Ralph Wilson Stadium Renovations On Schedule — Get A Video Tour

It's so ironic that just a short time after the end of a media tour showing off the progress on the renovations of the stadium named in his honor, Ralph Wilson, the only owner the Buffalo Bills have ever had, passed away at the age of 95.

Speaking at the NFL owners meetings in Orlando, Fla., team CEO and President Russ Brandon made the official announcement on Tuesday.

It's a shame Wilson will never get to see the completion of the incredible renovations going on at the stadium, and despite the harsh winter conditions this year, the team says the project is nearly on schedule for completion by August 1.

Since the end of the last home game in December, 350 men and women have been at work on the project, and when it's done the fans will really be surprised at all the improvements. All of the concession stands are being completely renovated. There will be a total of 43 concession stands for the general public (an increase from the current 38). There will be 55 beer-only stations for faster service, and all stations will be able to accept credit cards for faster service.

Nearly all of the restrooms will be either new or updated. When the gates open in August, fans will be able to use 62 restrooms -- up from 48.

New scoreboards are being installed. The main video scoreboard will be even larger than the one last year. In addition, two new video scoreboards will be located at the tunnel end of the stadium; one of them will be dedicated to updates on other games and statistics.

One of the first things fans will notice when they arrive at the stadium is the new Bills team store located along Abbott Road. It'll be accessible from both outside and inside the stadium, and at 8,000 square feet, it'll be more than four times the size of the current Bills store.

A new larger pressbox is being moved to accommodate new sideline suites, while broadcast booths will be nearly double in size.

Entry gates will be larger and more efficient. Some renovations statistics:

•  Over 3,000,000 linear feet of cable is being used
•  Over 5,000,000 pounds of structural steel
• 10,000 cubic yards of concrete
• 50,000 cubic yards of stone fill
• 42 tractor trailer loads of new kitchen equipment
• Over 1,000 large truck loads of demolition debris is being hauled away

The preseason schedule has not been released yet, but to be on the safe side the Bills have requested that their two home preseason games be scheduled as their final two preseason games.