmart in WNY, and Dots (which is going out of business.) There’s a Burger King, a Dollar Tree, and one of those discount movie theaters. We can do without all of the above.
The site is a mile from the Thruway, four miles from Buffalo Niagara Airport, and accessible from four directions. Worried about Canadian fans? It’s a mile and a half from the Galleria– they’ll be fine.
Centralization FTW.
2. “Audubon Golf Course”- Maple Road, Amherst
Look at all of that tailgating space! You can practically smell the Hibachis from here.
Getting to the site is as easy as getting to UB– which roughly a zillion people do every single day. Too far for you southtowners? Sorry, bud. You’ve had your forty-plus year run of uber-convenience. It’s somebody else’s turn.
Plenty of room for a practice facility and the UB Bulls can play there, too. State school, state funding, Buffalo Billion, UB 2020- there’s some connection there, right?. We’re just the “ideas” people. Let the politicians and lawyers figure out the logistics.
3. “Perry Projects”- Downtown Buffalo
If putting the Buffalo football team in the heart of Buffalo is inconvenient for you, it’s not the team or the city’s fault. We’re heading downtown, just a few blocks from the revitalized Canalside district, without eating up any of our precious waterfront real estate.
Access is a bit of an issue so we’ll likely need a plan involving a ton of public transportation– buses, trains, a really long conveyor belt? That’s cool though because, let’s face it, you’re going to be drunk.
Yes, there’s some public housing to deal with but the way we see it, if you’re living in public housing, the public gets to decide where your house goes.
Bonus: If we ever smarten up and legalize sports gambling, you can swing by the casino on your way into the game.
4. “Pembroke”- Pembroke, NY
If you’ve never been to Pembroke… you’re exactly like everyone else. Seriously. Ask around. Nobody’s been there.
If a team misses the playoffs for fourteen consecutive seasons in the forest but there’s… oh, nevermind
This is an attempt to throw a bone to Rochester.
We don’t even like this idea.
Please ignore number four.
I kinda like that movie theater. But the rest of the Thruway Mall area can pretty much suck it.
The Thruway Mall also has existing rail connection to Central Terminal and downtown!
Why not build the new stadium in Lot 2? it’s big enough and easy! no millions of dollars in lawyers fees or property rights, or etc.. also, you won’t have a rotting stadium and lots, because the old stadium will need to be torn down for parking!… OP isn’t a bad place.
Central Terminal would be awesome — the tower at the end of one of the endzones?? Plenty of space too. Rochester and Canadian folks can get access to it as well without too much difficulty — also all the railroads coming into the Terminal could open up and be another avenue of people coming in. https://twitter.com/popo/status/464085282086985728
You say you’ve never been to Pembroke, but if you have ever gone to Darien Lake Theme Park, you know for a concert or anything via the thruway, then you got off the Pembroke exit. Pembroke would be a perfect place for the new stadium, there’s nothing in the way of construction except for a few farm fields. You could sign a deal with Invenergy, who run some of the biggest windfarms in the state and construct a LEED building. Also you would be throwing a bone to all the local mom and pop stores instead of throwing more money downtown. To build a new stadium anywhere in the city would be a huge mistake.
Instead of building a new stadium, why not renovate the UB one to bring it up to NFL standards. Then the Bills rent it from the University.
Don’t be an ass about public housing. Sheesh.
BuffaloGals Love the Thruway Mall location. Also, right across Harlem, near the rail connection, is plenty of vacant land that can be used for parking/tailgating. Who do we talk to about this? #goodidea
Also would like a location in the near east side of Buffalo (heading toward Broadway market) to reuse all those empty neighborhoods.
If the author had done his research regarding “number four,” he would realize that EVERYONE who goes to Darien Lake goes through Pembroke. Everyone who has gone to the theme park, and everyone who has gone to a concert.
3 horrible locations and 1 ok. this is a big decision to make and it seems like its being rushed. also why would Cuomo bring in a California architect!? give the business to a local architect who knows the city. Buffalo making bad decisions!
Lighten up. It was a joke (and a valid point anyway).
Settle down and take a joke oh great protector of Pembroke.
Where Is the rail connection? You mean like bus to rail from there?
716Sully Your take on anything you seem to disagre on is “lighten up, its a joke.” How convenient for you. Folks in public housing have a tough enough time as it is and now there is talk about moving them out for entertainment purposes. So its not a joke, not to them. Walk a mile sir.
716Sully On the west side of Harlem Rd near Walden are lots of rails that dead end there. They used to go under the intersection of Harlem/Walden but the bridge was taken down years ago. The rails still go past the Central terminal and on to the Exchange Amtrack train station. Some rail shuttle could be added from downtown to the Thruway mall dead end stop.
Lighten up its a joke! Lmao hahahahah.
TrendingBuffalo Wrong about number 4. A lot of people go through there in the summer–to Darien Lake.
TrendingBuffalo yes thruway mall please! I could walk from my grandmothers house!
