The Erie County Stadium Corporation is a subsidiary corporation of the New York State Urban Development Corporation d/b/a Empire State Development whose purpose is to facilitate the performance of the essential governmental functions in connection with the construction and use of the stadium located in Orchard Park by Buffalo Bills NFL Team.

The Project

In January 2023, the subsidiary approved a plan whereby the State, Buffalo Bills and Erie County agreed to partner in the construction of a new stadium to replace the current Highmark Stadium, the home of the Buffalo Bills franchise. 

Several terms of the agreement included:

• Commitment to stay in Buffalo: Under the agreement, the Bills are legally committed to remain in their current location until completion of the new stadium which is expected to occur in 2026. Upon completion, the Bills will enter into a new 30-year lease at the new stadium.
• New Stadium: The agreement includes construction of a new $1.4 billion facility to be located across Abbott Road from Highmark Stadium. The state will contribute $600 million and the county will contribute $250 million while the Bills are responsible for all other costs, including cost overruns.  Since the original agreements were agreed to, the cost of the new facility has increased to $2.1 billion. All costs above the $850 million public commitment are the responsibility of the Bills.
• The new facility will be a state-of-that-art open-air stadium with a minimum seating capacity of 60,000 seats and a maximum capacity of 63,000 seats with finishes, amenities and concourses comparable to recent NFL stadiums.  The stadium will be a minimum 1.35 million square feet with eight to nine levels with a mixture of general seating, club seating, premium seating and suite offerings as well as a standing room only area and party decks. 
• The Project will also include construction of an approximate 65,000 square foot auxiliary technology building which will consist of areas for TV broadcasters and a production data center and includes demolition of Highmark Stadium upon completion of the new stadium.
• Upon completion of the new facility, ownership of the stadium and the adjoining complex will be transferred from Erie County to the Erie County Stadium Corporation which will be leased to the Bills.