In March 2022, the Buffalo Bills, New York State and Erie County reached a deal to build a then-$1.4 billion stadium for the football team. Since then, the cost of the new stadium has ballooned to $2.2 billion.
With the Buffalo Bills new stadium construction 15 to 18 months away from completion, the state is ramping up its operating budget to provide the services needed to help get the project to the finish line. The budget of the Erie County Stadium Corp, the state entity overseeing the project, is going up from last year by 11% in personnel services and 14% for the growing use of consultants to account for the need for these services.
The Buffalo Bills confirmed on Friday that the cost for the new Orchard Park stadium being constructed across the street from the current facility has risen to an estimated $2.1 billion.聽That鈥檚 about a 25% increase in the estimated $1.7 billion stadium cost 鈥 a number the Bills never confirmed 鈥 and an approximately 50% increase from the original estimated cost for the stadium of $1.35 billion.
The new stadium will be built directly across the street on Abbott Road, adjacent to Erie Community College鈥檚 South Campus, in what Gov. Kathy Hochul called 鈥渢he largest construction project in Western New York history.鈥
The Buffalo Bills are getting very close to selling out seat licenses for their new stadium set to open next season after enjoying their biggest quarter of sales yet. Seat licenses were 89% sold through by the end of September, according to the team鈥檚 report that was released by the state on Wednesday.
