So yeah, that whole infrastructure bill thing has sports team owners and local elected officials looking for ways to scrape up a few coins for stadium and arena projects, it’s probably only a matter of time until — hold on a sec, somebody just sent me an article:
ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (WIVB) — Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer says federal money could be used toward projects related to the new Bills stadium…
“The infrastructure money cannot be used on stadiums, but it can be used on roads,” Schumer says. “All the infrastructure that you need if there is a new stadium. Obviously, you’re going to have to build a whole new highway system, and I would add that would all be built with union labor.”
Okay, so “infrastructure money can be used on infrastructure” is uncontroversial, but “federal money designed to repair crumbling bridges and expand broadband access can be directed to build new roads to a billionaire’s NFL stadium” is maybe going to be less so. Also, “you’re going to have to build a whole new highway system” is not helped any by adding “obviously,” not when the new stadium is almost certainly going to be right next door to the old stadium, which already has highways leading to it. What gives, couldn’t you ask even one followup question, uh, “News 4 Staff”?
It will presumably be up to states how to dole out the federal infrastructure money, but the cash will also hopefully come with some strings, at least if President Biden wants to avoid a repeat of the PPP fiasco. And it will be interesting to see how fans of the other 31 NFL teams react to the Bills owners getting federal funding for their new stadium — sorry, for highways leading to their new stadium — when their preferred franchises did not.
Of course, Schumer wasn’t endorsing this use of federal infrastructure dollars, he was just—
Sen. Schumer says he’ll do everything he can to support a new stadium.
This is going to be a loooooong future.
I’m ready for a stadium to be granted some type of special highway designation so it can get funds.
More free money falling from the sky for stadiums! Doesn’t NY state also want billions for a new tunnel under the Hudson River? Geez, how much of the infrastructure funding pie does NY expect to get?
The point of infrastructure is support. If a few hundred thousand people in the area are going to use the facility every year, a stadium qualifies.
Tacking on infrastructure costs to “stadium subsidies” has always been transparently political.
Fair points,
I guess the question should be how much infrastructure funding should transportation improvements for new stadiums get? Can’t speak for Buffalo/NY state, but here in CA I don’t see Oakland getting anywhere near $360 million for their HT fantasy when there are far more pressing projects around the ENTIRE state. When (if?) infrastructure funding becomes available, will be interesting how it’s doled out by the state(s).
Also would add, in the case of a Bills potential stadium, 60+ thousand people 8 (maybe 10) times per year (throw in maybe a few concerts as well). Not like a freeway or transit line that gets used by thousands daily.
Great. Fix and expand overcrowded freeways, and build rail lines where justifiable. All for that.
I have a feeling that Oakland specifically was one of the reasons the infra bill is written the way it’s written. Oakland is a semi-prominent, deep-blue Dem city that’s about to fall into the exact narrative of the opposing political side. (Big entitlements; eventually the money runs out, the downward spiral hits and people/businesses leave.)
Federal cash allows them to rescue HT while not breaking their demagogic “promises” to not use city or county cash for an A’s stadium. (Of course, Oakland pols could still blow the opportunity.)
Federal cash WILL NOT rescue HT for Oakland; that’s extreme, Oakland-partisan wishful thinking on steroids. Just like Alameda County won’t rescue HT for Oakland; or at least they shouldn’t.
Not a good stadium/infrastructure funding strategy when it involves looking for massive amounts of loose change.
Does Schumer even realize that Buffalo is currently in the process of REMOVING some of the freeways that desecrated the city center when they were built? This reminds me of when Diane Feinstein sent a letter to a group of Bay Area officials a few years ago stating that the #1 priority for the region was building another bridge across the bay to connect the freeways on either side. I’m as left-wing as they come, but the Democratic Old Guard is completely out of touch.
Also: thanks Governor Newsom for vetoing bills to decriminalize jaywalking and legalize the Idaho Stop. I guess the new guard isn’t much better. What can we expect? The political class gets driven around everywhere; they don’t even have Windshield Perspective; more like Back Seat Perspective.