With the State of New York also paying for all maintenance and repair costs once the stadium opens, it is the largest taxpayer contribution ever for a National Football League facility.

Robert Duffy, Buffalo Niagara Partnership CEO Dottie Gallagher-Cohen and Empire State Development President Kenneth Adams to a new study board to discuss the feasibility and plans for a new stadium.

[18] During the fall of 2018, PS&E hired consultant CAA ICON to handle stadium planning for both the Bills and the Buffalo Sabres, with no constraints on potential locations.

[21] During the January 2020 State of the League address, commissioner Roger Goodell stated in regard to the Bills' stadium plans: “Those are things that the group has to settle collectively and to address over the next several months, if not sooner.”[22] On June 18, 2021, the Pegulas chose Legends Global Planning to represent ownership, consult on a new stadium and sell sponsorships and premium seats for the venue.

[25] In early August it was reported that Pegula Sports and Entertainment had made their first offer demanding full taxpayer funding of a new stadium in Orchard Park at a cost of $1.1 billion, part of a broader $1.5 billion package that would also include renovations to KeyBank Center, Buffalo's indoor sports arena.

[27] On August 31, 2021, the Bills submitted their plans for a $1.4 billion, 60,000-seat stadium in Orchard Park to representatives of the state and Erie County to be completed by 2027.

Because the stadium would not have a roof, it would be ineligible to host the Super Bowl; civic leaders in Buffalo argued that Buffalo lacked the infrastructure to host the Super Bowl, nor any other event large enough to make full use of the venue outside of football, and that the team should not bother trying to build a stadium for such events, nor bid for them.

Buffalo's reputation for cold, snowy weather often makes for compelling television and has long formed a part of the team's and city's identity.

[29] On March 28, 2022, it was announced that a deal had been reached between New York State, Erie County and the Bills for the 63,000 seat, $1.4 billion dollar stadium in Orchard Park.

[32][33] Neil deMause, co-author of the book Field of Schemes (2008), has criticized the financing plan for not taking present value of money fully into account.

For example, much of the construction money will be paid upfront, whereas the hoped-for increases in economic activity and tax revenues will take place over the next 30 years.

[37] During the excavation phase in September 2023, a fan jumped over a fence guarding the construction site and fell into a hole 30-40 feet.

On December 11, the company met with local AFL-CIO members to discuss the number of jobs created by the proposed project, which was said to be 10,000.

[42] Howard Zemsky, chairman of the NFTA said that he was opposed to the project, referring to the idea of granting a nine to twelve month option on the waterfront land, saying simply "we're not doing that."

In May 2013 the GBSEC submitted a $500,000 offer to the NFTA for the exclusive right to negotiate the purchase of 150 acres (61 ha) of outer harbor land.

[43] On August 26, 2014, it was announced that the Outer Harbor site was no longer being considered, after a study showed that at least four bridges would need to be built to effectively service the increase in traffic.