Buffalo Pro Soccer will not play at Elk and Lee Street stadium site

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — Buffalo Pro Soccer will not play at the planned stadium site at Lee and Elk Streets in south Buffalo and is re-opening the stadium site selection process, the franchise announced Thursday.

The timeline for the franchise beginning play in the United Soccer League has also been pushed back a year to 2027.

The lease was terminated due to "an inability to work through disputes" with PVS Chemicals, a chemical plant operating next door. The site, the former home of the Medaille University athletic complex, has been subject of years of environmental concerns due to the presence of the plant. In 2021 the plant was ordered by a judge to immediately reduce its emissions of sulfur dioxide below the national air quality standards. The presence of the sulfur dioxide was a source of complaints from both nearby residents and visitors.

PVS was vehemently against the site being the location for the stadium, which was set to break ground this summer.

The Lee and Elk Street site, which was set to cost $10 million and hold up to 10,000 spectators, was chosen in April over two downtown sites, one of which was a site adjacent to KeyBank Center with a $40 million price tag. Team president Peter Marlette Jr. said in a statement Thursday that both of the previously discussed sites are back in the running, along with other new options.

"Our vision remains unchanged, and we’re working on a new plan that we believe will be even more impactful for Buffalo and our fans," Marlette Jr. said in a statement on Thursday. "To the residents of the Seneca Babcock and Valley neighborhoods: thank you. Your enthusiasm and support have meant everything. This would have been an outstanding site for the stadium."

The team made it clear that it still has support from investors as it begins a search for a new site.

"Projects of this scale and importance often encounter challenges along the way. What hasn’t changed is my belief in Buffalo Pro Soccer and the vision behind this stadium project," investor Jon Williams said in a statement. "I’m as committed as ever, both as an investor and as a passionate supporter, and I’m energized by the opportunity to help make professional soccer a reality in Buffalo.”