BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — A special meeting to discuss the involvement of local businesses in the construction of the Buffalo Bills new stadium was held at the Erie County Legislature on Thursday.
Front and center was an update on the inclusion of minority, women, and veteran-owned businesses contracted to work on the $1.5 billion project.
"Today, currently, through our procurement process, we are just below 40 percent participation from minority, women, and service-disabled owned businesses," said Fuquan Collins, Chief Diversity Officer, Gilbane-Turner Construction, "We are going to continue to keep our foot on the gas."
The report of 40 percent inclusion currently exceeds the goal of 36 percent which is laid out in Community Benefits Agreement of the stadium deal.
In July, April Baskin, Chairwoman of the Erie County Legislator, was critical of the recruiting processthat she believed was falling short. Thursday Baskin said she was satisfied with the progress that is being made.
""Are we progressing forward the way we have to by law, yes, that is because of the hard work of Gilbane Construction and the Buffalo Bills," Baskin told 7 News.
"I certainly believe that most of the concerns have been addressed, but that is going to be and evolving process with partners that we have, and they are open to it" added James Blackwell, Erie County Director of Equal Employment.
Helping the inclusion piece has been an evolving approach to community outreach by Gilbane-Turner Construction which is in charge of the stadium project.
"At times you have to call an audible," said Collins, "We were hosting sessions in Orchard Park, during the day, in partnership with community partners we pivoted. We called an audible. We started hosting sessions in East Buffalo, Lackawanna, as well as Tonawanda."
Gilbane-Turner reports that about 30 percent of total contracts for the new Bills stadium have been awarded to contractors including 55 contracts totaling $163 million to MWBE and SDVOB businesses.
"We want to make sure that when that project is built we've had a part in it, as a total community, that we had our hands in the process," said Richard Cummings from the Black Chamber of Commerce.
"We are super pleased with how we are starting to address where we need to get to," said Penny Semaia, VP of Stadium Relations for the Buffalo Bills, "We are in full support of keeping dialogue open with communications from the community,"
The percentage of minority, women, and veteran-owned businesses included in construction will evolve as more contracts are awarded. Chairwoman Baskin says the work will continue in the months ahead.
"We are going to use this opportunity and partnership with our beloved local NFL team to blow the ceiling off of this, and find a way to include as many small businesses as we can from Erie County," said Baskin.
The Erie County Legislature also announced a new Stadium Community Inclusion Task Force, which includes 11 local experts on construction, to continue to work on including as many local businesses as possible.
