The ongoing construction of the Buffalo Bills’ new home stadium made a series of headlines in the last week. An investigation into the crime led to a halt in construction that lasted nearly a week, but work has since resumed as of February 23, 2026.
Initial reports stated that four suite spaces inside the stadium’s construction zone had been vandalized, with damages totaling in excess of $150,000. Gilbane | Turner, the construction management company involved in the development of the new Highmark Stadium, offered a reward of $100,000 for information that lead to an arrest of those responsible for the vulgar graffiti.
We’ve since learned that the reward offered by Gilbane | Turner has led to authorities identifying two primary suspects in the case that involved seven of the stadium project’s workers. Before that point, WBEN reported that as many as seven construction workers (including those two primary suspects) have been at the center of investigations off of the dedicated tip line. A source shared with the news outlet stated three of those individuals had confessed to the crime.
The investigation continues, with no charges having been filed as of publishing. It’s a case that’s drawn massive concern and criticism. Eire County Executive Mark Poloncarz revealed that the vandalism in question included “spray-painted pornographic images, quite a few of them,” which included “anti-LGBTQ+ graffiti in new luxury suites,” per a report by WIVB New 4 Buffalo.
Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz told WIVB that the damage will cost more than $150,000 to fix.
““The estimate that I’ve received today is, it costs more than $150,000 in damage because it’s a lot of work that has to be redone,” said Poloncarz. “With the way the paint was used, you can’t just wipe it off. It’s permanently damaged, some areas where they have to take tile off the wall, retile, redo items. So, I’ve been told, the total cost, between all the incidents, especially with this most recent one, is about $150,000 in damage.”