It’s a National Embarrassment
A friend called me during that snowy San Francisco-Bills game a couple of weeks ago, and our conversation immediately turned to the baffling decision to build another open-air stadium for the Buffalo Bills. I’m sure millions of viewers across America were asking the same question. It’s not just frustrating; it’s embarrassing for the entire community. This decision reflects the ineptitude of our local political leadership.
County Executive Mark Poloncarz will likely go down in history as one of the most short-sighted leaders Erie County has ever had. Had he been a bold and visionary leader, he would have made a domed stadium a non-negotiable priority. A competent leader would have explored every avenue—be it state and federal funding, private investment, philanthropy, or even a temporary sales tax increase —to secure the additional funds needed for a dome. These possibilities could have been pursued with determination and creativity to transform Erie County into a world-class destination.
The economic benefits of a domed stadium would have paid for themselves almost immediately. A dome would have allowed Buffalo to attract premier events and entertainment, generating revenue and bolstering the local economy. But instead, our leadership failed to capitalize on this opportunity, leaving us with a decision that will haunt the county for generations. Sadly, it’s too late to fix this now.
As a lifelong Bills fan and card-carrying member of the “Sixty-Year Losers Club,” I attended my first game at the age of 10 in 1965 at the old “Rockpile” on Jefferson Avenue—the year the Bills won the AFL Championship. The lack of a dome isn’t a new issue. In fact, one of the most significant debacles in Erie County history occurred in 1969, when Buffalo had the chance to build a domed stadium but fumbled the opportunity.
In 1969, businessman Edward Cottrell proposed a groundbreaking project: a domed stadium, theme park, and hotel complex on land he owned in Lancaster, NY. It would have been only the second domed stadium in the U.S., after the Astrodome in Houston, TX. The project was considered a done deal, with blueprints drawn and shovels ready. But thanks to political incompetence and shenanigans, the contract for the dome was breached, and construction instead began on Rich Stadium in Orchard Park in 1970. The rest, as they say, is history.
Cottrell and the Kenford Corporation filed a breach-of-contract lawsuit seeking over $400 million in damages from Erie County. The civil trial, lasting 42 weeks, became the longest in county history and resulted in a $53 million judgment in favor of Cottrell. After years of appeals, Erie County taxpayers were ultimately on the hook for $10.2 million in payouts to Cottrell, all because of a missed opportunity.
Years ago, I read a book detailing this debacle and other political failures, including the mismanagement that led to the University at Buffalo’s campus being built in Amherst instead of downtown Buffalo. The book painted a damning picture of Erie County’s leadership at the time: low-IQ lawyers and ineffectual bureaucrats, rather than visionary leaders who understood business and economic growth. Unfortunately, our current County Executive exemplifies the same shortsightedness and lack of vision.
Mark Poloncarz’s failure to champion a domed stadium represents a colossal disservice to this community. It’s a missed opportunity that will ripple through future generations, leaving Buffalo stuck in mediocrity instead of rising to the world-class potential it deserves.