Over 1,000 Guests and Hundreds of Union Construction Workers Watch Final Beam of Structural Steel Lifted into Place at New $2.1 Billion State-of-the-Art Stadium That Will Keep the Team in Buffalo for Next 30 Years
Economic Impact Will Exceed the Public Contribution to Western New York’s Largest Construction Project
See Latest Photos of Stadium Progress Here
Governor Kathy Hochul, the Buffalo Bills and Erie County today celebrated the topping out of the new $2.1 billion Highmark Stadium at the construction site in Orchard Park. A major building milestone, topping out celebrates the lifting and placing of the last major roof module for the stadium structure. The state-of-the-art stadium design includes cutting-edge technology, inspiring art and an array of amenities designed to enhance the customer experience — making it a world-class entertainment venue that will boost the economy of Western New York for decades to come. The project is about 50 percent complete and is slated to be finished prior to the 2026 NFL season.
“Today marks a major milestone for the future home of the Buffalo Bills and one of the largest construction projects ever in Western New York,” Governor Hochul said. “This world-class stadium would not be possible without our skilled union workers and partners, and I look forward to cheering along with them at the first Bills game being played here in the 2026 season.”
Buffalo Bills Owner Terry Pegula said, “Today is about you hard workers. We're going to put this piece of steel up. We’re calling this the topping off ceremony. I call it the first piece of building the rest of the stadium.”
Erie County Executive Mark C. Poloncarz said, “When you stand next to this future home of the Buffalo Bills, you realize how big this stadium is, not just in size, but in the economic impact to the community. With more than 1,000 highly paid construction workers building this stadium each day, this project is the biggest one in Erie County history and it is improving the lives of many. I thank my partners in Erie County government, New York Governor Kathy Hochul and our local state delegation, and the Pegula and Bills families for their investment in our community, as well as our local building trades for their work in ensuring the Bills call Erie County home for the next 30 years.”