Ortt, Hochul join Bills brass in signing steel beam to top off new stadium
Photo by Mike Groll/Office of Governor Kathy Hochul: Gov. Kathy Hochul and Buffalo Bills owner Terry Pegula sign a steel beam today as part of a topping-out ceremony for the new stadium.
There was a big celebration today outside the new stadium that is under construction for the Buffalo Bills.
Many of the Buffalo Bills leaders, construction workers, and elected officials were able to sign the last steel beam to be set for the stadium in a topping out ceremony.
The new stadium is on target to be ready for the 2026 NFL season. The stadium will cost about $2.1 billion to build. The state is paying $600 million, Erie County will pay $250 million, with the Pegula family covering the rest, including the cost overruns from the initial construction costs of $1.4 billion.
“As a proud Buffalo Bills fan it was a pleasure to attend the Topping Out Ceremony for the new Highmark Stadium today with local electeds and fellow fans,” State Sen. Rob Ortt posted on social media. “They placed the final beam, signed by fans and officials, on the structural framework. Looking forward to seeing the continued project move forward with the opening set for 2026. GO BILLS!”
Image from Governor’s Office: The new $2.1 billion stadium is under construction next to the existing Highmark Stadium. The new stadium is expected to be ready for the 2026 season.
Gov. Kathy Hochul spoke to more than 1,000 guests and hundreds of construction workers during the celebration in Orchard Park.
The new stadium is about 50 percent complete. The groundbreaking was 20 months ago on the new 60,000-seat facility.
The new stadium will face north-south to better protect fans from the winds that blown in from Lake Erie. The current Highmark Stadium faces east-west. The stadium also will have a canopy to shield the majority of fans from snow and harsh weather.
Contractors have put in place more than 22,000 individual pieces of steel weighing more than 25,000 tons, the governor’s office said. About 60 percent of the steel is being produced in New York State and almost all of it produced in the United States.
Photos from Rob Ortt’s social media: State Senate Republican Leader Rob Ortt, whose district include Orleans County, signs the steel beam today.
In addition to the structural steel work, the project has included the removal of 742,000 cubic yards of dirt and the installation of more than 46,000 cubic yards of foundation concrete, and miles of piping among other materials.
As many as 1,500 workers will be on the site at the peak of construction. Workers have already put in over 1.7 million craft-hours to construction, with that number expected to double by completion, Hochul said.
“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,” 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.”
Rob Ortt posted this photo of the beam being raised in the air to go up high on the new stadium. This beam is the last major roof module for the stadium structure.
