Bills offer $100K reward after new Highmark Stadium graffiti

An act of vandalism has thrust the new Highmark Stadium, the future home of the Buffalo Bills, into the spotlight for the wrong reason.

Over the weekend, workers at the construction site in Orchard Park discovered graffiti, including hateful messages and lewd remarks, sprayed across multiple areas.

Everything has been halted on the site until Friday, pausing the building’s progress and prompting a full investigation. The construction firm, Gilbane Turner, has offered a $100,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of those responsible, according to a report from News 4 Buffalo’s Mark Ludwiczak and Natasha Yurek.

“We appreciate the strong support we have received from our trade contractors, unions, local officials, law enforcement, and the workers on site as we work to identify those responsible for this unacceptable act. The response reinforces what we know to be true: The overwhelming majority of people on this project are committed to maintaining a welcoming and professional work environment,” said Gilbane Turner.

The construction project for the Bills’ new stadium costs $2.1 billion. The estimated damage of the graffiti was over $150,000.

Some investigators posited that it could be an inside job, as the graffiti were found in locations that needed access cards.

The incident, however, is not expected to cause further delays in the construction timeline.

“This stadium will be delivered on schedule. Maintaining a safe, respectful, and supportive jobsite is our highest priority,” added Gilbane Turner.

Having a new arena should motivate the Bills to play harder and bounce back from their disappointing exit last season. While they reached the playoffs for the seventh straight time, they lost to the Denver Broncos in overtime in the divisional round.