How about asking Albany for a new Convention Center for Buffalo?

[moadib]

How about asking Albany for a new Convention Center for Buffalo at their Inner Harbor location bounded by HSBC, Scott, Perry & Mississippi Streets?

Its the perfect location since its near the other partial use facilities like the hockey stadium, the baseball stadium, bass pro, the new multi-modal station and new housing in former wearhouses....

YOU KNOW, I SAY SINCE WE CANT CONTROL ERIE COUNTY OR ALBANY....I THINK WE SHOULD JUST SPEND OURSELVES INTO BANKRUPTCY....AND GET EVERYTHING WE WANT....

ITS SEEMS THE ONLY THING THAT NYS UNDERSTANDS....CREATE A CRISIS AND THEN THROW MONEY AT IT TO FIX IT!

NO CRISIS....NO MONEY....

PLANNING AND GOOD MANAGEMENT DONT REALLY SEEM TO BE REWARDED AT ANY LEVEL OF GOVERNMENT

[granpabob]

I am sick of spending more tax money to fix a problem. when the problem is the taxes .your right about all those white elephants that realy cost way to much for the benefits we get from them .I keep saying lower the taxes and watch the private sector save or state. our great leaders point out the contruction jobs that last one year and never mention the fact that our taxes will take thirty years to pay off the bonds .and the jobs provided when the project is complete wow we sure need more $8.00 jobs when every project forces more $20.00 jobs to leave.

[Night Owl]

How about asking Albany for a new Convention Center for Buffalo at their Inner Harbor location bounded by HSBC, Scott, Perry & Mississippi Streets?

What's wrong with the Convention Center we already have Downtown?

Why spend more tax dollars to build something we already have?

[NoCtUrNaL]

Originally posted by moadib
How about asking Albany for a new Convention
Center for Buffalo at their Inner Harbor location
bounded by HSBC, Scott, Perry & Mississippi Streets?

This idea curled my toes so much I had to add a graphic...

[NoCtUrNaL]

Originally posted by Night Owl
What's wrong with the Convention Center we already have Downtown?

That convention center was obsolete the day it opened.

[300miles]

The convention center is small. I went to the auto show and was amazed at how cramped and dull it was. They were parking cars in the ballrooms and meeting rooms because there wasn't enough room in the main section.

On the other hand Buffalo may not be a big enough metro to really warrant a bigger convention center.

I wish they could restore Genesee street where the convention center was built. It would improve the flow of traffic downtown again. Tear it down and build a more modern one near the stadium.

If NYC is getting 600 million for a stadium that doesn't benefit us at all, then we should spend their money here as well. I agree with Moadibs frustration... nobody wants to cut money. All they (nys) understand is spend spend spend... well then screw it and start spending it here. Take down the skyway, get a new convention center, build up the waterfront, traffic on main st... we shouldn't hold back... if state or federal has the dollars then we should go for it. It will be our new motto: cut locally, spend globally.

[NoCtUrNaL]

Opps....looks like my coordinates were off...



...according to THIS PAGE

[granpabob]

they want to move erie community college south to the city might as well really blow it and put the convention center next to the Ralph.

[Linda_D]

Originally posted by granpabob
they want to move erie community college south to the city might as well really blow it and put the convention center next to the Ralph.

The "they" that want ECC downtown is Joel Giambra.

The President of ECC has already said if their budget gets cut, they will close the downtown campus first because it's the most expensive to operate and has the fewest students. (Funny how that never came up when Joel was making his pitch for how much "smarter, cheaper, better" a downtown campus would be!)

Maybe the new convention center can go there!

[moadib]

Actually the ECC South Campus has the fewest students and programs

But that would be digressing from the topic I posted.

Also, did you know that you can lump non-transportation projects together into transportation projects. I read about it in the Rochester Newspaper that they are using a Bus Terminal to finance a Performing Arts Center, a downtown MCC College, office space and residential space encompassing an entire city block. All paid for with Federal & State Transportation Dollars.

