ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (WKBW) — The new $2.2 billion Highmark Stadium, the future home of the Buffalo Bills, is taking shape and is now 93 percent complete.
The Bills report the project is on track for substantial completion by June 1.
Outside the facility, the exterior is nearly complete. The skin of the building shows the outline for the future logo of the hometown team.
Inside, the experience begins the moment fans walk through the door. Just steps from the main entrance, an open concourse overlooks the field, offering a breathtaking view of the stadium bowl.
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.
WATCH: Inside look at the new Highmark Stadium, future home of the Buffalo Bills, now 93 percent complete
"Majority of the seats are in at this point. The only seats that aren't in are the ones left out for sequencing," John Polka, VP of stadium development, said.
The seats feature a gradient pattern designed by Populous.
"Populous helped us with this gradient pattern, where we go from red to blue in the different sections," Frank Cravotta, senior VP of design, said. "It's a lot of fun. There is really no rhyme or reason behind it. It's purely random."
Video boards and sports lighting have already been installed, along with hundreds of speakers aimed at enhancing the game day experience.
"The sound system here is literally state of the art, and there's speakers that will be pushing into the concourse," Cravotta said.
Progress inside the stadium is moving quickly. One of the massive pregame gathering spaces for suite holders is taking form, connecting directly to suites that look straight out onto the field.
You can get an even more detailed look inside the stadium by watching the video below.
Downstairs is one of the most finished areas of the new facility. A large staircase and escalator take fans to field level and the Field Club, which is designed to bring fans closer to the action. It can hold up to 1,200 fans who have seats in the 100 level directly above. It will feature food and drink options, TVs, a DJ booth, and a front-row seat to the tunnel used by players to get to and from the locker room.
"So you'll have the ability for the whole team to walk past you. Very high-tech LED system built within that wall," Cravotta said.
Just steps away is the natural grass field, which was installed last fall. From this vantage point, the stacked nature of the stadium is apparent.
"We sometimes describe it, it feels like a large hockey arena, and less like a giant football stadium," Cravotta said.
The seats almost feel right on top of you, and you can tell just how loud it is going to be inside.
"We are still trying to figure out exactly how loud it will be because it's going to be incredibly loud, given the refraction of the sound, and the sound system and all of that. So it's really good to be down here, and sense that," Cravotta said.
Soft opening events will begin in July, with the new stadium hosting preseason football in August ahead of the regular season opener.
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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