The Bills also cited internal research that suggested fans who bought tickets preferred the suburban location.
“We’ve spent years studying the various locations, and we know unequivocally that Orchard Park is the most viable, efficient and cost-effective location,” Ron Raccuia, executive vice president of Pegula Sports and Entertainment and head of the team’s negotiator, said in October.
The Bills commissioned Kansas City-based architects Populous to design the stadium.
The new venue is expected to seat between 60,000 and 62,000 fans, with space for up to 5,000 additional spectators on a standing-only party deck, a capacity to match historical attendance figures.
A dome was ruled out due to numerous factors, including little to no expected return on investment, but around 80% of the seating will be covered by a partial roof or overhang to protect fans from inclement weather.
The stadium is expected to have a grass surface and a larger footprint than the team’s current 70,000-seat venue — about 1.5 million square feet compared to about 900,000 square feet — which will allow for larger seats and concourses and other enhanced amenities and help streamline it Matchday operations, PSE officials have said.