Orchard Park, N.Y. (WBEN) - With construction of the new Highmark Stadium progressing along Abbott Road in the Town of Orchard Park, conversations continue to be had over the potential rezoning of areas around the stadium.
More conversations are set to be had Thursday when Town of Orchard Park Councilmen John Mariano and Joe Liberti will be hosting a public discussion on the proposed rezoning around the stadium site. Both Councilmen will have a small presentation to discuss the proposed changes and then solicit public feedback.
The meeting is slated to be held from 6 p.m.-to-8 p.m. ET at Wings Meeting Place on California Road in Orchard Park.
The Orchard Park Town Board says it is making progress on a more business-friendly rezoning of the area surrounding the stadium. After Thursday's rezoning discussion, the Board is expected to further discuss rezoning in the town during the Oct. 2 Town Board meeting.
Several businesses already close to the current and new Highmark Stadium are certainly hopeful for the zoning law changes, and what the opportunity of additional development can do for the surrounding area.
"I think that being there's a new stadium going in, it's important that it is rezoned around the stadium, especially for commercial use. That brings a lot of opportunity for other businesses," said Bernadette Singer, operations manager at Prohibition 2020 at the corner of Southwestern Boulevard and Abbott Road. "More businesses that come, the more traffic, so that's really good for us."
Across the street from Singer on Abbott Road is Peggy Cerrone, owner of O'Neill's Stadium Inn, who is hoping the Town of Orchard Park can see the big picture with potential development around the new stadium.
"We have this beautiful stadium going up, but we don't have the support for it. We see, currently, even with the old stadium, people coming into town and they have to stay in Hamburg or downtown [Buffalo]," said Cerrone with WBEN.
Jim Costello, regional manager of Bert's Bikes along Southwestern Boulevard, is also hoping to see the town go through with rezoning around the stadium.
"This section of Orchard Park has really been underdeveloped since the stadium was built. It's been 50 years since the stadium is there, and there's really no amenities surrounding it. So we're really pro-rezoning," said Costello in an interview with WBEN.
As for Mark Ebeling, owner of Danny's South on the corner of Abbott Road and Big Tree Road, he's hoping the Town of Orchard Park plans to rezone the whole area for everybody, and not just pick and choose locations.
"The last meeting I went to, they were talking about Sterling Drive and [Benzing] over by the plaza by Target. What good is a hotel over there when the stadium's right here?" Ebeling questioned with WBEN. "You got the old stadium site; this should be like Gillette [Stadium]. Their hotels on the old stadium site, which is unbelievable, and they have all sorts of shops and stuff around there and stuff like that, which is a cool idea. Which they do have that idea to do stuff."
Ebeling is frustrated, because the proposed rezoning map he had sent to him does not include his plot of land, which is on the South side of Route 20a. Meanwhile, the land directly across the street from him is part of the proposed rezoning area.
"We're zoned for a certain thing, but I want to be zoned like everybody else. I want to be able to do, according to what the town will allow me to do, whatever else is going to do. You don't just draw a circle and you leave the house next door out. Everybody's got to be included," Ebeling stated. "The biggest fight that was over by Sterling Drive area was all the people that are over there, they don't want a hotel over there. They don't want it to be over three stories. It's got to be. You're not going to get a hotel in this area with a three-story hotel. We obviously need rooms, and I just think something's got to be done."
Like Ebeling, other businesses in the region would also like to see the possibility of hotels being developed, along with other competing businesses in-and-around the new stadium site.
"I would really love to see some hotels over there, just because there really isn't anything close to the stadium. I think some more restaurants, even shopping businesses. I know we have the Buffalo Bills Store right there, but I think other shopping businesses as well," Singer said with WBEN. "I think it should be really business-heavy around the stadium."
"I think we'd like to see more business and more density of people here. People coming to the stadium are going to look for amenities, so we're really hoping to see a positive impact for the community with the stadium being built," Costello added. "And we're also kind of hoping for some transparency with all of these governments to tell us exactly what's going on."
Cerrone is also hoping there's the potential of adding some attractions to the area in order to bring even more attention to Orchard Park.
"It'd be great to get a Top Golf or something that will bring people to the area. It's a big hockey town as well, so I know there's a lot of hockey tournaments that go around here, even just locally. There's a need for business here," Cerrone said.
"I just think the more development, the more people that are going to come out here," Ebeling added. "I think they need an attraction. They need a water park, they need hockey, they need something. That old stadium site could be used for a million things, and nothing's in the drawing boards for that at all, and it should be."
While there's not too many concerns with these businesses facing the potential of further development in the area thanks to rezoning, Cerrone points to concern surrounding some of the residents that live in the area.
"There's a lot of people that have been here for, I mean, since the stadium's been built, the old stadium. But if they're going to rezone and build, it kind of leaves them in the dust, so I do understand their concerns, for sure," she said.
In the end, these businesses understand very well that the more people Orchard Park can attract, the better off business will be for everyone, no matter if the Buffalo Bills' season is in action or not.
"The new developments that potentially are in the works would make things better. I never worry about business declining. I definitely welcome anybody that has any plans there to join that area," Singer said. "More traffic, that's better for everybody."
"Every Sunday or every home game, you've got 80,000 people-plus here. That's attractive for a lot of businesses," Costello added. "So I think that rezoning would bring in a lot of the amenities that the clientele of the stadium, and the residents of Orchard Park are looking for."
In addition, Cerrone hopes with business comes residences, and more people moving to the area because there's more things to do.
"Businesses open, not just retail or restaurants or leisure, but hopefully then businesses will come here because people are here. It's just a cyclical effect. It's just going to grow, but you have to start somewhere," Cerrone said. "Orchard Park's got to get out of its way, it's got to allow us this area to grow."
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