Buffalo, NY (WBEN) - With the New Bills Stadium nearing completion, attention is turning to the arena downtown.
Channel 2 reports that the Buffalo Sabres have hired Ostroff Associates, an Albany-based lobbying firm, to advocate for state funding for renovations at KeyBank Center.
It's unclear how much public funding the team is seeking and for what upgrades, but Sabres COO Pete Guelli has told WBEN in the past that they've already been in preliminary discussions with the State and the County about upgrades.
"We've already engaged with an architect and we're looking at options here in the arena," Guelli told WBEN in October. "We've had conversations with the County and the State about the project and are just working through what that timeline is."
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Guelli said that one of the reasons the seats in the arena have not been replaced yet is because they're looking to see if the arena will have the same configuration after a major renovation.
The team recently extended their lease at the arena for another five years.
The arena opened in 1996, and is the oldest building in the NHL yet to have a major renovation.