Common Council CITY OF BUFFALO OFFICE OF THE COUNCIL PRESIDENT DARIUS G. PRIDGEN (CHATRMAN. (COUNCIL PRESIDENT [RULES COMMITTEE ELLICOTT DISTRICT COUNCIL MEMBER SENIOR LEGISLATIVE ASSISTANT 65 NIAGARA SQUARE. 1915 CITY HALL FELICIA C. ALI BUFFALO, NY 14202-9918 LEGISLATIVE ASSISTANT PHONE: (716) 851-4980 ¢ Fax: (716) 851.6576 Cty of busfalo Webeite: yor cy butala.com, Ellicott District Website: www bales com FELICIA M, STANLEY December 3, 21014 Temy & Kim Peguia Pegula Sports & Entertainment ‘One Seneca Tower Buffalo, NY 14203 Dear Mr. & Mrs. Pegula, ‘As President of the Buftalo Common Council | would lke to offer my personal best wishes and congratulations on your successful acquisition of the Buffalo Bils franchise and, also, for the excting opening of Harbor Center. Your commitment to our community will have a profound effect on the future quality of life for the people of Butfalo and Western New York and the members ofthe Common Council welcome the opportunity to play a supportive ole. (Over the last few years there has been increased public discussion regarding the building of a new sports complex to replace the current facility. The Buffalo Common Council took proactive action last year on this matter by communicating with the NFL and offering to work in collaboration with new ownership aimed at forming a public-private initiative that could create significant new economic opportunity and spur ‘additional business development. ‘The unanimous Resolution of the Council communicated its support for further due diligence on a private proposal by a development group affliated with HKS Sports & Entertainment of Dallas which identified a potential downtown site and promised private financing of a mult-purpose sports, entertainment, convention and cultural complex (notably, a unique North American Museum of Sports to be run by The Strong Museum of Recheste'). ‘The proposal is based on a similar public-private model adopted in Indianapolis, and in the opinion of the Council, merits careful consideration. | would be pleased to lend my supporto further due diigence and ‘an open-ended review of future options whenever the assistance of the Council may be appropriate in your ‘own deliberations, ‘Thank you for believing in Buffato! wae) Darius G, 6Ce- ity of Buffalo, Common Couneil President Ellicott District CouncilmemberResolution Councilmembers Smith, Fontana, Russell, Golombeks, Pridgen, Scanlon, Franczyk, Rivera, LoCurto Buffalo Common Councit Support of Greater Buffalo Sports and Entertainment Complex, LLC (GBSEC) Whereas: ‘The Greater Buffalo Sports and Entertainment Complex, LLC (GBSEC) has filed proposal forthe development ofa landmark Sports, Entertainment, Conference and Museum Complex on the Buffalo Outer Harbor with the Brie County Legislature and the Buffalo Common Council asking for a Resolution of The Sease of this Body, and ‘Whereas: GBSEC has made presextations to the Buffalo Common Council, the Mayor of the City of Buffalo and the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority in the recent past, as well as, submitted such proposal to the Governor and State of New York and Whereas: In Recognition of the fact that OBSEC has retained the pre-eminent sports and entertainment complex design and development fim, HKS, Inc. of Dallas, Texas, the stadium development firm working most closely with the ‘National Football League in building successful and Super Bowl grade facilities as its project designer and manager, and Whereas: Recognition of the stated objective of GBSEC and public acknowledgement by The Strong Museurn of Rochester thatthe two parties hope to collaborate to develop the Netion’s First Museum of Sport & Competition on the Outer Hlarbor site; and ‘Whereas: We recognize that the GBSEC proposal seeks to create a publicly accessible green and environmentally ‘progressive waterftont environment, es well as create significant economic, job, end destination tourism opportunities for ‘our community ‘Now, Therefore, Be It Resolved: ‘This the Common Council of the City of Buffalo does unanimously declare its support for continued exploration and tho ‘exercise of due diligence to study the feasibility of the GBSEC proposal, including making our resolve known to other branches of government and public authorities, as well as, the National Football League, inthe hope that a proposal, such as this will result in keeping tho Buffalo Bills in WNY and in the City of Buffalo well beyond the term of the current lease + and with the expectation that the proposed project will create significant, new econoy recent experience ofthe City of Indianapolis. Richard Fontana Bonnie E. Russell eee Bonne i Demme Gop crt seater ga ae Soi — Z loD David A. Franezyk Joseph Golombek, Jr. stopher P. Scanlon Fillmore District Council Member No istrict | co” mz Mopther Atif Mea G. lth ‘Michaels, LoCurto Darius G, Pridgen G David A. Rivera Delaware District Council Member Ellicott District Council Member Niagara District Council MemberCommon Countil neue EoucaTion CITY OF BUFFALO aNoniry BUSES ENTERS MAl EAD! ‘COMMITTEES OFFICE OF MAJORITY LEADER Sours CCOwMuntY Devaar NANCE DEMONE A, SMITH UUs MAJORITY LEADER sec. Comes -MASTEN DISTRICT COUNCIL MEMBER WATERFRONT DEVELOPMENT 165 NIAGARA SQUARE, ROOM 1414 ‘MeaEE BUFFALO, NY 142023318 owt ScHOORS CONSTRUCTON BOARD PHONE: 8515145 FAX: 851-5443 [CIHATVE ASSISTANTS ‘mat dsrieety-butalocom FRANK GARLAND Website: hap wwwely-ufelocom “TANNA MARKS October 16, 2013 ‘Commissioner Roger Goodell National Football League 280 Park Avenue, 15"" Floor New York, NY 10017 Dear Commissioner Goodell, On behalf of the Common Council ofthe City of Buffalo we would like to bring to your attention of the ‘unanimous resolution of this body in support of the efforts to explore the development of a new multi- purpose sports facility on the waterfront site known as the Buffalo Outer Harbor, ‘The Common Council has carefully deliberated over this matter, City officials have participated in presentations by HKS, Inc. of Dallas and their local development underwriter, the Greater Buffalo Sports & Entertainment Complex, LLC. Over the last year, the development group has also hosted numerous informational community forums. Itis the intention of the City to exercise all due diligence in exploration of the feasibility of the proposed project. We believe the City of Buffalo will be the lead public agency in any necessary collaboration with other government agents for the express purpose of extending a land option to the development group. ‘There is significant community support for this large-scale economic development opportunity and the City stands ready to work in partnership with the NFL by pursuing the opportunity presented by the development team. We understand that it takes almost a decade to builda state of the art facility and we also understand the risks of not preparing for the inevitable challenges of the future, We hope that a pro-active approach, early communication and cooperation with the NFL will allow us to work in conformity with League guidelines and practices and in planning a facility that will enhance the ‘NEL brand and improve the brand and economy of the City of Buffalo and Western New York, Sincerely, Council President Couneil Majority Leader , South District Councilmember cc: NFL Stadium Committee Attachment: Common Council Resolution