Should The New Buffalo Bills Stadium Have A Retractable Roof?

Back in December, I wrote an article about the announcement of the new Buffalo Bills stadium that will hopefully be set for occupancy in 2027. At that time, it was not decided exactly where the stadium would be built - either in Orchard Park or in the downtown area of Buffalo.

Well, according to New York State Governor Kathy Hochul, the $1.4 billion dollar stadium will be built in Orchard Park, with New York State taxpayers on the hook for $600 million dollars of it. Part of the negotiations was to keep the Bills in New York (Buffalo) for the next 30 years. In addition, Erie County is on the hook for $250 million dollars.

Governor Hochul reported that the deal will "generate $27 million annually in direct income, sales and use taxes for New York State, Erie County, and Buffalo." I've noticed many pro and con comments about the deal, including those who are not happy New York State residents are helping pay the bill. Some comments have been made that many NFL stadiums are at least partially paid for through state taxes.

I'm happy to see the BIlls are remaining in Buffalo for at least the next 30 years, and look forward to checking out the new stadium, but after looking at renderings of what the new Buffalo Bills stadium will look like, I'm a bit surprised it doesn't have a retractable roof as far as I can tell.

It would be a good thing for those really cold, windy, blustery, snowy days in Orchard Park, where sitting in that stadium is a challenge at the least. And it would open up the stadium for other entertainment events during the winter months as well.

On the other side, having an open stadium during those nasty winter days usually are a bit of an advantage to the seasoned Bills players, and the experience for a tough Bills fan makes it so much more fun.

What are your thoughts? Would you have preferred a retractable roof on the new Buffalo Bills stadium or is an open stadium the best way to go?

And for all the details on the new stadium along with more pictures, visit the CAA ICON website.

via Governor Kathy Hochul, CAA ICON