BUFFALO, NY (WKBW) — On Tuesday at the Frank E. Meriweather Library, community members raised concerns about the Community Benefits Agreement, stating they were left behind.
- Calls for Community Benefits Oversight Committee to make Bills games accessible to all residents.
- The projected cost of the new stadium exceeds $2.1 billion.
- The agreement mandates that 36% of construction companies must be minority, women, and veteran-owned.
"You know, and you care, that Buffalo is one of the poorest cities in the nation with a poverty rate of 28.3%, which means that over 70,000 of our neighbors are struggling to put food on their tables," said Annette Lock, a Major with the Salvation Army.
Many at the meeting are calling for the Community Benefits Oversight Committee to take action to make a Bills game accessible for everyone.
The Associated Press reports the projected cost of the new stadium has ballooned to more than 2.1 billion dollars.
Bills Vice President of New Stadium Relations Penny Semaia says the organization is committed to meeting the CBA's requirements, that agreement says 36 percent of companies involved in construction must be minority, women, and veteran-owned.
"We have met our goal; we are committed to 38.7 percent of our certified firms are already committed or under contract," said Semaia.
Semaia says the organization is also committed to the community, reinvesting in Buffalo through donations and sponsorships.
"There are opportunities. We take into account this public meeting that you feel like the priorities
should be," said Semaia.
Mo Sumbundu with Empire State Development says the hearing should send a message to neighbors living near the Rockpile that they are not forgotten.
"It was an opportunity for us to hear from the community and hear directly from them so we can be much better informed about the work we need to do in collaboration with the Bills," said Sumbundu.
