Bills Stadium Construction Reaches 75% Completion Milestone

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — Construction of the new Buffalo Bills stadium has reached roughly 75% completion, and state officials say the project remains on track for its targeted mid-2026 opening despite earlier delays.

Steve Ranalli, president of the Erie County Stadium Corporation, briefed reporters on Monday after the board approved a land transfer of land to the state and signed off on a demolition plan for the current Highmark Stadium.

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Ranalli confirmed that the Bills’ purchase of an 8.16-acre parcel known locally as the “Barco lot,” a longtime gravel parking area along Big Tree Road that abuts the Bills’ practice fields, is now being incorporated into the broader land transfer to New York State.

An LLC with a One Bills Drive address purchased the land in 2023 after the initial stadium agreements were signed, which temporarily left it outside the county-to-state transfer framework.

“Just based on the timing, it hung out there as a piece we needed to clean up,” Ranalli said. When the stadium reaches substantial completion next June or July, all land, including the existing Highmark Stadium site, will transfer to the Erie County Stadium Corporation, with the state ultimately serving as owner.

The parcel will continue to function as a parking lot, primarily supporting team and operational traffic, Ranalli indicated.

Ranalli said the stadium is “approximately 75% complete,” noting that while monthly reports had reflected an 11–12% delay as reported by 2 On Your Side, on-site progress suggests crews have made up significant ground.

The catch-up came through extended shifts, additional labor, and reordering key components of the project timeline.

“There are delays on every project in a project of this scale,” Ranalli said. “They have 1,500 to 1,600 people on that site every day… basically seven days a week, around the clock working. I expect they’ll get there.”

Crews are installing the exterior gates before harsh winter conditions fully set in, as well as doing interior mechanical, electrical, and plumbing installation. Interior finishing, including drywall, flooring, and bathroom installations, is also underway.

The exterior façade is “pretty close,” though some sections remain open to allow easier movement of materials into the stadium.

Demolition of the current stadium is expected to begin soon after the Bills’ season ends in late January, pending the selection of a contractor. The Bills have selected ARC Building Partners to oversee the effort.

Ranalli said the team chose to break out demolition as its own contract because of its unique logistics and differences from construction. The demolition is expected to cost between $30 million and $35 million, a number consistent with earlier estimates. All demolition costs, like remaining stadium construction costs, will be paid by the Bills.

The new and old stadiums will be transferred to the state when the new Highmark is “substantially” complete, which means that demolition will take place under the watch of the Erie County Stadium Corporation.

Ranalli estimated that by the end of the year, the Bills will have spent $1.6 billion on the project, including the $600 million from New York State and $250 million from Erie County.

“Moving forward, then obviously all the costs thereafter will be 100% Buffalo Bills, “ Ranalli emphasized.

Original estimates for the new stadium were $1.54 billion, but that has ballooned to a reported $2.1–$2.2 billion range.

During Monday’s meeting, the Erie County Stadium Corporation also approved about 1,600 square feet of exterior market space that was added to the stadium footprint. The structures will offer food, beverage, and family-friendly spaces inside the gates but outside the stadium bowl.

The state and Bills also finalized agreements adjusting lines for vehicular and pedestrian access. Ranalli described the changes as minor adjustments to how roadways wrap around the new campus and the SUNY Erie corridor.

With winter approaching, Ranalli said crews are “much more protected than last year” and can continue interior work without major disruption.

As for the highly anticipated stadium bison sculptures? Ranalli smiled and declined to offer timing: “Even if I knew — which I don’t — I’m not sure I could reveal that.”