Good news for the Buffalo Bills. After the official approval by the responsible county, the franchise can now start the construction of the new stadium

Buffalo Bills officials have been waiting a long time for this moment: they can finally break ground on their new 60,000-plus seat, $1.54 billion stadium.

The Erie County Legislature unanimously approved construction. The 10-0 vote was the final formal step needed in a lengthy process interrupted by the Covid pandemic.

The approval comes about 13 months after an agreement was reached that taxpayers would have to contribute an $850 million share of the cost.

Bills can build new stadium

The new arena is to be built across the street from the Bills’ current home and is located in the Orchard Park area of upstate New York. The stadium is expected to be completed by the start of the 2026 season.

“It’s exciting. We have successfully completed an important part of the project and can now devote ourselves fully to the construction and opening of the new stadium,” said Ron Raccuia, executive vice president of the Bills, in an interview with the “Associated Press”.

He continued, “I don’t know if there’s any doubt, but there were some twists and turns. But we were all determined to make this happen.”

The Bills were sold to Terry and Kim Pegula for a then-record $1.4 billion after the death of former owner Ralph Wilson in 2014.

Although the couple is committed to Buffalo and the revitalization of downtown, there were concerns about the Bills’ viability should they continue to play permanently in their current stadium.

Now, on the road to a new arena, things can get underway after the final step.