BUFFALO, N.Y. — As progress on the new Bills stadium starts showing more and more, with the steel structure emerging in Orchard Park, it's progress that you can't see that's at the center of discussion involving project hiring goals.
The Buffalo Bills and their construction partners are required to have 36% of all contracts awarded to minority (15%), women (15%), and service-disabled veteran-owned businesses (6%) as part of a Community Benefits Agreement or CBA with Erie County.
As 2 On Your Side reported in March, the project struggled to reach those goals at the start of construction in June 2023 with only 6.8% of contracts awarded amongst MWBEs and SDVOBs. By March 2024 however, they'd reached 28.9%.
That progress was noted last month at a meeting of the Erie County Stadium Corporation (ECSC) and once again Monday, at the second meeting of the Community Benefits Oversight Committee (CBOC) at the Central Library in downtown Buffalo.
"That information was really vital for us to share because it shows the growth of where we were last June to where we are now," said Penny Semaia, the Vice President of Stadium Relations and a CBOC member.
The CBOC is responsible for making sure that the Bills and their construction partners Gilbane-Turner follow what's in the CBA. Committee members noted the progress that Semaia presented but also noted that more work needs to be done and time is running out with only one bid package remaining.
Buffalo NAACP President Reverend Mark Blue was elected committee chairman. 2 On Your Side asked for his thoughts on where things are headed.
"I'm encouraged and I'm very hopeful this brings a lot of individuals to the table," said Reverend Blue.
The Bills have hired compliance consultants, Modern Times Inc. and AARWC, as well as outreach coordinator Developments by JEM to help the project meet its goals.
Representatives from each company laid out their efforts to reach more MWBEs and SDVOBs for the committee, how they have worked, and how they are still improving. Those efforts date back to December 2022 and include meet and greets with prime contractors, engagement events, community workshops, and more.
Developments by JEM lead project manager Janice McKinnie noted three barriers that still exist including the lack of capacity for some businesses to access stadium work and the challenge of giving up consistent revenue from smaller projects to pursue one bigger one.
Semaia noted another barrier for some businesses remains not knowing the nuts and bolts of bidding on a project like this, "like do you have the right insurance do you have the right workforce."
He added that despite these potential challenges, interested businesses should reach out and inquire because work is available and bid packages 3 and 3.5 are still to come.
The committee wants to make sure it can do what's needed to make sure hiring metrics are met in the final stretch.
"We will ask those questions we will dig into that information we will make sure that all that is in that agreement is being done," added Reverend Blue.