Buffalo Bills stadium builders offer $100,000 reward for information after new suites vandalized

A construction company is offering a $100,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of an alleged vandal who damaged the still under-construction Buffalo Bills stadium.

Over the weekend, someone vandalized the NFL team’s new stadium, causing $150,000 in damage, according to WGRZ.

Now, Gilbane | Turner, the company overseeing the more than $2 billion stadium construction project, is offering the reward to try to secure an arrest.

Bill Geary, the Erie County Public Works Commissioner, told the broadcaster that he believes the vandalism happened sometime between the night of February 13 and the morning of February 16.

Geary said the worst of the vandalism occurred in four of the stadium's suites, where a blue, oil-based spray was blasted onto unfinished marble. The paint reportedly soaked into the surface. Geary said the suites were nearly 100 percent complete.

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"A lot of this, unfortunately, cannot just be cleaned up," Geary told ABC7 Buffalo. "It's going to have to be ripped out and reinstalled."

On Tuesday, Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz was attending an unrelated press conference and was asked about the vandalism incident at the stadium, according to ABC 7 Buffalo.

"Some idiot decided to put up pornographic and what we believe is anti-LGBTQ kind of sentiment at the stadium," he said.

Because the stadium is still under construction and not open to the public, the investigation is reportedly going to initially focus on workers who had access to the site on the night of the incident.

He estimated that approximately 300 people were at the construction site during that time period, and that anyone who could have committed the act would have to be questioned as part of the investigation.

The Erie County Sheriff's Office has responded to the incident and, as of Thursday, was still at the site documenting the extent of the damage.

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The company offered the following statement explaining why it temporarily suspended work at the site in the wake of the vandalism.

"We suspended work because the people who come to this jobsite deserve to work in an environment that reflects respect and professionalism. When that standard is violated, we address it and take the time to reset expectations. That is who we are and how we operate. Gilbane | Turner maintains zero tolerance for graffiti, vandalism, or any behavior that undermines the respectful and supportive environment we expect on our projects."

The company said in its statement that construction on the stadium would begin again on Friday morning.

"This stadium will be delivered on schedule. Maintaining a safe, respectful, and supportive jobsite is our highest priority," the company said.

The stadium's completion deadline is June 1.