Regardless of the manner in which the bill is divided among private and public interests, an initial price tag has been applied to a new Bills stadium.
Via John Wawrow of the Associated Press, the stadium will cost $1.4 billion.
However, as we’ve learned time and again over the years, whatever the initial number, the final cost will be higher. Often, much higher.
The question of whether and to what extent the venue will be funded by taxpayer money has prompted reports and snarky counters, none of which even begin to shed precise light on the question of the percentages that the two sides want, and the bottom line for which either side will settle.
That’s no surprise. It’s a negotiation. Both sides have an initial position. When the circles of the Venn diagram begin to move toward each other, all that matters is whether they kiss. If they do, done deal. If they don’t, the Bills could be done in Buffalo.