Populous Defends Highmark Stadium Stair Design at $2.2 Billion Venue as Bills Face Obstructed-View Backlash
Updated
Updated · For The Win · Aug 12
Populous Defends Highmark Stadium Stair Design at $2.2 Billion Venue as Bills Face Obstructed-View Backlash
3 articles · Updated · For The Win · Aug 12
Summary
Jonathan Mallie said the stairways drawing complaints at Buffalo’s new 60,108-seat Highmark Stadium were a deliberate trade-off, not a design mistake.
Populous placed stairs on the concourse edge to preserve 360-degree game views and reduce crowding, Mallie said, arguing fans can still watch play while getting food or sheltering from weather.
Photos from the Bills’ Blue & Red practice showed some sightlines blocked by overhangs, sharp structural angles and plexiglass stair barriers, fueling scrutiny of the $2.2 billion project.
Less than 1% of PSL holders have raised sightline concerns, a source close to the project said, while Mallie added that outboard stairs are used in 21 pro stadiums, including 14 in the NFL.
The explanation follows a Monday Bills statement on the criticism and shifts attention to whether the team can ease the obstructions without sacrificing the stadium’s open-concourse design.