By Tim Graham

January 18, 2012

Stevie Johnson isn’t the only one who has dropped the ball on the Buffalo Bills.

Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo’s office released a financial plan summary in his budget proposal that specifically mentioned $84 million for “critical economic development investments,” including the Bills.

More specifically, the summary stated that some of the money was for “the retention of professional football in Western New York.” In an interview Tuesday with The Buffalo News, Erie County Executive Mark C. Poloncarz expressed excitement.

But in reality, a deeper look into the budget plan shows that money won’t be used to help the Bills remain here or to extend their lease for Ralph Wilson Stadium. The money, in fact, totaled a meager $2.94 million and was the final scheduled payment from the lease agreement made under then-Gov. George E. Pataki.

For perspective on how far $2.94 million goes in the National Football League, it would be less than a third of Bills quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick’s signing bonus.

There was no new money allocated for the Bills in the proposed budget. Cuomo’s office technically wouldn’t need to designate funding until the 2013-14 fiscal year budget because that’s when the Bills’ current lease for Ralph Wilson Stadium will expire.

But singling out the Bills in the summary was a boo-boo.

The errant mention caused considerable embarrassment in Albany. Cuomo’s office did not return a call from The News seeking comment for this article.

Poloncarz, however, remained optimistic that Cuomo considers the Bills a critical issue.

“Through conversations I have had with Gov. Cuomo, his staff and comments he has made publicly, the governor has made it clear that keeping the Bills in Buffalo is as much a priority for the state as it is for my administration,” Poloncarz said in a statement Wednesday.

“Whether or not there is funding specifically identified,” he added, “the mere mention of ‘the retention of professional football in Western New York’ as a critical economic development investment shows me that this is on the governor’s mind and the state will be an active participant in upcoming negotiations.

“Keeping the Bills here is not only important for our economy, but also critical to the framework of our community. And as the governor has said recently, what is good for Buffalo is good for New York State.”

The Bills’ current lease is scheduled to expire July 31, 2013, guaranteeing the team only one more season in Orchard Park.

Substantive talks can’t commence until the state, county and team know how much it will cost to update Ralph Wilson Stadium. The Bills hired Populous, a renowned sports architectural firm based in Kansas City, Mo., to study what renovations are needed.

Poloncarz said Tuesday he expected the Populous study to be completed by “late February at the earliest and possibly sometime in March.” Until then, he added, the price is an unknown and “could be tens of millions or hundreds of millions.”

Potential stadium improvements include widening the concourses, reconfiguring restroom locations and adding communal areas to prevent logjams in the corridors. Converting the press box into luxury suites also has been considered.

Bills owner Ralph C. Wilson Jr. told The News in September that the stadium would remain sufficient for “the next 10 or 15 years” if properly maintained.

Any sticker shock would be more of an issue for the Empire State Development Corp., which has assumed infrastructure costs in the past and likely will do so again. Erie County has been responsible for most operating costs.

“All the work necessary to keep the stadium in good shape is not going to be cheap,” Poloncarz told The News. “I don’t think anybody is assuming that.

“New York State will carry a large portion of the load, and I’m confident the state expects that.”

The Bills’ current lease was signed in 1997 and included $63.2 million in state-funded capital improvements, about $3 million a year from a “working capital grant” and other state money.

http://www.buffalonews.com/incoming/article714177.ece

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