Empire State Development on Tuesday announced the completion of a study conducted by a multinational engineering and consulting firm regarding a future stadium for the Buffalo Bills. The study by AECOM addresses a variety of topics, including consideration of the renovation of Highmark Stadium versus the development of a new stadium; consideration of a new stadium in a downtown Buffalo site versus near the existing stadium in Orchard Park; consideration of an open-air stadium versus an enclosed stadium; and consideration of economic and fiscal impacts related to potential ancillary development, the ongoing operations of the Bills, and the potential loss impact if the Bills were to relocate to another market.
The study recommends that Empire State Development, Erie County, and the Bills proceed with evaluating a new stadium instead of renovating the existing Highmark Stadium. Regarding potential new stadium locations in downtown Buffalo or near the existing stadium, the consultants did not recommend either site. That decision will be based on negotiations between the parties. Factors to be considered will be the additional cost, the additional time to build a downtown stadium and the impacts to the local community, both positive and negative. The franchise's current lease to play home games at Highmark Stadium expires in July 2023.
Click here to view the complete AECOM study.
