Buffalo Bills Stadium Construction Hits 75% Completion Despite Delays

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — Construction of the new Buffalo Bills stadium is about 75% complete, and officials report that the project remains on schedule for a mid-2026 opening despite some earlier delays. The estimated cost has risen to between $2.1 billion and $2.2 billion.

Steve Ranalli, president of the Erie County Stadium Corporation, provided an update to reporters on Monday following the board’s approval of a land transfer to the state and a demolition plan for the current Highmark Stadium.

Ranalli confirmed that the Bills have acquired an 8.16-acre parcel known as the “Barco lot” along Big Tree Road, which will now be part of the land transfer to New York State. This land, adjacent to the Bills’ practice fields, has been a long-standing gravel parking area.

“Just based on the timing, it hung out there as a piece we needed to clean up,” said Ranalli. Once the stadium reaches substantial completion in June or July, all land, including the existing Highmark Stadium, will be transferred to the Erie County Stadium Corporation, with the state ultimately serving as the owner.

The Barco lot will continue to operate as a parking area, primarily for team and operational use. Ranalli attributed the project’s progress to extended shifts and reordering parts of the timeline, stating that “there are delays on every project in a project of this scale.”

Currently, about 1,500 to 1,600 workers are on-site daily, working around the clock. “I expect they’ll get there,” he added.

As winter approaches, crews are working to install the exterior gates and continue interior mechanical, electrical, and plumbing installations. Interior finishing work, like drywall and flooring, is also making headway, with the exterior façade nearing completion.

Demolition of the current Highmark Stadium is set to begin after the Bills’ season concludes in late January, pending contractor selection. The Bills have chosen ARC Building Partners to supervise the demolition, expected to cost between $30 million and $35 million.

Ranalli explained that this contracted demolition will be handled separately due to its unique logistics. He estimates that by year-end, the Bills will have invested around $1.6 billion in the project, which includes $600 million from New York State and $250 million from Erie County.

After the completion of the new stadium, all future costs will be borne entirely by the Buffalo Bills. Original estimates for the stadium were $1.54 billion, but they have now climbed to between $2.1 and $2.2 billion.

Additionally, during the meeting, the Erie County Stadium Corporation approved 1,600 square feet of exterior market space for food and family-friendly amenities, which will be located inside the gates but outside the stadium bowl.

Ranalli explained that the state and the Bills had finalized minor adjustments to vehicle and pedestrian access routes around the new campus and the SUNY Erie corridor.

With winter approaching, Ranalli noted that crews are better protected this year and can carry on interior work without significant disruptions. When asked about the timing for the stadium bison sculptures, he smiled and said, “Even if I knew — which I don’t — I’m not sure I could reveal that.”