Loeb Represents the Buffalo Bills in a Monumental Stadium Agreement

Loeb & Loeb represented the Buffalo Bills in connection with the development, financing construction and lease of a new stadium which includes a year-to-year extension on the team’s current lease and a 30-year lease agreement for the new stadium. The NFL owners approved on December 14, 2022, terms of the lease extension and new lease. Construction on the new stadium, which is estimated to cost at least $1.4 billion pending State and County legislative approvals, is expected to begin next year and become open to the public as early as 2026.

The stadium is receiving $600 million from the state of New York, $250 million from Erie County and at least $550 million from the Buffalo Bills and the NFL. In addition, the deal includes a non-relocation agreement, which would require the team to repay the public contribution spent to build and maintain and the cost of demolishing the new stadium, if it decided to leave Buffalo in the first 14 years of the lease. From year 15 through 30 the Bills’ obligation to repay the public contribution declines, reaching zero in the final year of the lease. However, the State could still demand the team to pay for tearing down the new stadium.

The Loeb team that represented the Buffalo Bills was led by Entertainment, Music & Sports partner Scott Zolke and included Raymond Sanseverino, chair of the firm’s Real Estate practice, partner Allan Abshez and associate Connie Pak; Advanced Media & Technology associate Lisa Wiznitzer; Tax partner Marcus Owens; Litigation partner John Gatti; Corporate partner Allan Duboff; Sports co-chair Brian Socolow; Advertising, Marketing & Promotions chair Brian Heidelberger; and Advanced Media & Technology associate Ryan Raccuia.