As if it were not clear enough before, Gov. Kathy Hochul said it again Friday: The next Buffalo Bills stadium won’t have a dome.
That’s what the team has indicated, and now it’s what Hochul is saying, too.
All parties involved – the state, Erie County and the NFL team’s representatives – have indicated they’re approaching a deal, despite passing the Dec. 31 deadline long established by the Buffalo Bills.
During her Friday news conference, Hochul answered a question from The News about whether a future Bills stadium will have a fully covered roof.
“When there is 18 inches of snow on the ground, a dome always sounds better,” said Hochul, referring to the lake-effect storm that pelted Buffalo this week. “But I do believe that part of the culture of the Buffalo experience is to have the outdoor.”
Hochul was echoing the sentiments of Bills owners Terry and Kim Pegula, who have indicated through representatives that they prefer an open-air stadium.
The negotiations are down to money – or, more specifically, finances plus politics and perceptions and timing.
The Bills are in negotiations with the state and Erie County to determine financing for a new venue across the street from Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park. The new stadium is projected to cost about $1.4 billion and, if an agreement is reached soon, could open by 2026.
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Referring to a series of studies that have evaluated potential sites for a stadium – including one in the city, and in suburban Orchard Park – Hochul said public officials and team representatives have spoken “collaboratively about what the best approach would be.”
In December, the governor publicly endorsed the Bills’ preference for Orchard Park, which settled the question of location.
Her remarks Friday reinforced that the future Bills stadium will be an open-air venue. A study commissioned by the Bills in 2019 and released by the state last month also indicates that a future stadium will have a partial roof covering that will shield fans from the elements.
“To keep it open air is part of the Buffalo bravado,” Hochul said, “which people love to showcase.”
The report includes images attributed to Populous of what an imagined new stadium could look like in each of the sites it reviewed.
Hochul also noted that negotiations are “ongoing” and “very positive.” The governor indicated previously that she plans to include the stadium – which will be financed between the state, county and Bills – in her 2022 budget, which needs to be finalized April 1.
The Bills, however, indicated that they wanted the framework of an agreement in place by Dec. 31, and Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz has spoken optimistically about having a deal in place soon, noting in his year-end press conference, “There have been significant discussions over the last two weeks.”
That optimism seems to remain in place, for now.
“All parties continue to work together in a warm and constructive manner to get an agreement in place as soon as possible,” Jim Wilkinson, a spokesperson for the Bills’ parent company, Pegula Sports and Entertainment, told The Buffalo News earlier this week.
The state, with an annual budget exceeding $200 billion, will be responsible for the bulk of the funding.
“There is not a date certain other than the next few months where it has to be completed,” Hochul said Friday. “But I’d like to get this done, wrapped up, sooner than later.”
