ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (WKBW) — As construction continues on the new Highmark Stadium, the future home of the Buffalo Bills, 7 News got another inside look at the progress.
We sat down and spoke with Frank Cravotta, senior vice president of design for the Bills, and John Polka, vice president of stadium development for the Bills. Cravotta and Polka are both Western New York natives who grew up going to the current stadium and now they are essentially in charge of the construction of the new stadium.
"Incredible pride, I feel lucky," Cravotta said when asked what it's like to lead the project. "We take it seriously. Every day you get here, and you just pinch yourself. A lot of responsibility. A lot of eyes on this project, but — great."
"It's crazy just the transition from being a fan in my early years, and even as a young adult...then working for the team in the existing stadium and now having the opportunity to build the stadium that will build the memories for people for the next 30 to 50 years is just incredible," Polka said.
WATCH: An inside look at the construction of the new Highmark Stadium, future home of the Buffalo Bills
Cravotta and Polka also shared their favorite memories from the current stadium and how they hope fans feel once the new stadium opens.
"The more excited people are when they walk into this building, not that the memories will ever fade, but you certainly want the excitement for this building to overwhelm the sadness, if you will, or whatever the emotion is with the existing stadium going away," Polka said. "So, I think our role in delivering the best football stadium that we can deliver is what we want to do for our fans to make sure that the story is the excitement of this building, not the emotion of the existing stadium going away."
According to Polka, as construction continues, in the short term, the focus is on the exterior facade. He said that during the summer and into the season, fans are going to see the facade of the building "come to life." He also said that throughout the next year, there will be continued progress all over.
Our crew had the chance to head up to the roof of the new stadium to get a bird's eye view of the project.
Bills Chief Operating Officer Pete Guelli sat down with 7 Sports at the NFL League Meetings in West Palm Beach in March and said the new stadium is expected to be completed "on time" by July 2026.
Polka confirmed that the project remains on schedule.
"We are 100 percent on schedule," Polka said. "A lot of misconceptions about substantial completion versus final completion. When fans walk through that door next year, they're not going to see anything that is not complete or under construction. You're going to see the intended product of this stadium, and we're really excited about it."
The original estimated cost of the new stadium was $1.4 billion, but Guelli confirmed to 7 News that the cost as of March 2025 is now "north of $2.1 billion." He cited rising costs of labor, materials, and construction projects in general, especially dating back to the COVID-19 pandemic.
You can watch our conversation with Guelli in March below and read more here.
The current stadium is set to be demolished in March 2027, after the conclusion of the Bills' first full season inside the new Highmark Stadium.
What happens to the area around the stadium once the current stadium is demolished? Orchard Park’s development has become a hot topic among the organization, Orchard Park residents, and state officials. That's another topic we spoke to Guelli about. You can watch our report below and read more here.
As the Bills prepare to play their final season inside the current Highmark Stadium, we're taking a walk down memory lane to share 52 years of iconic moments and unforgettable memories. Over the last several months, the 7 Sports team has spoken with more than two dozen Bills legends, longtime employees, and loyal members of the fan base.
Each week leading up to the start of training camp, we will share their stories as part of our series: Leading The Charge: 52 Years of Fandemonium.
If you've missed any of the episodes from the series, you can find them on our website here!
Follow Leading The Charge on Instagram for Buffalo Bills analysis, instant reactions, weekly story lines and much more.
