Buffalo, N.Y. (WBEN) - New York State Senator Sean Ryan is calling for a community benefits agreement (CBA) to be negotiated as part of any final agreement made for a new Buffalo Bills stadium.
As part of his announcement on Wednesday, Senator Ryan outlined a list of six recommended priorities for a CBA, including a project labor agreement for construction work, wage protections for stadium workers, plans for public transportation and traffic management, a community fund to support residents of Erie County, a storm water management plan and financial support for Orchard Park.
"As the negotiations are coming closer to an end, we want to make sure that the state is going to put in substantial money here, and we want to make sure that this stadium project has a good ripple-effect throughout the community," said Senator Ryan. "We want to make sure the construction jobs are union jobs, we want to make sure that the people working inside the stadium - whether they're cleaning or providing security or pouring beer - they get paid good wages. We want to make sure there's good public transportation to be able to get to the stadium, so if you want to work there, or attend a game, you can get there without just your car. And we want to make sure that the town of Orchard Park doesn't have to shell out any of their own money for police and traffic. It should be all part of the deal."
The six priority areas were identified after talks with community members and stakeholders, but Senator Ryan feels there should be further community outreach to best identify ways to maximize the impact of a new stadium on the Western New York community.
"Long-term really is 10 years from now when the construction industry has worked it, people put roofs on their house from those jobs. But after that, the stadium doesn't generate a lot of economic activity," Senator Ryan said. "We want to make sure that the jobs in the stadium are available to everybody in the community and pay a living wage or a union scale. But we also have to think about a community fund that comes out of this deal.
"As you know, the Bills used to be right in Buffalo, the old 'Rockpile' site. But if you go by that site today, there's really no indicator that that's where Jack Kemp played. That was the birthplace of the Bills. But there's also no athletic programming for kids who live in that neighborhood. So we would like to bring the Bills back in to the city core. The stadium is going to remain in Orchard Park, but let's bring the Bills in to help with some enrichment activity for Buffalo kids or kids around the county whose parents don't have money to get into high quality sports, or arts or music. That's the idea."
There have been discussions regarding a new Bills stadium about it being a very big publicly-funded project, with the potential for taxpayers being requested to bear more than 50% of the cost. Not only is this issue brought up by Senator Ryan a matter of making sure the public is getting the money back that it may contribute to build a new stadium for the Bills. It goes much deeper than that.
"We know the Bills in Western New York are an attribute. It's something we like, and it's something we cherish. So we're going to put some public money into building a public stadium," Senator Ryan said. "But we also know that, you know, let's face it: a lot of people are making a lot of money off of football. And so we would like some give back into the community, and the acknowledgement is that a huge part of the community supports the Bills, and a huge part of those people's tax dollars are going to help the stadium, but a lot of those people will never be able to afford to go to a Bills game. So how can we bring them into the stadium deal? That's the question, and you answer that question by committing to it and then going and having talks with the community to figure out what's the best way to enhance a Bills fan's life that has nothing to do with going to Bills games. And the Bills already do things, like their team members are out at schools and they help with food drives. Let's see a little bit more of that, and let's have it happen in a more regulated, systematic way."
Earlier this month, a local coalition known as Partnership for the Public Good called for Erie County Legislators to insist on a robust community benefits agreement as part of negotiations for a new Bills stadium. The coalition was calling on local leaders to go beyond the minimum labor and hiring standards required by state law, and to insist on a CBA with specific commitments.
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While Senator Ryan has not reached out to anyone at Partnership for the Public Good about the matter, he says he has read the information they put out and believes a lot of their ideas are good ideas for a CBA.
"It's a strange negotiation, because it's between a private party (the Bills), the county and the state. So there's been very little room in these negotiations for the community," Senator Ryan said. "As we're getting closer to the final product, we want to make sure we include how this deal is going to benefit the entire community. The best way to do that is by reaching out into the community.
"But the symbolism of the old 'Rockpile', I think is very poignant. That is the birthplace of the Bills, but if you go into that area now, there's very little of the Bills left there. I don't even think there's a plaque there saying this is what this stadium served and here's what happened on this site. It's not a new thing. All over America when stadiums are being built, especially with taxpayer dollars, there's programs designed to help people in the community as part of it."
You can listen to our entire conversation with Senator Ryan below:
