Buffalo, N.Y. (WBEN) - Preparations continue for the construction of a new state-of-the-art stadium for the Buffalo Bills in Orchard Park, across the street from the current facility at Highmark Stadium.
Work is already underway with the company Legends leading the way to work with the team with planning, project management, sales and partnerships for the new stadium. Meanwhile, Populous is taking the lead with the design and development phase of the project.
This past week, the Bills did some homework of their own by sending out surveys to fans and season ticket holders specifically focused on seating styles, prices, and PSL prices for a new stadium.
"As you know, we recently announced a public-private partnership with the State of New York and Erie County to develop a new stadium located in Orchard Park adjacent to Highmark Stadium. We are excited about the impact a new modern stadium will have on your overall game day experience by providing enhanced seating, concourse, concession, technology, and other such amenities," said the Bills in a statement attached with the surveys.
"In order to provide our fans with the best possible experience that is unique and true to Buffalo, we have engaged a third-party company to conduct a survey to assist us in making informed decisions regarding various elements of the new stadium, including design, amenities, and seating areas."
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The survey asked fans for their interest level in different types of seating for a new stadium, including reserved seating, club seating, small group seating and luxury seating, while also covering potential plans for research purposes only.
"It's good that the Bills are sending out the surveys," said John Cimperman, founder of Barnstorm Sports and Entertainment. "As a matter of fact, it's probably a good idea that these surveys be sent out on an annual basis, to both [Buffalo] Sabres and Bills season ticket holders. So it's always great to get input from the fans, and obviously even more important now as we're getting into the planning phase and the development of the new stadium."
Cimperman says the survey he saw features fairly common seating options. While the team will get the input from fans on seating, it will also be about combining that with the latest trends around the country, such as communal spaces.
"It's a lot more about selling the experience or buying the experience than it is buying the actual seat," Cimperman said.
While the layouts the team provided are purely hypothetical, Cimperman believes the survey will make it simpler for the team to customize what the schematics of the seating will look like when some final decisions are being made with the new facility.
With the team conducting these surveys at this point of the process, Cimperman believes the pricing for seats at the new stadium has not necessarily been figured out.
"We're still 2-3 years away from, obviously, down payments and things of that sort, but I just think they're gauging what type of seat would be most popular, where is the supply, and where's the demand," he said. "Right now, it's just getting a level set of the expectations of Bills fans. You have to remember, the Bills are working with a lot of third party consultants that, quite frankly, haven't spent as much time in Buffalo as they have in Dallas, Los Angeles, Las Vegas. So I really think it's smart of these third party consultants and the Bills, kind of, gauging what's right for Buffalo. What's the right mix of seating options for Buffalo? Because we're not L.A., we're not Dallas. This stadium, and these seating options really have to be tailored to fit our market."
So how much more may the Bills need to figure out with pricing and seating before the time comes when construction starts for the new stadium? Cimperman feels it's about trying to find a balance with the fans and what their needs are for the new stadium come 2026.
"How many suites? How many club seats? What's the ratio? What's the balance between season tickets and premium seating? I really think that's more about trying to get to gauge the amount of inventory that is offered up in the new stadium," Cimperman said. "Then once you define how much inventory, then you can work back and figure out, what is the pricing of that inventory? Because, obviously, if there's fewer suites, the demand would go up. I think right now, it's a level set, what's the ratio of the different seating types and the different seating categories in the new stadium?"
Cimperman feels this is an important gauge of helping the team building a stadium that is fit for the Buffalo market, like the team has been saying since talks of a new stadium began. He feels it's important for the Bills to firmly establish themselves as a different market than the other teams around the NFL.
You can hear more of our conversation with Cimperman in the player below: