If a new stadium for the Buffalo Bills gets built, it's all but a foregone conclusion that the team and its owners will benefit financially.
But a group of community leaders are continuing the drum beat to ensure benefits don't just flow in one direction.
"There have been significant discussions over the last two weeks," Poloncarz said at his weekly news briefing. "That I will not deny. But we are not imminent to a deal."
Members of the Partnership for the Public Good, a community think tank with corporate, foundation and grassroots organizational support, on Wednesday said they are demanding that any community benefits agreement be both generous and legally binding, funneling dollar-for-dollar community funding by the Bills for every dollar of public investment made in the stadium.
"We want our county legislators to insist on a robust community benefits agreement that goes beyond the state minimum for minority and women business-owned enterprises, and that goes beyond paying for a few football helmets for a few teams," said Partnership policy fellow Miles Gresham.
People are also reading…
Under a separate proposal Erie County Legislature Chairwoman April Baskin privately circulated four or five months ago, titled "Invest Well Erie," a community benefits agreement would include:
On a day Buffalo Bills fans could use any reason to smile, Gov. Kathy Hochul might be providing it.
• Substantial percentage commitments to hiring minority and women-owned businesses and low-income workers for stadium construction, and for vendor, retail and security contracts.
• Commitments for public bus transportation to the new stadium, which the current stadium doesn't have.
• A reserved community suite that gives low-income families the opportunity to enjoy the same same kind of elevated fan experience that wealthy suite holders normally get.
• The creation of an inclusive, executive sports career internship program and additional support for community youth athletic programs.
• Investment by the state, the county and the Bills for a low-interest loan program for affordable, mixed-income housing.
The negotiations are down to money – or, more specifically, finances plus politics and perceptions and timing.
Baskin shared her proposal with the key negotiators for the state, the Bills and the County Executive's Office, she said. It was publicly shared by Investigative Post last week.
"That’s what the community is supposed to do," Baskin said. "We’re supposed to speak out and hope that it doesn’t fall on deaf ears. This is an opportunity for everybody to have a win. And we Bills fans, we like to win."
In response to the demands for a community benefit agreement, common in many new stadium deals, Jim Wilkinson, a spokesman for Pegula Sports Entertainment, said, "We won’t discuss these negotiations publicly. However, the Pegulas have a long-standing history of providing serious support across Erie County."
Baskin said that she respects the negotiating process and that her proposal, which she said reflects community needs, is not a formal Legislature document. It's just a reflection of her own priorities as an elected official.
The Legislature has not held formal conversations about what the governing body considers important in a negotiated lease agreement, and none are expected prior to a public release of the formal agreement on the broad terms of a lease deal. Baskin also said she has received no feedback to her proposal from any of the negotiators with whom she shared her document.
The three sides agree on two major points: A new venue needs to be built to replace 48-year-old Highmark Stadium, and both the Bills and the government need to help pay for it. But the sticking points are complicated.
She suggested other elected officials and community stakeholders similarly put forth their own ideas so that the entire community's needs are reflected.
If the lease deal approval process is anything like it was a decade ago, the Legislature will have no say over the terms of a final deal, other than to vote it up or down. Baskin said she hopes the approval process and memorandum of understanding this time around will be more inclusive and democratic.
The Legislature has agreed to delay any vote on a tentative lease agreement by 30 days, and Majority Leader Timothy Meyers said the Democratic majority isn't going to be rushed in its deliberations.
"You can't go through 12 months of negotiations, and hand it to me and say, 'OK, we want to vote on this next week,' " Meyers said.
Community advocates standing in front of the Johnnie B. Wiley stadium, located at the former city site of the Bills' old War Memorial Stadium, said Wednesday that they don't want just any community benefits agreement. They want one that respects the community and guarantees major community investment, investment that was lost in the city when the Bills moved out to Orchard Park.
All parties involved – the state, Erie County and the NFL team’s representatives – have indicated they’re approaching a deal, despite passing the Dec. 31 deadline long established by the Buffalo Bills.
Community advocates point out that such CBAs have been included in many other stadium and sports arena deals. They also advocated for a public transportation plan for the stadium and an inclusive process for getting stakeholders involved in how that should look.
Dr. Myron Glick, founder of the Jericho Road Community Health Center, said that many past decisions that removed institutions from the urban core have had long-term, negative health consequences for Buffalo.
"I, along with all the folks standing right behind me, really implore our County Legislature, our county executive, our governor and the Bills to make the right decision for our community," Glick said. "We have an opportunity to make our community better through this time, and we should not miss this opportunity like we've missed too many times in the past."
In response to the calls for a community benefits agreement, Peter Anderson, spokesman for County Executive Mark Poloncarz, said the lease deal involves "very complicated negotiations, with many moving parts and details that deserve consideration."
