It is no surprise that Sahlen Field, the downtown home of the Bisons, Buffalo’s Triple-A baseball team, needs some updating. The 16,600-seat stadium was state-of-the-art when it was finished in 1988, but hasn’t received a major overhaul over 35 years of wear and tear.
If the amount is reasonable, help from New York State and the City of Buffalo would not be out of place. The team has hired a lobbying firm led by former Buffalo Mayor Anthony Masiello to make its pitch to both governments.
There are reasons why it should be convincing.
Sahlen Field is a downtown gem that owes its existence to civic planners who insisted that a stadium should not look like it was dropped down on the city from outer space. Designed by HOK Sports Facilities Group, the ballpark was described by Pulitzer-Prize-winning architecture critic Paul Goldberger as “simple, unpretentious, unroofed and woven into the fabric of the city that surrounded it.”
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Pilot Field, as it was first named, became the envy of the minor leagues and a model for throwback ballparks across the country. It inspired Baltimore’s much-admired major league stadium, Camden Yards, also designed by HOK (HOK later became Populous, the designer of the Bills’ new stadium).
This distinctive piece of downtown architecture provides accessible and affordable family entertainment for almost seven months a year; it can be conveniently reached via mass transit and a family of four can enjoy a baseball outing with refreshments for less than $100.
After producing $600 million to help the Buffalo Bills build a stadium in Orchard Park, as well as helping the Rochester Red Wings with $10 million for a $26 million renovation project to their Innovation Field, New York State has shown its willingness to support stadiums for the sake of the bonds that teams have with their communities. Given that the support would likely be more like Rochester’s side of that equation, the investment seems fair.
It must be noted that Sahlen Field did receive significant improvements when the Toronto Blue Jays, the Bisons’ major league affiliate team, used it in 2020-21, but those renovations were aimed at amenities for the players – clubhouse, weight rooms, player lounges, recovery rooms and batting cages – not the overall fan experience.
What the Bisons are requesting now will cover exterior and interior renovations, concourse improvements, concession areas and other public-facing features. In addition, Major League Baseball has added required upgrades for minor league ballparks that must be in place by 2026.
There is a fatigue that comes with these stadium asks, especially since, like the Bills, the Bisons have a billionaire owner – Bob Rich Jr., the chairman of the board and majority owner of Rich Products Corp. But, it has historically been true that upgrade costs are shared by owners and the communities that benefit from the presence of these teams.
And make no mistake, there are benefits, both from the joy fans derive from watching the games and the added life these events bring to downtown Buffalo, especially at night and on weekends.
It is also important to make sure Buffalo’s bragging rights for hosting one of the best minor league stadiums in the United States are maintained intact.
If this financial ask, which has not yet been defined, is reasonable, state and local governments should help.
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