TrendingBuffalo
TrendingBuffalo yanceys fancy stadium- pembroke ny
JoAnnBuffalo This “California” firm has an office in WNY. Try again.
TrendingBuffalo But really you mean three since you told us to ignore #4 :p
TrendingBuffalo How about Central Terminal?
TrendingBuffalo Love the Thruway Mall option esp w/ the rail across Harlem Rd to connect to downtown.Need to get this one on offical list?
Billy_Pinter JPinter93 which one do you think they will pick
tyler_freeman8 JPinter93 Audobon golf course. Look at all that tailgate space
TrendingBuffalo Love the idea of the Thruway Mall, but MAJOR work would need to be done on the surrounding streets.
TrendingBuffalo Plus, is it too close to a residential area? There are homes around there across Harlem.
Here’s an idea of where the east side stadium could go. Most of the streets the stadium would be on have 4-5 houses per block. The house owners would be estatic to be bought out. Also, the Bills would be going back to their roots near the old War Memorial rock pile stadium. #winwin
TrendingBuffalo ‘East side’ stadium might work?The house owners would be estatic to be bought out #roots #rockpile http://twitter.com/BuffaloWingWear/status/464411849778528257/photo/1
Billy_Pinter JPinter93 haha that would be nice
tyler_freeman8 Billy_Pinter Pembroke it is!
JPinter93 Billy_Pinter I’m not sure how I feel about driving to pembroke for a game
tyler_freeman8 JPinter93 you do realize that the whole thing is a joke right
Billy_Pinter JPinter93 ya but aren’t they looking at the pembroke/Batavia area as a possible site. Im pretty sure I’ve read that somewhere
tyler_freeman8 JPinter93 yea Batavia is a possibility
Um keep the stadium out of cheektowaga…..PERIOD…. COPS THERE WOULD HAVE A FIELD DAY ARESSTING EVERYONE FOR NO REASON AT ALL
I also endorse the “Buffalo Authentic” new Bills’ stadium concept if the acreage could be made to work. It is a perfect idea to situate the new stadium near the Central Terminal area for several reasons. As long as the terminal tower is seen close enough for television shots, it has the “Buffalo historic and authentic look and brand feel.” So it could be centered not exactly next to the terminal–but close enough. The stadium then should be designed unlike any other modern stadium. It should be designed to “match” Buffalo’s historic look we are investing in now at Canalside. It should be designed “around” the look of the Central Terminal–Buffalo’s heyday and “realism.” Another benefit of being rt near the Terminal is public transportation and rail lines already exist. We can reuse and repurpose several Amtrak railroad track lines so that we can solve the parking dilemma, and help expand the rapid transit line. We can take advantage of the development of the Larkinville area in close proximity. Again, it is modeled on Buffalo’s historic look and feel. It also would be possible to converge the expanding medical campus with such a stadium zone and a transit line. We would do the same with the new hockey training center and our arena area–it is close enough in proximity to be done effectively and impressively. Thus, we’d connect downtown in a real way: Canalside, BNMC, Larkinville and the East Side in need of redevelopment investment. Such a “historic” looking grand stadium that is not “neon glitz” would reinvigorate what we need to boost most– bringing the economic impact of the Bills and the NFL to our city’s true roots and showing us off nationally through Buffalo’s organic and “real” historic look, feel and significance.
I also endorse the “Buffalo Authentic” new Bills’ stadium concept if the acreage could be made to work. It is a logical idea that makes business sense to situate the new stadium somewhere between Larkinville and the the Central Terminal for several reasons.
As long as the terminal tower is seen close enough for television shots, it has the “Buffalo historic and authentic look and brand feel.” So it could be centered not exactly next to the terminal–but close enough. The stadium then should be designed unlike most other modern stadiums. It should be designed to “match” Buffalo’s historic look we are investing in now at Canalside. It should be designed “around” the look of the Central Terminal–Buffalo’s heyday and “realism.”
Another benefit of being rt near the Terminal is, as popo1 suggests, public transportation and rail lines already exist. We can reuse and repurpose several Amtrak railroad track lines so that we can solve the parking dilemma, and help expand the rapid transit line. We can also take advantage of the development of the Larkinville area in close proximity. Again, it is modeled on Buffalo’s historic look and feel.
It also would be possible to converge the expanding medical campus with such a stadium zone and a transit line. We would do the same with the new hockey training center and our arena area–it is close enough in proximity to be done effectively and impressively. Thus, we’d connect downtown in a real way: Canalside, BNMC, Larkinville and the East Side in need of redevelopment investment.
Such a “historic” looking grand stadium that is not “neon glitz” would reinvigorate what we need to boost most– bringing the economic impact of the Bills and the NFL to our city’s true roots and showing us off nationally through Buffalo’s organic and “real” historic look, feel and significance.
ChasFiscella TrendingBuffalo hahaha! Pembroke..my backyard! it is the ultimate tailgating..just park in the nearest corn field.