Owner: Fan-related costs factor into Bills’ stadium decision

VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) — Buffalo Bills owner Terry Pegula says he’s taking into account how much the small-market team’s fan base can bear in determining whether to build a new stadium downtown or renovate the existing suburban facility.

Pegula says whichever option the Bills choose, it will be “heavily weighted” in the fans’ best interest. His comments came during a wide-ranging interview with The Associated Press before the start of the NHL draft in Vancouver.

The Bills have hired a private firm to conduct a feasibility study on determining the team’s future home. The study is due to be completed sometime this summer and lead to a decision on whether the Bills will continue playing at New Era Field in Orchard Park.

Both options are deemed expensive and have raised concern over how much public money might be required to fund the project, and how much a new stadium could boost ticket prices in one of the NFL’s smallest markets.