Buffalo, N.Y. (WBEN) - After extensive deliberation, negotiation and review, the Erie County Legislature has unanimously green lit the new Bills stadium deal, paving the way for construction to commence immediately.
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With all systems go for the new Bills stadium project, conversation advances for potential development around the stadium, which could bring a possible economic surge to the Town of Orchard Park. The county legislator representing the town, John Mills, tells WBEN the town needs to make some zoning adjustments before they could see multi-story developments.
"I have encouraged my colleagues in the Town of Hamburg and Orchard Park to get busy real quick, because it's going to require zoning changes, especially in Orchard Park. I served as a Town Councilman there for 22 years, so I can tell you it's going to require some zoning changes in order to build hotels and things like that."
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According to Mills, the current zoning laws in Orchard Park do not allow hotels in the town to exceed more than two floors, a significant issue that should be addressed if the town is trying to capitalize on the Bills staying in Orchard Park for the next three decades.
"You can't wait till the door is open and feel they're playing on the field, because that's too late. So it's got to start immediately," Mills said.
"The Town of Orchard Park is going to have to play a role," said Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz.
"If they want to be, equivocally, the continued, 'We don't want any buildings more than two stories,' then you won't. You'll see maybe a restaurant or two, but you won't see the hotels, you won't see the other development that could exist. The Town of Orchard Park has to seriously consider whether they want to allow maybe a district around the stadium for different types of zoning than currently exists in the whole town, which would help spur development."
Poloncarz says he fully expects some more significant development going forward.
John Cimperman, a former sports marketing executive and owner of 43North Brewing, says that it would be nice to see Orchard Park capitalize now that the deal is done and the Bills will be sticking around.
"Orchard Park has not, in the last 40 years, really leveraged the area around the stadium. It would be great to see, but I do believe that any ancillary development around the stadium really needs to be done in partnership with the team. You know, it's critical that they be integrated into the plans. And ... those discussions should be part of the overall ... construction process as well."
Legislator Mills agrees, "You don't want the right hand not knowing what the left hand is doing. So I would encourage that to happen."
Cimperman says we should take a look at other markets and ask the right questions soon to address the ancillary development needs.
"I think we need to look at markets like Boston around Gillette Stadium. I think we need to look at markets like Green Bay, around the Packers Stadium. Those are really good models for ancillary development.
I think the question remains: is Buffalo, the market, large enough to support ancillary development? Because ... one entertainment district that opens up in Orchard Park is ultimately going to take people away from other entertainment districts in Western New York. So I think it's a big picture discussion, just to see how we can if we leverage the stadium in Orchard Park for ancillary development and entertainment."
Cimperman describes a "live work play" environment like what has been done similarly in Green Bay. You must have events going all year, even in the off season.
"Looking at housing, looking at offices and then having entertainment. Because you need critical mass of people, in many cases, that's residential, and many cases, those are businesses. Green Bay is really a good example. Right? They integrated some office buildings, they have some additional residential. But the key is, you know, in order to support ancillary businesses, you really need, again, 300 days of programming to really support them."