{"id":907466,"date":"2026-05-22T08:12:06","date_gmt":"2026-05-22T13:12:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/2026\/05\/22\/buffalo-bills-nfl-stadium-surpasses-mwbe-contracting-goal\/"},"modified":"2026-05-22T08:12:06","modified_gmt":"2026-05-22T13:12:06","slug":"buffalo-bills-nfl-stadium-surpasses-mwbe-contracting-goal","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/2026\/05\/22\/buffalo-bills-nfl-stadium-surpasses-mwbe-contracting-goal\/","title":{"rendered":"Buffalo Bills\u2019 NFL stadium surpasses MWBE contracting goal"},"content":{"rendered":"<div>\n<p><span>An article from<\/span><br \/>\n        <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/d12v9rtnomnebu.cloudfront.net\/logo\/printer_friendly\/constructiondive.jpg\" alt=\"site logo\">\n    <\/p>\n<div>\n<p><span><\/p>\n<p>                Dive Brief<\/p>\n<p>        <\/span><\/p>\n<p>A Gilbane-Turner JV paid $490 million to minority- and women-owned business enterprises, surpassing the projects\u2019 goals, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul announced.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div>\n<p><span><br \/>\n        Published May 20, 2026<br \/>\n    <\/span><\/p>\n<div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.constructiondive.com\/editors\/zphillips\/\"><br \/>\n                                <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/d1b6lhn2ymmy1x.cloudfront.net\/journalist-headshots\/phillips-zach-circle-150x150.png\" alt=\"Zachary Phillips's headshot\"><br \/>\n                            <\/a><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<figure>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class src=\"https:\/\/imgproxy.divecdn.com\/Z_KOOyYsD5k50aDDVK2UsXVTZJIv_jNNtqkAUYuB48U\/g:ce\/rs:fill:1200:675:1\/Z3M6Ly9kaXZlc2l0ZS1zdG9yYWdlL2RpdmVpbWFnZS9UdXJuZXJIaWdobWFya0dJbGJhbmVOWS5wbmc=.webp\" width=\"1200\" height=\"675\"   alt=\"A construction worker kneeling on a jobsite.\"><\/p>\n<figcaption>\n<p>            <span><br \/>\n                A construction worker on the jobsite of new Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park, N.Y.<br \/>\n            <\/span><\/p>\n<p>        <span><br \/>\n            Courtesy of New York Gov. Kathy Hochul<br \/>\n        <\/span><br \/>\n    <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<p>\n            This audio is auto-generated. Please let us know if you have <a href=\"http:\/\/www.constructiondive.com\/contact\/\">feedback<\/a>.\n        <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<h3><span><span><span><span><span><span>Dive Brief:<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><span><span><span><span><span><span>The <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.governor.ny.gov\/news\/governor-hochul-announces-bills-highmark-stadium-construction-surpasses-mwbe-participation\">new Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park<\/a><span><span><span><span><span><span>, New York, has surpassed its minority- and women-owned business enterprises goal for construction contracts, according to a Tuesday announcement from Gov. Kathy Hochul.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li><span><span><span><span><span><span>The project team paid over $490 million to MWBE contractors, per the release. That meant the project surpassed the 30% target at the end of April \u2014 15% participation each from minority- and women-owned businesses.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li><span><span><span><span><span><span>The future home of the NFL\u2019s Buffalo Bills, constructed by a Gilbane-Turner joint venture, is 96% complete, according to the release. The project previously was under fire for failing to hit initial MWBE hiring goals.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span><span><span><span><span><span>Dive Insight:<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>The hiring goals tied to the project\u2019s Community Benefits Agreement use $1.5 billion as the stadium\u2019s cost, since that was the <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/buffalonews.com\/news\/local\/article_2528cb6a-2abf-4022-bc33-d905a47926b5.html\"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>estimated price at the time of the agreement<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><span><span><span><span><span><span> in 2023, Buffalo News reported.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>The cost of the project has since risen to about $2.1 billion, with cost overruns paid by the Bills. The team received $850 million in funds from the state and Erie County, per Buffalo News.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>In the summer of 2023, Erie County, New York, Legislature Chairperson April Baskin called out the JV after the state\u2019s economic development arm found that the contractors <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.constructiondive.com\/news\/gilbane-turner-miss-diversity-mwbe-goals-new-york-bills-stadium\/689020\/\"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>hadn\u2019t met minority business hiring goals<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><span><span><span><span><span><span>.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>Subsequently, representatives from New York City-based Turner Construction and Providence, Rhode Island-based Gilbane Building Co. met with Baskin, now a state senator, who at the time said she was encouraged by the response.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>In October 2023, the JV announced it had <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.constructiondive.com\/news\/gilbane-turner-workforce-diversity-bills-stadium\/696339\/\"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>awarded 55 subcontracts worth $163 million<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><span><span><span><span><span><span> to minority-, women- or service-disabled veteran-owned companies, constituting 39.9% of the $408 million spent to that point.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>\u201cIt wasn\u2019t a sprint, it was a marathon,\u201d Chris McFadden, Turner spokesperson, told Construction Dive of the effort to meet the goal. McFadden described the previous reports as a \u201csnapshot,\u201d at the project\u2019s previous stages, and emphasized the JV kept prioritizing the MWBE participation goal throughout construction.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>With the project nearly done, the JV has awarded 140 separate MWBE firms 304 contracts for the stadium\u2019s development. Eighty-three of those businesses are based in the Western New York region and they received 216 contracts.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>The 60,000-seat stadium, designed by Kansas City, Missouri-based Populous, <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.constructiondive.com\/news\/bills-break-ground-as-plan-move-and-more-latest-in-stadium-construction\/652381\/\"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>broke ground in the summer of 2023<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><span><span><span><span><span><span> and <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.constructiondive.com\/news\/buffalo-bills-stadium-top-out\/744701\/\"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>topped out in April 2025<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><span><span><span><span><span><span>. It will host its first regular season NFL game on Sept. 17, 2026 on Thursday Night Football.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.constructiondive.com\/news\/buffalo-stadium-surpasses-contracting-goals\/820699\/\" class=\"button purchase\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Read More<\/a><br \/>\n Zachary Phillips<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>An article from Dive Brief A Gilbane-Turner JV paid $490 million to minority- and women-owned business enterprises, surpassing the projects\u2019 goals, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul announced. Published May 20, 2026 A construction worker on the jobsite of new Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park, N.Y. Courtesy of New York Gov. Kathy Hochul This audio is<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":907467,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[23829,25283],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-907466","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-bills","8":"category-buffalo"},"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/907466","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=907466"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/907466\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/907467"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=907466"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=907466"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=907466"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}