News Article: Pegulas Vision For City Of Buffalo

[Beerz]

http://www.bizjournals.com/buffalo/...up-about-vision-for-one-buffalo.html?page=all


Good article on Pegulas that touches on a little bit of everything...from Sabres to Bills to HarborCenter and more.

Gives a good look into Kim Pegulas role too.

Cliff Benson reached for a sheet of scratch paper, leaned forward and began sketching the resurgent south side of Buffalo's downtown.

Over here is the waterfront. There, First Niagara Center, where the Sabres play. Here is the HarborCenter, the $172 million complex that the Pegulas opened across from the arena last month, with two hockey rinks, the vast and impressive (716) Food and Sport bar, a Tim Hortons doughnut shop and, soon, a Marriott. There, about a mile and a quarter up the rail line, is a medical campus that has spurred much of the downtown rebirth. Along the way is the Class AAA baseball park, Coca-Cola Field, home of the Buffalo Bisons.

And here, snug between the arena and the ballpark …

Here is where Benson stopped drawing, tapping his pen to a blank spot and looking up.

"If the stadium is right here," said the confidant whom Terry Pegula dispatched to Buffalo to help execute his vision, not so much for the team as for the city, "then you can tie all of that together under the theory that as those assets are developed, other people will come invest.

Click to read more...

 

[Chainshot]

Two thoughts -- is that the Main Place Mall location or is it up by the old Trico building? Either might be interesting sites. The other thought... does Terry have another well to sell rights on to make it happen with a predominance of private rather than public funds?

 

[Bones Malone]

Snug between the arena and ballpark? Isn't that where the Buffalo News and HSBC tower are? Seems like it would be an awfully tight fit with the 190 right there.

 

[Husko]

Map of the area attached for reference. I imagine he's either talking about:

A) The lot behind harbor center/across from the plaza

B) The exchange street area where the train "station" is

C) A combination of the two that involves rerouting the 190 under the stadium

 

[Chainshot]

I mis-read that. I was thinking between the medical campus and the FNC, not FNC and Coca Cola Field.

 

[Husko]

What about having the 190 literally go right through the stadium? It would be innovative, that's for sure.

 

[PlamsUnlimited]

standing room only; for those who get the first few parking space

 

[Whammer]

I have no idea how they can pull that off between FNC and Coca-Cola Field, especially with the 190 in the way. Just put in the Cobblestone district, east of FNC.

I dont think HSBC Tower has a big enough footprint for a stadium, but I could be wrong. I think that would be ideal because then there could be a metro rail station under the stadium.

The next few years will be interesting and fun to be around.

 

[Chainshot]

I have no idea how they can pull that off between FNC and Coca-Cola Field, especially with the 190 in the way. Just put in the Cobblestone district, east of FNC.

I dont think HSBC Tower has a big enough footprint for a stadium, but I could be wrong. I think that would be ideal because then there could be a metro rail station under the stadium.

The next few years will be interesting and fun to be around.

If they did it in the vast parking-scape that is east of FNC, they could still utilize the old station as has been in the works -- having it unload in the relative shelter of the upper floors and then perhaps causeway them into the stadium. If they wanted to be really inovative, they could do a couple levels of parking and put whatever domed design they want atop the parking. Hey, they wanted ice rinks atop parking... why not a football field?

 

[brian_griffin]

Map of the area attached for reference. I imagine he's either talking about:

A) The lot behind harbor center/across from the plaza

B) The exchange street area where the train "station" is

C) A combination of the two that involves rerouting the 190 under the stadium

Google maps broken for me, but the link below is of Bank of America (Charlotte Panthers) stadium.

Aside from not being landlocked due to the Niagara River, the site is similar given the proximity of US277/74 and I-77. From a size scale perspective, the BoA stadium parcel is ~1000' in diameter.

A close (not equivalent) scale picture / repost of the above image link...

http://www.mapquest.com/#dfd4a28ca97a0c5079d9dbc9

http://www.mapquest.com/#f38e592e0fc0b2759b61216b

 

[Djp]

I'm concerned with the traffic. You will have about 4 times as many people fir a football game than a hockey game. I see traffic horrendous if the stadium us there.

 

[Husko]

I'm concerned with the traffic. You will have about 4 times as many people fir a football game than a hockey game. I see traffic horrendous if the stadium us there.

I'm sure if they move the team downtown they'l figure out a way to deal with traffic.

To me traffic is about as much of an issue as the salary cap floor.

 

[PunchImlach is Alive]

Not to be a negative nancy about it but anything that encourages the Pegula family to continue to shift their assets from poisoning the earth to revitalizing a community gets a vote of confidence from me.

Traffic is a solvable issue. Having the infrastructure for a stadium in the wrong location is not. My preference would be downtown. As long as they can keep the fans happy with ample space to tailgate, I see no issue with putting a stadium there. It doesn't have to be next door to FNC but there are plenty of areas around that location that are ripe for redevelopment.

 

[Bosswally]

I always thought the perry street projects would be a good place for the stadium

 

[ZZamboni]

Not to be a negative nancy about it but anything that encourages the Pegula family to continue to shift their assets from poisoning the earth to revitalizing a community gets a vote of confidence from me.

I can find just as many, if not more credible scientific (and not opinion or agenda driven) articles regarding fracking as quite safe if done correctly and doesn't "poison" the earth. So you believe what you want to believe. But that comment is uncalled for in this thread about what Pegula envisions for the future of Buffalo. Get political elsewhere.

 

[PunchImlach is Alive]

I can find just as many, if not more credible scientific (and not opinion or agenda driven) articles regarding fracking as quite safe if done correctly and doesn't "poison" the earth. So you believe what you want to believe. But that comment is uncalled for in this thread about what Pegula envisions for the future of Buffalo. Get political elsewhere.

To each their own. I am glad the Pegulas are doing right with Buffalo and I would encourage them to continue to fight the good fight downtown.

 

[5 Minute Major]

Build the stadium downtown and bring back Sunday night hockey like we had decades ago.

 

[SundherDome]

Would it be feasible to put the downtown stadium where coca cola field is and Move the field closer to the water and maybe use a new ballpark to try to lure an MLB team?

 

[Beerz]

Would it be feasible to put the downtown stadium where coca cola field is and Move the field closer to the water and maybe use a new ballpark to try to lure an MLB team?

No lol

 

[SackTastic]

Would it be feasible to put the downtown stadium where coca cola field is and Move the field closer to the water and maybe use a new ballpark to try to lure an MLB team?

Coca Cola Field was BUILT to try and get an MLB franchise. We should all be very lucky it didn't happen.

 

[Cirris]

Pegula's idea reminds me of the Artvoice plan a while back.

Artvoice.com - Stadium plan


A lot of people, including myself, thinks it's beyond ambitious. It would involve tunneling the 190 thru downtown. politicians might balk at spending huge money on a large infrastructure project on a stagnant city.

 

[EichHart]

Pegula's idea reminds me of the Artvoice plan a while back.

Artvoice.com - Stadium plan


A lot of people, including myself, thinks it's beyond ambitious. It would involve tunneling the 190 thru downtown. politicians might balk at spending huge money on a large infrastructure project on a stagnant city.