Hochul commits $600M in taxpayer funds for new Buffalo Bills stadium

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) on Monday announced a joint public-private agreement to finance the Buffalo Bills stadium, marking the largest taxpayer contribution ever for a National Football League facility. 

As part of the agreement between New York state, Erie County and the NFL’s Buffalo Bills franchise, Hochul advanced a $600 million proposal from the state budget. Erie County will provide $250 million and the NFL and Bills will provide a combined $550 million to build a $1.4 billion new stadium, the governor’s announcement said.

The deal ensures that the Bills will remain in Buffalo for 30 years as the franchise has been regarded as a “proven economic driver” for the state, Hochul’s announcement said.

“I went into these negotiations trying to answer three questions – how long can we keep the Bills in Buffalo, how can we make sure this project benefits the hard-working men and women of Western New York and how can we get the best deal for taxpayers?” Hochul said in a statement. 

“I’m pleased that after months of negotiations, we’ve come out with the best answers possible — the Bills will stay in Buffalo for another 30 years, the project will create 10,000 union jobs and New Yorkers can rest assured that their investment will be recouped by the economic activity the team generates,” she added.   

The $850 million in pledged taxpayer money is the largest public contribution toward any NFL stadium. 

Nevada’s Allegiant Stadium was constructed with $750 million in public funds, and the U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis used $498 million in public funds, according to The Buffalo News.