Hamburg, N.Y. (WBEN) - The Town of Hamburg is taking another step toward development of the area around the new Buffalo Bills stadium.
The town on Monday held a public hearing to present concept plans for the development and re-use of the former ECC South campus along Southwestern Boulevard just West of the stadium. The concept calls for a sprawling campus anchored by a medical center and hotel, plus a sports arena, outdoor amphitheater, retail, restaurants, and more.
"This is a unique opportunity," said Hamburg Town Supervisor Beth Farrell-Lorentz. "It's one that is full of potential for the entire region and we want to make sure that the project has a positive outcome."
Farrell-Lorentz told WBEN the plans will help residents visualize not only what the campus could look like, but also how it can be something active year-round.
Part of that would be a high-volume outpatient and sports medicine clinic to bring non-gameday patient visits directly to the area year-round. The town's presentation notes that the healthcare sector is a primary economic driver in Erie County and the Southtowns lack a large, centralized sports science and outpatient rehab center.
A hotel would be another anchor to the project. How large of a hotel is still up for discussion.
"We actually consulted with our fire company to understand what they would be comfortable with," Farrell-Lorentz said. "They said they would be comfortable with going up to seven stories. Our plan does not recommend that high, but it looks at it as if we could accommodate five or six stories."
The town's plan is still just a roadmap. The ECC campus has still not been listed for sale by Erie County.
Development would aim to capitalize on the new stadium
Development would aim to capitalize on the new stadium
