If there is one thing that Buffalo residents have called for during the handful of lengthy public hearings regarding the new Buffalo Bills stadium deal, it's that the Buffalo Bills be required to give back to the community in the form of a community benefits agreement.
Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz said the Bills have committed to signing a CBA, but details about how much the Bills would contribute and where the money would flow have yet to be negotiated.
That is likely to disappoint some residents, particularly those in the City of Buffalo, who have advocated that underserved communities deserve to benefit from any final deal that allocates hundreds of millions of dollars in public money to support an NFL team.
A community benefits agreement, in this case, would likely guarantee that the Bills organization would contribute money back to the community. Those are often typically in the form of contributions to various community organizations and agencies in exchange for public money being spent on what is essentially a private sports enterprise.
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"The community benefit agreement includes a number of benefits, some of which are still to be negotiated between the team and Erie County," Poloncarz said.
What has already been agreed to, he said, is a stadium suite that would be set aside specifically for economic development activities. The Bills would also set aside a certain amount of tickets and parking passes for underprivileged youth and agencies that serve underprivileged residents.
Erie County Legislature Chairwoman April Baskin will be part of the negotiating team on the community benefits agreement.
