New Era Field Club Renovations

Owner: New York State, Erie County Department of Public Works and The Buffalo Bills

Project Value: $10.9 million

Completed: August 2018

Architect: Populous

Built in the 1990s, the luxury clubs were originally an outdoor concourse converted to indoor space to offer guests reprieve out of the harsh winter weather. These club spaces hadn’t received significant renovations since being built.

In 2017, the master plan was to continue the 2013 upgrades and theming through to the luxury club sections. With the experience Arc Building Partners’ team boasted and knowledge of the campus, they were the right choice for the Buffalo Bills.

The Buffalo Bills once again hired Populous Architects and key design challenges were addressed. Issues identified included the congested center bars and long-standing roof water drainage. Prior to starting work, a very clear schedule was established to have work done during the off-season and completed on-time for late summer concerts and pre-season games.

Demolition began in early January 2018, once the season wrapped up. After this enabling phase was complete and all was exposed, it allowed our team to laser scan existing conditions and complete field investigations. At this point, it was determined that the original plan for the water drainage would not remedy the situation. Extensive designs were required by the architect and engineer to create a drainage collection system above each club ceiling to redirect water away. A prefabricated system was completed off-site to keep strict specifications, then installed on-site. Each expansion joint was constructed at the clubs, as well as other mitigation measures to ensure the longevity and integrity of the structure.

Other work included a renovation of the indoor club level with four sideline club spaces and two end zone club spaces. The renovated sideline clubs have a new open floor plan design creating clear site lines, two bars at either end of the clubs and additional point of sale (POS) food venues to alleviate gameday congestion. To keep fans immersed in the game experience while inside, two 8 ft by 13 ft Planar video walls were added per club.

Other high-end finishes such as tile, flooring, counters, designer graphics, lighting, column covers and all new furniture creates an improved fan experience. Connecting corridors received new flooring, lighting, graphics and a new The Market grab ‘n’ go was added within the stadium’s north side corridor. The end zone club indoor spaces were renovated with new theater seating and other new furnishings. All concessions received new designer glass tile, new cabinetry, lighting and designer graphics to create an updated experience for fans. In total, over $2 million in food service equipment was added to create improved food and drink options for patrons.

Throughout all this work, our team corresponded with the Buffalo Bills staff and Erie County to ensure all work met NFL standards. Our team delivered a well-coordinated effort, which led to no schedule changes and a successful project delivered on-time and on-budget.