ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (WKBW) — The new Highmark Stadium, the future home of the Buffalo Bills, is now 93 percent complete, and the project is on track for the team to start moving in this June.
I had a chance to get a tour of the stadium construction site today to see the progress. While there is still plenty of work to be done, construction is in the final stretch, and the Bills cannot wait to see the reaction of Bills Mafia.
Soft opening events will begin in July, with the new stadium hosting preseason football in August ahead of the regular season opener.
"I'd say the reaction is a lot of what we've seen today...a lot of wide eyes...a lot of smiles...a lot of head nodding...and really for the first game a lot of energy in this building that is what our football team is hoping for," John Polka, VP of stadium development, said.
WATCH: Inside look at the new Highmark Stadium, future home of the Buffalo Bills, now 93 percent complete
"This is a football first facility, that was right from the beginning, it's not built for the Super Bowl, so when you have a building that is designed like that, it is going to be architecturally different and in our case it's going to be better...the seats are closer...and it's louder," Frank Cravotta, senior VP of design, said.
The Bills also shared renders of the new bison statues that will occupy the Family Circle outside the stadium. The team said the statues are crafted with a steel substructure and a stainless-steel outer layer.
There will be three bison — the bull will be 27 feet tall and 29 feet long, the cow will be 22 feet tall and 23 feet long, and the calf will be 12 feet tall and 13 feet long. The team said that at night, the statues will come to life with five programmable lighting systems. In addition, the bull and cow have been designed to emit smoke through their nostrils.
"These striking sculptures will serve as a powerful visual representation of the strength and resilience of the Buffalo community, embodying the spirit that defines both the team and the city," an article on the team's website says.
You can find more information and pictures of the bison on the team's website here.
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