BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — The Buffalo Common Council is pushing to bring the Bills back into the Queen City.
On Tuesday, members passed a resolution calling on all City, County and State representatives of the City of Buffalo to explore the “feasibility of a Downtown Buffalo Bills stadium.”
“If you’re a Buffalo elected official and you’re not cheering for the Bills to be in Buffalo, what are you doing?” asked Councilmember Rasheed Wyatt, who introduced the resolution. “We made a mistake some years ago by letting the Bills go to Orchard Park. The economic base that the Bills can bring and the businesses impact downtown could be off the chart.”
In some renderings, councilmembers are exploring what the city could look like if the stadium is built along South Park Avenue. Now, they’re hoping this idea will earn support from Gov. Kathy Hochul as the state continues its study into building a new stadium.
“This is a rare time in Western New York history where we also have a Governor who is from Western New York, and really good timing with the Bills new stadium,” said Councilmember Joel Feroleto. “I’m confident she’ll be in Western New York’s corner.”
News 4 asked Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz’s office for comment. In an email, a county spokesperson said they’re wondering if the Common Council committed any financial contribution to construct in the city – if not, “then the administration will not be commenting on this.”
We also reached out to Empire State Development for response to the resolution. In a statement, a spokesperson says a study into several stadium location options, including a potential downtown site, is underway, and that “cost, required infrastructure and the potential economic impact are all factors that will come into play.”