Bills new stadium

Bills Are Wise to Reconsider Involvement in Developing Stadium Site

Chris OstranderLeave a comment

The future of the former site of Highmark Stadium is in flux as the old stadium comes down. While the initial plan to place parking on the former site was logical as a one-for-one replacement for the lots covered by the new stadium, the evolution of the site has created an opportunity for a more diverse use. 

The Bills have already announced that the former administration building will not be demolished and now the Bills appear ready to join the redevelopment process around the new stadium. This should have been the case all along. The prior lack of development around the stadium has been well documented and there are numerous hurdles in front of both Hamburg and Orchard Park with the new stadium just weeks away from hosting its first event. This is especially true in Orchard Park, a town that has languished without any sort of interesting or useful development within their borders for decades. While the villages of East Aurora and Hamburg have enjoyed a surge in activity, Orchard Park has been largely stagnant with only an Olive Garden-adjacent restaurant to show for their efforts. It’s an uninspiring track record for those hoping that additional development springs up around the new Highmark Stadium. 

Continue reading →

Bills lease opens the door for new digs

Chris OstranderLeave a comment

Seven more years of the Buffalo Bills. Seven years to end the playoff drought, to find a quarterback and maybe even win a Super Bowl. The new Bills lease has granted a stay of execution of sorts for a team that was once rumored to be on the hot seat for relocation.

Really what this lease does is provide a seven-year (possibly ten) window for this franchise to build a new stadium and cement themselves in Buffalo permanently. Of course building that stadium will be more than just a difficult mountain to summit.

The new lease has some safe and reassuring features built into at while also containing its fair share of confusing wrinkles. The $400 million buyout is no small fee, especially when combined with whatever the NFL charges for relocation fees for a new owner. The seven-year buyout is a big factor, especially for those who were truly frightened at the thought of the Bills leaving town.

Of course, the window for a much more affordable $28 million after year seven should make fans more uneasy, especially if there is no new stadium in sight. It is a safe assumption to think that the lease was worded to spend a year or two on feasibility and design and the next five on construction of a new stadium that would leave a miniscule opt-out for the team to slide into their new digs after year seven. Continue reading →