Building Buffalo - A Blue Collar Bills Stadium Story

Building Buffalo Documentary: Stadium Construction Stories, NFL Network Premiere & 26 Shirts Collaboration

In this episode of Circling the Wagons, host Nate welcomes Jennifer Palmieri, co-creator of the Building Buffalo documentary series, to discuss the new NFL Network documentary on the construction of the Buffalo Bills’ new stadium and its partnership with 26 Shirts. Palmieri shares how the project grew from prior work with the Laborers Union into a multi-year effort spotlighting the men and women who built the stadium in harsh conditions, and how Buffalo’s blue-collar identity and community loyalty shaped the story. They talk about Buffalo’s unique culture, emotional interviews with workers, Dion Dawkins’ involvement as a producer through Snow Visions, and local architectural and artistic touches in the design. The series premieres Thursday at 7:00 PM before the Bills’ home opener, with a second episode airing September 24 and later availability on the ESPN app.

00:00 Welcome and Guest Intro

00:41 Screening and NFL Network Premiere

01:24 Origin Story of Building Buffalo

04:29 Why Buffalo Feels Different

07:08 Workers Stories and Stadium Love

09:30 Dion Dawkins Joins In

11:48 Architects and Buffalo Design Touches

14:23 Social Media Critiques and Big Vision

17:03 Trades Workforce Gap and Opportunity

19:13 Where to Watch Release Schedule