Buffalo Bills want a new stadium – and for taxpayers to foot the bill

[Ann]

 

 

[Ann]

This is important for those attending games in 2024. 
 

 

[Ann]

 

[Ann]

The Pit is now just a memory

 

 

[Bills Circle The Wagons]

The new Buffalo Bills stadium is coming along hopefully Bills fans that are present season ticket holders will be able to afford the PSL prices. I think they are going to be high and then lowered as the Bills get closer to 2026 especially if too many Bills fans say no if the PSL is high. If it’s not $1,000 to $1,500 PSL’s and more like $5,000 and $10,000 PSL’s that type of number with a $5,000 or $10,000 in front of it is going to potentially be a problem for some Bills season ticket holders presently. The Bills aren’t going to have great sales of PSL’s with that type of number because you still have to pay for the Bills season ticket and parking in my opinion. Go Bills! Let’s Go Buffalo 

[Ann]

Former Lt. Gov. Robert Duffy optimistic on Bills stadium progress

 

</snip>

 

These excerpts from the conversation are edited for space and clarity:

 

How is the work on the future Highmark Stadium progressing?

 

Duffy: I’m part of a couple of national chamber of commerce groups, and one of the things I said recently is the community benefits agreement is one of the most comprehensive agreements for major projects. I think that’s a testament to those who made it happen.

 

The hiring of workers right now, I think, is right on target. The only numbers behind their targets right now are women-owned businesses and veteran-owned businesses. They do a project by project breakdown right now to report on the MWBE (minority- and women-owned business enterprises) and veterans. At the last meeting, I thought this was a great suggestion: If they’re doing a project – say, steel – and hit the targets on one group but not the other, can you go higher on the next one so it all evens out?

 

I thought it was a great idea. Even if a company is small, to get some work on the stadium will help them grow and be prosperous.

Is the stadium on track to open in 2026?

 

Duffy: I’ve learned one thing: Don’t make projections. But as of now, I do think it’s on point. I’ve heard nothing to take us off the track. The question comes up on whether we’ll hit snags down the road. I don’t believe we’ll have labor issues. I do believe that supply chain challenges have evened out so far, so I don’t think that’s going to be an issue.

 

I do think the way everybody works together, there’s no contentious relationship here. It really has been pretty seamless so far. The state is pretty solid in terms of their investment, so any overage (in costs) would fall onto the Buffalo Bills, which they’ve accepted.

 

In an editorial board meeting with Hochul several weeks ago, we asked her how she was feeling about negotiating a cap on the state contribution, and making the Bills responsible for cost overruns. One of us said, “It’s looking pretty good right now,” and she looked at us and said, “You think so?”

Duffy (laughing): I’ve been totally against the criticism that has been leveled at the governor. A lot of it is from people downstate who have no connection with the Buffalo Bills. Having been there in 2013, when the last one got renewed, and with a governor who was from downstate and worked to save the Bills, Gov. Hochul did exactly the right thing.

 

How she ended up getting the money was almost ingenious. The Seneca Nation might not have been happy with the outcome, but it was money that was owed. (Note: After a yearslong dispute between the Senecas and the state over the payment of revenue-sharing money from Seneca casinos, Hochul forced the Senecas’ hand to pay $564 million.)

 

</snip>

 

Looking back from the outside at the negotiations for a new stadium, talks accelerated once Cuomo resigned and Hochul stepped in. You represented Cuomo in the final negotiations a decade ago for a lease extension on the current stadium. You would know better than most everybody: How much did Cuomo prioritize the Bills?

 

Duffy (noting he hasn’t spoken with Cuomo for more than three years): When I was lieutenant governor, clearly, Gov. Cuomo wanted to keep the Bills in Buffalo. I remember hearing some people saying the state was slow. It was more a negotiating tactic. He grew up in Queens, but he understood the impact of the Bills. He never questioned it. I never sensed any issue or obstacle whatsoever. On the last day of negotiations in 2013, he could have said, “Walk away.” But he wanted to get a deal.

