BUFFALO, N.Y. — The owners of the Buffalo Bills have reportedly started talking about how much of a commitment they'd like from taxpayers in order to get a new stadium built.
But how much is too much?
It's a question we posed to Western New York politicians on Monday who also discussed where a new stadium might end up and why.
"We are committed to keeping the Bills in the Buffalo. Stop. Period. That's what we are committed to, " said NY Lt. Gov Kathy Hochul while attending the ribbon cutting for a new east side apartment complex.
The Bills' current lease with Erie County expires in 2023, however Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz said it could be extended to cover the amount of time that it would take to build a new stadium.
"I think that there's a recognition that the Buffalo Bills play an extremely important role in our community, not only to the fabric of our community of who we are but the identity of who we are as well as the fact that they are an economic generator," said NYS Sen. Tim Kennedy. "They are also a job creator and maintainer...so it's important that we as a state step up and make sure we keep the Buffalo Bills right here in Buffalo and Western New York where they belong."
At What Cost?
Several reports indicate the team owners Kim and Terry Pegula have opened talks opening with the suggestion that the entire estimated one billion dollar cost a new stadium in Orchard Park near the current one be born by the taxpayers.
From my perspective that's not realistic," said NYS Assembly Member Crystal Peoples-Stokes who also serves as the Assembly's Majority Leader.
"It's too much to ask the public to sponsor your entire opportunity to make money unless there's gonna be a percentage pf the benefits of your profits coming back to the public," said Peoples-Stokes. "Now, now if we're going to add that to the negotiations perhaps there's a conversation to have."
The negotiations with the team owners will primarily occur between tErie County and NY Governor Andrew Cuomo's staff.
"I'm pretty sure the governor and the county executive will negotiate that down," said Peoples-Stokes. "That much of public money should not be necessary."
Staying Close to Home in Orchard Park
According to Hochul, " Their (the Pegula's) proposal shows the demolition of the existing facility and building a facility across the street. That is on the table at this time and that is what is being discussed."
Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown had hoped a new stadium would be built within the city limits instead of in Orchard Park where the team moved to nearly 50 years ago, from their original home at War Memorial Stadium on the city's east side.
"I would have loved to have seen a new stadium built in the City of Buffalo," said Brown. "But I suspect the infrastructure improvements that would be needed to have a stadium in downtown Buffalo, are more costly than building at the present location."
"I'm not going to quibble about that although I know a lot of people will," said Peoples-Stokes, whose district is within the city, including large swaths of the east side and the east half of its downtown section.
"You have to understand that all the area downtown is owned by someone so that means you've got to negotiate with them too, and that adds in value to the price as opposed to building it where the county already owns the land," she said.
Talk of Options, including the team leaving, are not new
A report from ESPN also has it that the Pegual's are reminding officials that there are many places that would love to have an NFL team and would do nearly anything, and pony up any amount, in order to land one. The article even mentions Austin, TX as a possibility.
However, if that's true, it wouldn't be much different than when the team's original owner, Ralph C. Wilson, talked about how much Seattle, Washington would like a team when he was pressing for the current stadium to be built more than 50 years ago.
Seattle was eventually awarded an expansion franchise a few years later.