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Dive brief:
- Some Buffalo Bills fans may be too eager for the NFL team’s new stadium. Three of them faced a judge at Orchard Park Town Magistrates’ Court last week accusations they breached about the $1.4 billion project in Orchard Park, New York, WGRZ reported.
- The three were among 10 fans who have entered the Gilbane-Turner joint venture site on Sundays this season, according to WGRZ.
- The team’s fans, nicknamed the “Bills Mafia,” are known for their fiery displays of affection for the team, including jumping out of the tailgates of trucks and onto pull-up tables. After a ventilator allegedly fell into a massive excavation in the workplace, a trend of social media jokes about “feeding the pit” emerged, to ensure team success.
Diving knowledge:
The Gilbane-Turner team began to build New Highmark Stadium in June 2023 near the site of the team’s existing stadium. The project will be completed in time for the 2026 season.
Contractors and local authorities are working to protect the work site from fans or other intruders.
“Safety at the project site is paramount,” a Gilbane-Turner spokesperson told Construction Dive via email. “Construction sites can have hazards, so we’ve established a safe, secure and welcoming place for the people who are working hard to build the new Highmark Stadium for the Buffalo Bills.”
The fence around the project has signs warning potential trespassers that they will be prosecuted.
“We will continue to monitor and take the necessary steps to keep the site safe,” the spokesman said. “Anyone found to be in violation will be subject to prosecution.”
The judge handed the three intruders 100 hours of community service, WGRZ said.
Progression of the stadium
In July, early in the schedule at New Highmark Stadium, the JV took heat from Erie County Legislature Speaker April Baskin for not achieving initial recruitment targets. Then, in October, the team announced it had awarded 40% of the contracts to businesses owned by minorities, women or veterans with disabilities.
This resulted in 55 subcontracts worth $163 million, about 40% of the $408 million in awards to date. Peter Davoren, Turner’s CEO, told Construction Dive at the time that Baskin’s comments “shook the tree,” adding that he was happy because it ensured all stakeholders were on the same page.
As for the football team, the Bills’ season ended at home on January 21 with a 27-24 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in the divisional round of the AFC playoffs.
