July 14, 2024 Construction crews position a steel beam at the site of the new Bills stadium on July 3. The Bills have agreed to spend roughly $3 million each year as part of the community benefits agreement tied to the new stadium. How the Bills' community benefits deal suddenly got three years longer When the community benefits deal tied to the construction of the new Buffalo Bills stadium was first revealed, it was believed to be an agreement that would last for 30 years.
But as it turns out, it's really a 33-year deal. So how did the agreement suddenly get longer? It all hinged on a closer look at the deal's terms by the Bills' legal team and their determination that the agreement didn't kick in when the stadium opened, but rather once the lease was signed. It is a legal twist that Erie County's top attorney admits he didn't see coming.
"I want to be real public about the team deserving credit for stepping in ...
and coming to a conclusion that, quite frankly, I missed,” Erie County Attorney Jeremy Toth said. And that means more money – upward of $9 million – will be flowing into the community under the terms of a Community Benefits Agreement that is expected to pump more than $100 million in initiatives backed by the settlement over the next 33 years. – Mike Petro READ MORE Cyanotype flags waft in the wind at the site of a “Blues Memorial” from the Blue Flag Initiative project on Riley Street across from the Tops Markets on Jefferson Avenue in Buffalo, July 12.
