Construction on the new Buffalo Bills stadium has been temporarily suspended after secure areas were found vandalized.
Construction and finishing work on the new Buffalo Bills stadium has been suspended after secure areas of the building were compromised and vandalized.
On Monday evening, one of the construction managers on the building, Gilbane-Turner, said that all work was stopped due to graffiti being found. In a statement provided to WIVB in Buffalo, they said that graffiti was discovered in "several secure locations in both finished and unfinished areas of the stadium."
"We suspended work and launched a full investigation in partnership with the trade contractors and unions to send a clear message about how seriously we take this matter," they said.
"Gilbane | Turner maintains zero tolerance for graffiti, vandalism, or defacement of property on our projects. Such actions damage property, violate the law, and undermine the respectful, professional environment we are committed to maintaining."
They closed their statement saying that what happened was "unacceptable" and did not "reflect the standards we expect on this project".
The new Highmark Stadium, which is being built directly across the street from the 52-year-old former home of the Bills, is scheduled to open in time for the 2026 NFL Season.
Though construction of the stadium has, for the most part, gone smoothly, this isn't the first time issues have come up with the stadium.
In December, a small fire broke out during welding work. According to a team spokesperson, it was a "minor fire" outside the building that was caused by sparks from grinding. Despite that, work continued as normal.
The only other time it was stopped was in October 2024. At that time, a suspected hate symbol was found on the stadium grounds. After an investigation, however, it was determined to be a type of knot often used by workers.
Neither the team nor Gilbane | Turner has said how long construction will be paused while they clean up the graffiti.
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