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And since the mix of workers on-site is constantly changing as different projects are undertaken, that means thousands of construction workers have been involved with the $2.2 billion stadium project.

That number is expected to reach almost 10,000 by the time construction is significantly completed in July 2026.

And that doesn鈥檛 even count the many vendors and product suppliers that have been used to supply needed materials for the project.

While it may be most important to some Bills fans that the stadium project will keep the team in Buffalo, the true impact could be just how many people it has put to work.

鈥淚t is amazing to see how this project has progressed from the initial vision,鈥� said Pete Guelli, executive vice president and chief operating officer for the Bills. 鈥淥f course, none of this would happen without the thousands of workers contributing on a daily basis to deliver a world-class venue for generations to come in Buffalo.鈥�

The project hit a two-year construction milestone this week, with the groundbreaking occurring on June 5, 2023.

鈥淚t鈥檚 getting harder and harder to find people who don鈥檛 have a tie or connection to the new stadium,鈥� said John Polka, vice president of stadium development, who鈥檚 one of 10 Bills employees specifically working on the new stadium project.

鈥淲hether that鈥檚 their nephew or cousin or brother or somebody they know that鈥檚 worked on the project or has been involved by supplying something,鈥� he added. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 a testament to what the project is doing for the community.鈥�

The stadium construction project also has helped bolster construction employment across the region at a time when home building and commercial development projects are being hampered by soaring construction costs, high interest rates and tighter lending standards by banks.

The 21,100 workers in the construction sector across the region in April was tied for the most for any April in more than a decade, according to data from the state Labor Department.

There have been critics of the project who have questioned just how impactful and necessary it鈥檚 been for the community at large, but for many, it has not only bolstered their bank account but also helped lift their psyche.

鈥淛ust the conversations around the stadium being built, the resounding positivity around the workforce and really the greater impact that it will have in this region, you know the Bills mean so much to this fan base and they mean so much to us,鈥� said Penny Semaia, vice president of stadium relations for the Bills.

鈥淭hat鈥檚 what I hear people constantly talking about 鈥� that we鈥檙e one season away from being in the new stadium,鈥� Polka added.

With the help of consultant Developments by JEM, the Bills also are working to build the workforce up on the county and state level and getting the word out about the good-paying jobs in the construction trades.

Steve Ranalli, president of the Erie County Stadium Corp., the state entity overseeing the project, said that should have a long-lasting effect on the region.

鈥淚t bodes well to know that we have the ability to pull off a project like this with this type of speed here in Western New York,鈥� Ranalli said. 鈥淚t has a big psychological effect to get a project of this size done.鈥�

There鈥檚 also a significant pride factor that goes into working on the site.

鈥淚t is one of those things where you can say, 鈥業 worked on that project,鈥欌�� Ranalli said.

By the summer, 1,500 workers are expected to be on-site, which was a goal when the state agreed to supply $600 million in public dollars for the project and the county gave $250 million.

The Bills say over 4,000 workers have come through or been involved in some way with the project. That number could reach almost 10,000 by the end of construction, Polka said.

Additionally, there are suppliers and vendors with many additional workers that are supporting the project but don鈥檛 count toward those worker numbers, he added. That includes the companies prefabricating many of the materials that go into the stadium.

鈥淭here鈥檚 a greater economic impact than the numbers will ever display,鈥� Polka said.

Still, there are critics who do not agree with the project, the public money going into it and the location of the stadium.

Others take issue with the efforts the Bills are making to help give back to the community. They鈥檝e had their detractors, whether it is residents on the East Side who feel they鈥檙e being left out of the area鈥檚 resurgence or politicians like State Sen. April Baskin, D-Buffalo, who has said at times the Bills have not held up their end of the bargain with the Community Benefits Agreement she helped craft as the Erie County legislative chair.

A Community Benefits Oversight Committee has been meeting for about a year and a half to provide oversight and accountability in connection with the construction, maintenance and operations of the new stadium. But the Bills maintain the final decision on how community dollars are spent.

鈥淢y role is to make sure we鈥檙e here in the community and helping our committee identify community vulnerabilities and how we help prioritize those so we can know what the needs really are,鈥� Semaia said. 鈥淭he community groups that we鈥檝e been able to engage with, it鈥檚 been great for relationship building.鈥�

The Bills are required to meet certain goals in the hiring of businesses run by minorities, women and military service-disabled veterans in the construction process, as well as afterward once the stadium is running.

After some criticism for a slow start, the project鈥檚 general contractor, Gilbane Turner, and the Bills are projected to reach the 15% goals for minority-owned business enterprises (MBE) and women-owned business enterprises (WBE) and come close to the 6% goal for service-disabled, veteran-owned businesses (SDVOB).

The Bills have committed to contracts worth over $262 million with MBE contractors, which amounts to 17.1%; over $254 million with WBE contractors, reaching 16.6%; and $87 million with SDVOB contractors, reaching 5.7%.

Those percentages are based on a stadium budget for $1.54 billion, which is what was originally agreed to under the Construction Coordination Agreement. The project鈥檚 cost has risen to $2.2 billion, but since project overruns are the responsibility of the Bills, the team does not need to achieve further contract goals with these disadvantaged firms beyond $1.54 billion.

鈥淲e feel pretty good about where they are on the MWBE, and the SDVOB is lagging and is something we continue to work with the Bills on,鈥� Ranalli said. 鈥淚t was a slow start and to their credit, when we pointed that out, they understood what they needed to do and made some changes internally, as well as Gilbane Turner making some changes to their team. They鈥檙e pretty lofty dollar and personnel amounts so we鈥檙e glad to see they are committed to these numbers.鈥�

Almost 60% of those certified MWBEs working on the project are regional contractors. Hiring regional and in-state contractors has been a major focus for the overall construction process, even if there are some elements of the project for which the Bills were forced to look out of town.

鈥淚n going to the site, you see the volume of people who have roots here and live here,鈥� Semaia said. 鈥淭hey take pride in being from here and have Bills decals all over their construction helmets. It鈥檚 a beautiful sight and you feel it firsthand.鈥