The Erie County Legislature on Thursday voted to move forward with the new Buffalo Bills stadium in Orchard Park.

The whole process has taken months just to get all the plans and approvals in place, but Thursday’s vote at the legislature was quick. Within minutes, legislators voted unanimously to approve the $1.5 billion stadium.

Chairwoman April Baskin said they took their time to especially make sure the community benefits agreement catered to the needs of the people of Western New York.

“This moment, right now, I’m really realizing exactly what this honorable body has just done,” said Baskin. “I think we’ve been having the same talking points over the last year and a half now about this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, a once-in-a-generation construction project. But it was at that moment where I hit the gavel where I realized what my colleagues and I were able to achieve.”

After the vote, the Bills released a statement thanking those involved in this planning process.

"We want to thank Governor Hochul, the County Executive and all of our public partners for bringing this process to a successful conclusion," Bills Executive Vice President and COO Ron Raccuia said in a statement. "All of the legal agreements and public-private partnerships with the county and the state are signed. There are no more documents. All the focus is now on construction and the opening of the stadium, which will start immediately."

The Bills say major construction is set to start in June and that will first look like excavation.

The stadium is still set to be finished in time for the 2026 season and this contract ensures the Bills will play in it for the next 30 years.