 

</snip>

 

Obviously the Giants and Jets play in New Jersey, but it would be nice for New York to get one of them in the state.

 

Duffy: For those elected officials downstate who criticized this deal, they would be the first ones wanting that in their own area, and I think they would want the governor’s support and their colleagues’ support.

 

</snip>
 

[Ann]

Pictures 

 

 

 

[Ann]

 

 

 

[Ann]

 

[Ann]

Those are fantastic seats. The company my grandfather worked for had seats on the 50yard line, about 12 rows up. Not only could you see the entire field, you could hear the coaches and players. 
 

I wonder if these rates are based on it being mostly companies having these types of seats?
 

 

 

[Ann]

More pictures!

 

 

 

 

 

[Pete]

13 hours ago, Ann said:

Those are fantastic seats. The company my grandfather worked for had seats on the 50yard line, about 12 rows up. Not only could you see the entire field, you could hear the coaches and players. 
 

I wonder if these rates are based on it being mostly companies having these types of seats?
 

 

 

I haven’t been going to a lot of games the last few years with my back and getting old. 
 

i might need to go more the next few years because I will not be going to the new stadium. If I could afford it I wouldn’t pay it.

[Ann]

 

[Nanker]

4 hours ago, Ann said:

 

The House that Josh built. 

[mead107]

For the area of our current seats in old stadium $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

 

2 different hights  of club seats  to match our existing area. 
lower level  $30,000 for psl for 2 seats 

and seat cost will be $9,760 in 2026. 
upper above 202 section 

$40,000. PSL for 2 seats. 

$10,000 for tickets in 2026. 
Upper level 223

 

 

[Nanker]

2 hours ago, mead107 said:

For the area of our current seats in old stadium $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

 

2 different hights  of club seats  to match our existing area. 
lower level  $30,000 for psl for 2 seats 

and seat cost will be $9,760 in 2026. 
upper above 202 section 

$40,000. PSL for 2 seats. 

$10,000 for tickets in 2026. 
Upper level 223

 

 

🔥🎇

[Foxx]

O'Rly?

 

[Nanker]

59 minutes ago, Foxx said:

O'Rly?

 

They meant to say the buyers of PSLs won’t be paying sales tax - which is ordinarily added to a purchase and shown as a separate line item on an invoice. 

[KD in CA]

5 hours ago, Nanker said:

They meant to say the buyers of PSLs won’t be paying sales tax - which is ordinarily added to a purchase and shown as a separate line item on an invoice. 

 

I doubt they meant to say that.  Either this 'journalist' is too stupid to understand how sales tax works, or wanted to be intentionally misleading.  I'm guessing it's a little bit of both.

[Bills Circle The Wagons]

I guess I have a hard time believing that the Buffalo Bills are going to out price most of Western New York football market. The Bills are here ironclad no way out of there lease until year 16 in the new stadium. So let’s say the Bills out price the market hypothetically there going to sit there on their high price and empty seats for 15 straight years. I just don’t believe that the Bills are going to be that stupid. Remember there are two more years until the new stadium so a lot can happen between now and then. The key is there is no way out for the Bills to leave until year 16 of the new stadium. Some Bills say that the Bills will just sit on the empty seats. I don’t believe that that makes terrible business sense to sit on prices that aren’t attainable. The Bills need fans in the stadium to spend their money. So I don’t believe that the PSL in the cheap seats are going to be so expensive that few Bills fans can go.
 

Look what happened in the Bills Toronto Series they overpriced the tickets and had to paper the house with discounted tickets and in some cases free so Rogers Corporation wouldn’t embarrass itself. Again I don’t worry about what Legends or Jerry Jones wants if those Bills seats aren’t selling Terry Pegula will step in because it’s his team not Jerry Jones team in my opinion. Go Bills! Let’s Go Buffalo