Buffalo Bills Retractable Roof Stadium on Lackawanna's Waterfront is the only right place!

* Continuous Green Shoreline

If we are going to spend the money, spend it wisely to create a continuous green waterfront showcase, with the stadium in the center of the spotlight, which will increase the quality of life for the largest number of citizens, spur the greatest development for all surrounding communities, and create the greatest amount of tax revenue.

Build a retractable-roof stadium on the waterfront of Lackawanna to return 1000 times the amount of money spent. A stadium on the waterfront would generate free tourist ambassadors that would go to other parts of the world and tell others of Buffalo's great waterfront, which would generate hundreds of billions in return, significantly increase the tourist industry on the waterfront. Building another stadium in nowhere land is an extreme waste of tax dollars, and will generate nothing.

There is a principle in the bible stated by Jesus "Then Jesus asked them, “Would anyone light a lamp and then put it under a basket or under a bed? Of course not! A lamp is placed on a stand, where its light will shine." Placing the stadium in orchard park is like placing a lamp under the bed instead place the stadium on the waterfront, will shine a light for everyone to see the waterfront and will bring the world to buffalo, which will generate billions in revenue. Not only revenue it will lift up the quality of life for all western New York citizens to enjoy even more of the waterfront fully developed.

In my opinion, there are two viable places to build a stadium, either directly in front of Buffalo which I believe is too close to the baseball field stadium making it too congested and will deter the full potential of Western NYs waterfront, or on Lackawanna's waterfront will maximize the waterfront to its fullest potential. History tells us the renowned park designer Frederick Law Olmsted had planned a waterfront park on Lackawanna's waterfront particularly for the broad unobstructed view of Lake Erie, its sunsets, and adjacent to the natural wood lawn beach. However, Bethlehem steel stole the land.

Western NY needs a master plan for the waterfront so as to maximize the waterfront to generate the most revenue, that's through tourists and increasing the quality of life for its citizens. On top of these is something even greater, that is self-respect, that Western NY had properly cared for their waterfront, restored its glory, a bright star among other waterfronts throughout the world. This would be the greatest gift a continuous green waterfront will reflect back to us, that cant be measured in money, no amount of money can replace. Placing things haphazardly at the whim of political correctness, and handing over a large section of the waterfront solely to industry that doesn't need the waterfront as in the past, is an extreme waste of an immensely valuable resource, that many cities would die for such an incredible waterfront.

Would be inexpensive in the long term, compared to wasting extremely valuable waterfront property. The project would be a combined effort, private, State, the Federal government. Currently, most of the pollution is already gathered up and place in a secure pit, where there are plans and even costs to ship the pollution away. It can be even less expensive if we were to use rail cars to ship the pollution to Ohio, where it can be incinerated. Large parts of the land is harmless slag, which has been used for multiple harmless applications, that can be used to contour the land, and as a base covered by soil for grass and trees.

Leaving a significant part of the waterfront to industry has left an image in tourists' minds as extremely neglectful, surely reflecting on Western NY. Only a people-friendly continuous green waterfront will generate a maximize abundant stream of revenue, increase the quality of life for all its citizens, and most of all bring tremendous honor to Western York and its citizens, praised around the world. This would likely rub off on the Buffalo bills and give them a lifting spirit necessary to perhaps be victorious in a long-sought super bowl win.

An interesting fact is Lackawanna has over three miles of waterfront but its citizens, some who lived to a hundred years old, have never stood once on their three-mile-long shoreline and seen a glorious brilliant multi-colored sunset, unimaginable.

We have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that rarely comes along with the wind (public sentiment) in our favor, driving us forward in cleaning up all the waterfront, making a robust, vibrant green and blue economy. Which will return to us incredible opportunities and tremendous economic vitality. If we drop the ball now and allow an industry that no longer needs the waterfront to grow stronger to get its roots sunk back into the community, it will be too late to stop a larger more polluting industry wanting in on the waterfront. We will be complaining in later years as we do today and be scorned by later generations that we failed to finish the job.

We live in NEW YORK STATE, we are supposed to be known for facing great challenges, finding solutions, triumphing, leading the nation and the world.

The Bethlehem Waterfront Park Project is a legitimate worthy cause to seek funds from the federal government as seed money to pay for the complete initial clean-up and re-beautification.

* Stadium District (235 acres), domed stadium (retractable roof) beside a large Harbor with an impressive front plaza and boardwalk. Enclosed skywalks connect the stadium, four high-rise hotels/offices, condos, Splash Lagoon, museums/sports theme attractions, restaurant, and shopping district on Ridge Rd. and Old Hamburg Turnpike (service road re-beautification).

* Jewel - Wood Lawn Beach re-beautification and extension, 300 feet across the pristine sand beach, stretches a total length of two miles partially into Lackawanna. The north end is an elevated white canopy-covered amphitheater built into the side of a large grass-covered berm overlooking the park, beach, and unobstructed sunset bay views.

* Green projects (1,000 acres), 200 RV/camper sites, picnic shelters, outdoor athletic areas (football, baseball, basketball, and soccer), existing seagull nursery & lighthouse north end, garden area, art area (think art park), three main lodges, bicycle paths, landscaped with ponds, fountains, natural rock formations, and 30,000 trees, etc.

* Multiple six existing access roads.Fast track Hamburg turnpike, with no stoplights.

* Fast track Thruway connector build a seventh access 1.6 mile to link up with the Hamburg Turnpike and the Waterfront with no tolls.

* Connect the light rail transit system (eighth access) out and along the waterfront to the park to complement, highlight and access the City of Buffalo’s wonderful numerous hotels, restaurants, shops, theaters (main street), arts, rich architectural design buildings, and waterfront.

* Continuous Waterfront Park system - anchor store effectwhere tourist and citizens would transverse back and forth between the Bethlehem Waterfront Park in between redevelopments, the small boat harbor, more outer harbor redevelopments, and the City of Buffalo's many offerings.

* Tailgating Bills fans protected from the weather half a mile away from the immediate shoreline.

* Attract the Super Bowl a natural showcase for 80,000 fans and millions of viewers on TV.

* Uplift City of Buffalo and Western New York into a Green belt, environmentally friendly image receives national, international recognition and tourism.

* Uplift City of Lackawanna that desperately needs taxable redevelopment, re-beautification of the city, recently the city asked the State to take over road repair. The few relatively clean industries currently on Lackawanna's waterfront can be relocated with state and federal grants inland to designated areas.

* Create thousands of jobs in construction, hotels, stores, restaurants and support businesses.