The smart way to build a stadium

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I get a chuckle out of stories that raise the prospect of major spinoff development near the new Buffalo Bills stadium. The Buffalo News published another story to that effect last week. It’s not gonna happen. 

Terry Pegula has insisted on an open-air stadium surrounded by parking lots, located in the outer-ring suburb of Orchard Park. His approach runs counter to best practices employed by most other NFL owners who have built stadiums over the past decade.

The Conversation, which fancies itself for “academic rigor, journalistic flair,” outlined how stadiums can be done right.

Key points include:

• “It’s smarter to build a stadium in a distressed area than in a wealthy neighborhood.” Oops. Orchard Park is one of Western New York’s wealthiest communities.
• “Don’t let your stadium go empty most of the year.” Oops again. With an open-air stadium located in the snowbelt, there’s going to be little demand for stadium use beyond the Bills’ 10 to 12 home games. 

Meanwhile, Brian Higgins, in his new role as head of Shea’s Buffalo, is talking about plans to upgrade his facility as part of an effort to build out the Theater District. I say “build out” because the effort, started under Jimmy Griffin, is still a work in progress. 

Back in 2004 I wrote about the city’s $60 million investment in the Theater District. (Ignore the messed-up byline.) My analysis of the city’s effort: an artistic success but a financial failure. 

“It’s not just a matter of the numerous loan defaults, but the continuing history of business failures,” I wrote.

The struggles continue. The Hostel Buffalo-Niagara was shutted in April, followed shortly thereafter by TGI Friday’s at the corner of Main and Chippewa streets. Down the street, the Downtown Bazaar, a collection of mostly international eateries, just closed. While mostly occupied, the Market Arcade — for my money one of the neatest spaces in Buffalo — usually feels like a ghost town. Squeaky Wheel Film and Media Art Center recently decamped for the Tri-Main Building, leaving one of the Arcade’s Main Street storefronts vacant.

There are a few signs of progress. MusicalFare is leaving Amherst to occupy the old Studio Arena Theater, now managed by Shea’s. 42 North Brewing opened earlier this year. But on balance, the Theater District is far from buzzing. 

A New York Times story on undocumented immigrant workers placed in harm’s way highlighted the death of a Nigerian who died as a result of injuries he suffered while working at a Rich Products plant in Illinois. Reported The Times: “After [the] accident, OSHA fined Rich $145,000 and placed it on its enforcement list of employers that “have demonstrated indifference” to OSHA rules “by committing willful, repeated or failure-to-abate violations.”

Chris Scanlon was a reliable ally of Byron Brown when the latter was mayor. Now that Scanlon has succeeded him, he’s learning just how big of a mess Brown left him. Of late he’s ordered an audit of the process by which the city allocated federal pandemic aid and revealed the city’s water board spent $11 million promised to residents behind on their water bills for other purposes. Scanlon hasn’t been shy about hiding his displeasure.

The New York Coalition for Open Government issued its naughty and nice list of public officials  who thwart or honor the state’s Open Meetings and Freedom of Information Laws. The list of naughties includes several local officials.

Elon Musk watch: He’s backing far-right parties in Europe in addition to using Twitter to lie about, well, just about everything.

Here’s my second-favorite Christmas song, courtesy of the most under-rated band of all time. And while I’m in the holiday spirit, I want to wish everyone a happy holiday of your choice, including, you know, Festivus.  

Jim Heaney