BUFFALO, N.Y. -- The Buffalo Bills Stadium project, so far, is ahead on its goal of awarding 36% of construction contracts to businesses owned by minorities, women and service disabled veterans. 

It's a vast change from late June, when Empire State Development told the organization there were significant shortfalls in each category.

"We've come a very long way in just three months and that effort is an accomplishment and it does deserve recognition," Erie County Legislature Chair April Baskin, a Democrat, said.

Project managers Gilbane Building Company and Turner Construction said roughly 30% of the contract money has been awarded for the stadium projected to cost $1.54 billion. They said just below 40%, or $163 million, has gone to MWBEs and disabled veteran enterprises. Baskin said due to the scope of the project, many of the contractors will not be from Western New York.

However, she said with Erie County committing $250 million, it's imperative the stadium generates as many opportunities as possible for the region.

"We're going to meet the goal. Are we going to meet the goal with local residents included? We need a plan," Baskin said.

The Legislature is creating a new stadium inclusion task force. It will assist Turner and Gilbane in identifying local consultants to develop a plan to connect business owners with primary contractors and help them prepare to bid on sub-contracts.

The task force will also help communicate opportunities to businesses and provide the Legislature with regular updates.

"We have the talent in this room today to figure out a system, a plan to ensure that every Erie county business that wants to work on this project can work on it," Baskin said.

The county recently surveyed 127 businesses to determine any issues they were having with access to the project. The director of Equal Employment Opportunity says the responses were largely positive although people have expressed concerns about the chaotic nature of some of the outreach meetings, confusion with the website and a prequalification process that was too cumbersome.

The director said the organization has already begun addressing many of those concerns.