The 40 or so college students from Buffalo State College who attended the Bisons game April 16 were the first group to rent a portion of the new Heron's Landing Party Deck . The trip was sponsored by BSC's United Students Government organization and was paid for through the mandatory student activity fee. Students paid $5 that included bus transportation from the college to the ballpark, catered food on the party deck , as well as post-game fireworks. Despite the Bisons being on the wrong end of the scoreboard for their home opener, those in attendance were impressed with the game environment. Fans in attendance described the ballpark as phenomenal. The only complaint they had was the price of food at the Party Deck concessions. A bottle of Coke runs $3.25 while a hamburger runs $3.75.

USG Assistant Vice President Kevin Buckley was not available for comment. He did issue this statement in an interview with the Buffalo News: “This is better than I thought it would be. We're right on the field.”

The party deck is four tiers high and offers something a little different from each level. The top level contains a bar and concession area and is available to all fans. The lower three tiers are available for parties and groups of 60 to 200 people. Each level contains a picnic area with tables and seating, allowing fans to catch the game from a more relaxed setting. In a press release, the Bisons said the improvements made to the park now make their home one of the best.

“Heron's Landing gives fans a new and exciting way to view Bison baseball and keeps Dunn Tire Park the envy of minor league baseball,” the release said.

The party deck replaces the old bleachers in right field and was part of a $5 million renovation project at the ballpark. A look at the renovation project at Dunn Tire Park can be found at www.bisons.com and it shows:

• 9/12/03: large tarps are hung to protect the seating areas before painting could begin.
• 9/26/03: painters begin painting every area of the ballpark. Several lifts were used to reach the higher areas.
• End of September: roof is repaired and painted. The bleachers in right field are removed to make way for the new Party Deck.
• 10/7/03: crews install a temporary fence in right field to allow for work on the new deck.
• 10/17/03: party deck support beams installed.
• 11/21/03: support walls are installed using cranes in order to put them in place. The cement pad is also poured.
• End of November: planking put into place.
• 12/2/03: finishing touched to each level of the Party Deck completed.
• 4/16/04: Party Deck debut.