ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (WIVB) — At long last, the deal is done.
The Erie County Legislature voted unanimously Thursday to approve the deal for a new Buffalo Bills stadium on Abbott Road across the street from Highmark Stadium. The vote was the final hurdle in the process prior to construction, which can now officially begin.
Currently, there is no set date for a groundbreaking on the stadium, but Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz was hopeful it could take place sometime this month. The multi-year project is expected to be finished in 2026 and cost roughly $1.54 billion — up $140 million from the original cost estimations, an excess that will be footed by the Bills.
The final agreement on the stadium between New York State, Erie County and the Bills was reached on April 4.
The breakdown of how Erie County and New York State will be sharing the cost is as follows:
- Erie County: $250 million
- New York State: $600 million
The new stadium is projected to create roughly 10,000 jobs and the deal’s Community Benefits Agreement includes the Bills investing $3 million annually, which adjusting for inflation, will likely amount to roughly $100 million over the course of the 30-year lease.
As part of the 30-year lease, the Bills, the county and the state all signed off on a Non-Relocation Agreement to keep the team in Western New York and places harsh financial penalties if any other owner attempted to move them. In short: the Bills are not going anywhere in the foreseeable future.
The Bills have released a number of renderings over time, giving fans the chance to get an idea of what the team’s future home could look like:
Erie County released 19 public documents relating to the new stadium deal in April, which can be viewed here.
