Bills Stadium Relocation: Erie County Politician Reveals New Details

Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz reflects on the negotiations that led to the Buffalo Bills' new stadium of the future.

The Buffalo Bills earned a huge victory for the future of the franchise, striking a deal for a new stadium that is scheduled to open in 2026.

The Bills' new stadium, named Hallmark Stadium just like the current one, is worth $1.4 billion, with $850 million coming from public funding. According to the New York Times, the state of New York will pay for $600 million in construction cost, while Erie County will cover the other $200 million. As for the rest, Bills owners Terry and Kim Pegula will pay $350 million, with the remaining $200 coming via a loan from the NFL.

Luckily, the Bills, the state and the county were able to agree on a deal that works for all parties, but that almost wasn't the case. Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz believes that the Bills may have left Buffalo if not for the public funding they received.

"They have the ability, like a lot of the other businesses that we’ve seen in our town, to move if they feel it’s better for them," Poloncarz told the Sports Business Journal. "They have a business goal in mind, which is, in general, to make as much money as possible. 

"They can make more money if they move elsewhere. I don’t think the Pegulas would have built the stadium for themselves here in Western New York if we told them to go pound salt. I think they would have moved their team, because the history of the NFL is that’s what happens."

Poloncarz added that, while his top priority was to keep the Bills in Buffalo, he couldn't "give them a blank check." After some negotiations, he and the Bills were able to come to an appropriate compromise.

Additionally, Poloncarz believes that New York's recent change in governor played a part in completing the deal. He said that former governor Andrew Cuomo was "not very interested in getting a deal done," but new governor Kathy Hochul, a Buffalo native, was more committed.

"The governor was much more involved this time than the prior governor was. She was more intimately involved -- there’s no doubt about that -- as compared to Andrew Cuomo, who delegated a lot of stuff. Two different governors have two different ways of managing operations, and it was quite evident."

As an added bonus, the Bills' new stadium deal comes with a 30-year non-relocation agreement, according to the Buffalo News. Now, Bills Mafia can sleep soundly knowing their team will be around for many years to come.

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You can follow Jonathan Alfano on Twitter at @JonAlfano_News

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