BUFFALO, N.Y. -- Time Warner Cable News has obtained a consulting firm's report on the best locations for a new Bills stadium, and the top three are located in downtown Buffalo.
AECOM, a consulting firm hired by the state, looked at 13 locations and narrowed it down to the top four sites for a new stadium.
According to the report, the first location suggested is located in the Cobblestone District between Michigan Avenue and Mississippi Street. The report said this site would benefit from available public and mass transit due to a light rail station and an Amtrak commuter station nearby. There's also 15,000 parking spaces within a one-mile radius of this location.
The Cobblestone stadium would require a fixed-roof stadium, per the report.
The second downtown location proposed in the report is located off of Exchange Street, between Michigan Avenue and Chicago Street. The 22-acre site would help create a true sports district like the Cobblestone District would, but the report states there is the potential for major mixed-use development in this location.
If it were to be built, the report said Seneca Street would be closed between Michigan and Chicago. The nearby Pierce Arrow Museum would either need to be relocated or incorporated into the stadium's design, as well.
The third and final Downtown Buffalo location would be located off South Park Avenue between Ohio and Louisiana streets. The report states that the 122-acre property would be a nice fit near the Cobblestone District along with other development projects in the area like Buffalo Riverworks.
Challenges exist for this site, per the report, including long walking distances from many downtown parking locations, and a necessary expansion of Louisiana and Hamburg streets.
The final short-list location is located in a familiar place: Orchard Park, right where Ralph Wilson Stadium currently exists. One of the positives of this site, according to the report, is tailgating opportunities for fans that wouldn't exist in downtown Buffalo.
The report states renovating Ralph Wilson Stadium would be the least-costly solution, but if Terry and Kim Pegula want a new stadium, one could be located north of Ralph Wilson Stadium on top of parking lots 5, 6 and 7.
AECOM stated the Orchard Park site will not lead to any new development due to roadway challenges there and the remote nature of the location.