BUFFALO, N.Y. (WBEN) – It’s still unclear when exactly stakeholders in the negotiations for a new Buffalo Bills stadium will meet again.
“You know I don’t talk about ongoing negotiations while they’re ongoing,” Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz told WBEN when asked to comment about stadium talks.
Poloncarz declined to answer any further off-topic questions at an unrelated event in Tonawanda.
Pegula Sports and Entertainment Executive Vice President, Ron Raccuia, told WBEN and WGR last week there is a sense of urgency to get a new stadium deal in place. Raccuia said the upper deck renovations alone at Highmark Stadium would cost roughly $500 million and full renovations could cost $1 billion. Because of the renovation costs and the feeling a new stadium will allow the Bills to stay in Western New York for decades to come, it makes more sense to spend $1.4 billion on a new stadium.
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He also said PSE would not extend its current stadium lease with Erie County without a deal in place for a new stadium. The lease is due to expire in July 2023.
“This is all part of negotiations,” State Senator Sean Ryan, whose district includes the current stadium and proposed new site, said. “One side says we need to hurry up. The other side says we need to slow down. My sense is the parties are talking a lot and are at the table. That’s a good sign so we don’t need to create a false sense of urgency or a sense of anxiety among Western New Yorkers.”
Albany lawmakers are not part of the stadium discussions.
Those conversations are between PSE, National Football League, Governor Hochul’s office, and Poloncarz’ office. Still, Ryan believes PSE wants to back-track on their lease negotiation threat.
“It’s a negotiation but we don’t need to start another fire,” Ryan said.
Larry Quinn, a former Minority Owner of the Buffalo Sabres, said people should not get too excited and to let the process take it where it may.
“I think you’ll be happy with the result,” Quinn said. “Also, there’s no better time to do this. This issue has been around for 10-15 years with Ralph. The Pegulas have had it for five or six years and it’s time to get this done. I don’t think this is about threats or recrimination. It’s about getting something done.”
Quinn thinks it’s the right move by PSE to not extend a lease without a stadium deal. He also believes it’s the right move by Poloncarz to stay mum about ongoing negotiations.
“The key to negotiating is communicating directly, fairly, and accurately,” Quinn said. “When you start getting commentary in the public, it makes the process difficult because you don’t always say what you mean. It’s not always reported what you meant. I always take the attitude that if there’s something you want to say, say it to me. Don’t say it to the whole world.”
Still, Quinn believes taxpayers should have some say in how the stadium will be used.
It’s unknown what percentage of the stadium will be funded by public dollars.
“I think writing a blank check is out of the question,” Assemblyman Bill Conrad said.
Ryan believes the stadium will be a roughly 50/50 split between the Pegulas and taxpayers.
“We started these negotiations with the idea that the public is going to pay for it fully,” Ryan said. “That was roundly rejected by every level of government. I don’t think we’re going down that road of silly talk. It’s going to be a mutual responsibility.”