Why did the Bills demand the Stadium be Built in Orchard Park

By Pat Freeman, The Mighty O’Ba

Pat Freeman, The Mighty O’Ba

The final few games will now be played in the current stadium in Orchard Park, New York in a few weeks. Many are reflecting on the great memories that have occurred at this facility over the  last 53 years. Tears will be shed and many will reflect on your own pro football journey with our local franchise. In 2010, I began aggressively researching what a downtown dome stadium would do for the Western New York economy as a gateway attraction to year-round activity centered in Downtown Buffalo.

Unfortunately, elected and appointed officials destroyed an opportunity by not taking proper action and gave away regional leverage to an owner who made a decision that best fits himself and not the region. Despite many letters written to him requesting an audience, I was never given an opportunity to be heard by the real decision maker if plans were in process. All evidence despite what may have been heard that the goal was to keep the franchise in Western New York. The problem is that in doing so amplifies a trend of missed opportunities going back to UB, by moving to Amherst and the never-expanded rail line that goes nowhere.

Multiple restaurants are closing in the downtown area despite the efforts to bring back downtown Buffalo. The lack of vision amongst our elected officials and the apathy of the public destroyed this once in a lifetime opportunity to correct the many wrongs of this area. Truly you can't blame any one person for this failure but as a collective whole, we all failed. Now that Orchard Park will become a destination centered around the Professional team the  erosion of the second largest city in New York State will continue. This stadium will cost 2,2 billion dollars more when completed and will benefit the ownership group most of all and not the region of western New York. Listening to many of you that have had the opportunity to travel with the franchise have seen with your own eyes how downtown stadiums benefit the revitalization of many areas of the country.