Getty Buffalo Bills fans celebrate after a touchdown in a game against the Carolina Panthers.
The Buffalo Bills have taken a huge step toward the team’s first new stadium in nearly 50 years, but some fans are not happy about the route that owners Terry and Kim Pegula are taking to get it.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced on March 28 plans for a new $1.4 billion stadium in Orchard Park, one that would include $850 million coming from state and county governments. As ESPN reported, the total cost being covered by state taxpayers will surpass $1 billion when upkeep and facilities costs are factored in.
While many Bills fans were happy at the prospect of an upgraded stadium, others spoke out against the costs — both to taxpayers and to fans.
A statement from Terry and Kim Pegula on the new Bills stadium project.
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Owners Called Out
Many fans took aim directly at the Pegulas, who amassed their fortune from the oil-drilling business and have a net worth somewhere between $5 billion and $6.8 billion, depending on the estimate. The couple will be putting $350 million toward the project, though Frank Schwab of Yahoo Sports noted that a portion of that will come from the sale of personal seat licenses to the roughly 50,000 season ticket holders.
Many were not happy with that price, calling on the owners to pitch in more of their own money.
“The 3rd poorest city in the country (Buffalo) is about to give the 8th richest owner in the NFL (Terry Pegula) a new stadium for THEIR team. Does it get any more ridiculous?” one person tweeted.
in New York, getting public assistance to help keep a roof over your head or food in your fridge comes with conditions.
why don’t the wealthy – in this case the Pegulas – have to meet conditions before getting $850M in public assistance for a new stadium?
The plan also drew pushback from the nearby Seneca Nation after Hochul announced that the state’s portion of casino funds would go toward the stadium.
“In one breath, New York’s hostile and shameless greed was laid for the world to see,” wrote Seneca Nation President Matthew Pagels said in a statement on the Seneca Nation Facebook page. “Hundreds of millions of dollars from Western New York, in her own words, given to billionaires after intentionally and unnecessarily holding the Senecas and thousands of Western New Yorkers and families hostage for several days by strangling various bank accounts held by the nation and our businesses.”
Despite the anger from some fans, Schwab noted that price tag for New York taxpayers is actually smaller than many had anticipated. Initial estimates speculated that the state would need to give $1 billion toward the project.
Team Shares Stadium Details
Though official renderings of a potential stadium design have not yet been released, the team this week shared some details about what the project would include. PSE executive Ron Raccuia said that the stadium would be a much-needed upgrade over Highmark Stadium, which will turn 50 in 2023.
“It will be state of the art and will have a great deal of modern amenities that we currently lack at Highmark Stadium,” he said. “We do, however, want to maintain the intimacy, great sight lines and the amazing home field advantage and energy we currently have at Highmark Stadium. It will be a football specific stadium and we want to take advantage of all of the modern amenities, comfort, and technology available to us as we develop our plan with the architects.”
BREAKING: The Buffalo Bills are getting a new $1.4 billion stadium, and New York State/Erie County will provide $850 million in public funding (60%).
State: $600M
County: $250M
Pegulas: $350M+
NFL: $200M
(h/t @JasonWolf)
Read:t.co/MmvRB0fukR
The stadium will be lacking one important detail that a vocal contingent of fans had wanted. The team has no plans for a domed stadium, which gained interest over the course of the last season, where many home games were marked by poor weather.
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I really don’t see why people are sounding off on this. This is new york where they waste that much money all the time with nothing to show for it. At least we get a stadium.