ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (WKBW) — The Buffalo Bills held a ceremony on Friday to celebrate the installation of the final structural steel beam at the new Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park.
Officials from the Bills, New York State and Erie County attended the ceremony. The governor's office said that on the final beam is an American flag and an evergreen tree "standing as a talisman for good luck and prosperity for the future occupants of the building." Partners, employees and stakeholders contributing to the development of the new stadium also signed the beam.
According to the Bills, as of April 1:
- Largest construction project in the history of Western New York
- Over 1,200 tradespeople on site daily, which will climb to 1,500 heading into summer
- 6,000 combined work hours per day
- 25,101 tons of steel set
- 223,088 bolts to make steel connections
- All precast concrete stadia (seating bowl) complete
- Roof canopy installation continues, including snow melt system
- Grading and utility infrastructure for the playing field has begun, with the target of installing the playing field in fall 2025
The project is now about 50 percent complete, and just last week, Bills Chief Operating Officer Pete Guelli sat down with 7 Sports at the NFL League Meetings in West Palm Beach and said the new stadium is expected to be completed "on time" by July 2026. The current stadium is set to be demolished in March of 2027, after the conclusion of the Bills' first full season inside the new Highmark Stadium.
You can watch our full report on Friday's ceremony in the video player above.
The original estimated cost of the new stadium was $1.4 billion, but Guelli confirmed to 7 News that the cost as of March 2025 is now "North of $2.1 billion." He cited rising costs of labor, materials, and construction projects in general, especially dating back to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Who's covering the rising costs? Those will be paid by Bills owner Terry Pegula. The county will pay $250 million, New York State will provide $600 million, and the Bills will cover the remainder.
You can watch our conversation with Guelli below and read more here.
What happens to the area around the stadium once the current stadium is demolished? Orchard Park’s development has become a hot topic among the organization, Orchard Park residents, and state officials. That's another topic we spoke to Guelli about. You can watch our report below and read more here.
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