There appears to be support for a new place.
New York’s Empire State Development agency’s study of whether the National Football League’s Buffalo Bills franchise needs a new stadium is done. The agency said the Bills franchise does need a new stadium but AECOM, an engineering firm which did the study, didn’t recommend a site for the facility which means Orchard Park or downtown Buffalo could be in the running for the new stadium. A new stadium in Orchard Park would be cheaper to build than in downtown Buffalo. But the stadium will be expensive in either case. If the Bills ownership, Erie County and the state of New York wanted to renovate the present facility in Orchard Park it would cost about $862 million. A new place in Orchard Park would come in with a $1.354 billion price tag or nearly a half billion dollars more expensive. Putting a stadium in Buffalo would add an extra $350 million to the cost. The first question that needs to be answered is the most difficult to answer. Who is paying for the stadium?
AECOM claimed that the Bills franchise brings in about $27 million per year for the City of Buffalo, Erie County, and New York State. That is not an economic generator and is a drop in the bucket for economic activity. Bills ownership wants a deal in place by January so the new facility can be built by 2026. How much money will Bills ownership put into the facility is unknown. How much money New York state residents will contribute is unknown. How much money Erie County residents will put up is unknown. But the process of putting together a financial package has started. The Bills’ present stadium is 48-years old and has undergone a number of renovations. It all comes down to dollars and cents.
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