What will Buffalo's population be in 2015?

[ocean2026]

Hey guess what ? Maybe Buffalo doesn't have to kill itself to try for growth. If no new builidings are built - unless they conform with their historic neighborhoods and all the old ones are preserved Buffalo could be the most special historic looking place in the US! Buffalo has little traffic and it could have a special appeal. There is room for growth as many buildings are under-utilized.

This outside the box thinking won't go well with those who see Buffalo's losses as their own. The City of Buffalo has lost population every year since its peak of 1946 and every year people said "we need to think of ways to grow". Its not happening so bank on your great qualities.

Detroit ( and I recently had a thread Buffalo & Detroit differences etc) could also do this however its too far gone and too decayed. This gives Buffalo an excellent opportunity.

[Canerican]

Well, I think you are talking more about an end, not a means to an end at all. Just saying "look historical" won't make business owners overlook the onerous taxes.

[Jonnno]

The continuing poulation decline in Buffalo and WNY is inevitable based solely on demographics alone. So much of our young adult child bearing population has left that deaths will outpace births in the years to come and simple math will prevail. Those of us over the age of 50 have had a front row seat as the major industries that made Buffalo great and drew people to the area have been dismantled piece by piece. First the flour mills, then the steel mills, then the railraoads and now the auto industry. For the most part, the new age jobs have passed us by, so without jobs, no one is going to come here and without in migration to WNY from other places, including immigrants, there is no way we can grow. The people that left here may long to return but very few of them will be able to justify it based on their job prospects elsewhere. Having said that, it doesn't mean the Buffalo and WNY are bad paces to live, it just means that we have to accept that our future will be as a small to mid size city and metro with many amenities but no longer the "major" city we once were.

[Canerican]

That's it. Buffalo shouldn't be considered a major city anymore. It is just a matter of time until our sports franchises make it official... it's inevitable. Tulsa just built a new arena, there are no hockey teams in the midwest but St. Louis (or Dallas, if you consider it the midwest), there are no football teams in Virginia... There are lots of more suitable markets for our teams, ultimately money will decide where the teams go, not fans. I know that fans equal money, but with the mass southward migration, it's not unreasonable to think that there are more than a few yankees in any Southern city.

[jblake78728]

Originally Posted by Canerican

That's it. Buffalo shouldn't be considered a major city anymore. It is just a matter of time until our sports franchises make it official... it's inevitable. Tulsa just built a new arena, there are no hockey teams in the midwest but St. Louis (or Dallas, if you consider it the midwest), there are no football teams in Virginia... There are lots of more suitable markets for our teams, ultimately money will decide where the teams go, not fans. I know that fans equal money, but with the mass southward migration, it's not unreasonable to think that there are more than a few yankees in any Southern city.

You don't consider Chicago & Minneapolis midwestern cities?

You obviously know nothing about ice hockey if you think the Sabres would do better in Kansas City (which is the only realistic open market in the midwest) or the south. Ask the Atlanta, Nashville or the Florida teams how great it is to run an NHL franchise in the south. Carolina even goes through struggles in attendance & they've been pretty successful on the ice. Yes, there are a lot of Yankees in the south but usually they blow off what ever team the league decides to move into their new home & remain loyal to the team they liked growing up. Phoenix is one of the largest cities in the nation (and is full of east coast & upper midwest transplants) and no one attends Coyotes games.

The Bills may very well move when the team is sold due to lack of corporate support ........ but it will likely be to Toronto, not the south (if Jacksonville doesn't move there first).

Virginia's team is the Redskins. No, they don't play in the state but it is their territory & they will fight the league to the bitter end if they ever tried to move someone into the state.

Tulsa will never get a major league sports franchise, at least not in the foreseeable future. The city itself is comparable to many of the smaller markets in the various leagues but their problem is that the surrounding area lacks when compared to Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Buffalo etc. OKC would stand a much better chance at an NHL franchise before Tulsa, their problem is that they are too close to Dallas. There isn't enough interest in the NHL for a team in Dallas & OKC. When you look at Buffalo's population with regards to sports teams you also have to consider Rochester & Southern Ontario. Buffalo itself isn't a very attractive market but when you look at the population from Rochester to Hamilton it paints a much different picture. If an NHL team ever moves to Hamilton then the Sabres might be in trouble but until that happens their franchise is very safe.