NOW, I HAVE TO ASK...IF ROCHESTER AND MONROE COUNTY CAN GET USE ALL THAT STATE AND FEDERAL MONEY FOR NON-TRANSPORTATION PROJECTS BY LUMPING THEM TOGETHER...THEN WHY CANT BUFFALO AND ERIE COUNTY USE A LIGHT RAIL EXTENSION EASTWARD TOWARDS THE AIRPORT TO LUMP TOGETHER MORE DOWNTOWN ECC CAMPUS BUILDINGS USING TRANSPORTATION DOLLARS.

WHATS GOOD FOR THE GOOSE IS GOOD FOR THE GANDER!

IF ITS GOOD ENOUGH FOR ROCHESTER, THEN ITS GOOD ENOUGH FOR BUFFALO!

[moadib]

ALSO, NORMALLY I WOULD AGREE W/CRITICISM ABOUT BUILDING A NEW CONVENTION CENTER

However, the convention center isnt a money looser for Buffalo and Erie County.

Their conventions pay for marketing our city, county and region
Their conventions pay for tourism
Their conventions have spin off effects for clubs, sports, hotels, theaters and restaurants
Their conventions are also profitable and create jobs

THE ONLY THING I DO OPPOSE IS LOCATING A CONVENTION CENTER AT ITS EXISTING LOCATION:
1) ITS TO SMALL
2) ITS BUILT ON TOP OF FORMER CROSS STREETS OBSTRUCTING TRAFFIC FLOW DOWNTOWN
3) CONVENTION CENTERS ARE PARTIAL USE FACILITIES AND SHOULD BE LOCATED WITH OTHER PARTIAL USE FACILITIES, LIKE OUR BASE-BALL AND HOCKEY ARENAS

But if NYC is going to use state tax dollars for a new stadium and they dont care about the money....I see absolutely no reason why Buffalo shouldnt get ITS DUE!

[Linda_D]

Originally posted by moadib
Actually the ECC South Campus has the fewest students and programs

ECC North has 5600 students. ECC South has 3500 students. ECC Downtown has 2500 students.

[citymouse]

That site was voted down years ago in favor of one next to the Niagara Mohawk Building near Washington and Genessee.
It turned out that the selected site was owned by some connected developers, I beleive Uniland may have been involved. The problem was there are some existing strong Businesses. Electrical firms and such, that would have been removed and the citizens involved took exception and so the politicians dragged thier feet long enough that the taxpayers made it clear they felt a new convention center was a waste of money.
The scene has changed. The land you are suggesting they use is now owned by Deaware North, One of the fair hared children of local development, sot hey may try to revive the issue at that location.
Also Uniland has included one in thier grand scheme for the outer harbor. I think this plan for the outer harbor has as much of achance of ever being constructed as Darth Vaders Death Star in Star Wars).
One thing Erie county does not need to waste precious dollars on is a new convention center.

[WestCoastPerspective]

I'm not sure if the state voted on the Jets stadium yet, I don't believe they did- it was just approved by the MTA Board last week. So maybe our local designation can put some strings on their vote....as in throw Bflo some crumbs!

But as part of the original legislation to fund the Jacobs Center Expansion, I believe there was to be $200 million set aside for upstate economic development projects. If Buffalo doesn't get at least $40 million of that, its criminal. I like the property behind the HSBC Atrium Bldg. (next to Bflo. News) as a possible convention center location. I'm not sure what the price would be- but I think the talk was $100 million-ish when they were eyeing the area along Ellicott and Washington Streets. Awfully steep, unless the Senecas agree to build a new one for us. :-)

[Night Owl]

but I think the talk was $100 million-ish when they were eyeing the area along Ellicott and Washington Streets.

Spend & tax... Spend & tax... There's is no way we're ever going to out of the whole if we allow the (needless) "Spend & Tax" to continue.