Buffalo - War Memorial Auditorium / Convention Center?

[BuffCity]

It just hit me...why does Buffalo wait so long to make a great move like this...

The Buffalo War Memorial Auditorium is a vacant and solid structure, we have seen proposals for Demolition and for a Major Anchor store here, yet it sits EMPTY.

My idea is to take and convert the convention center into a high tech and flashy new convention center which could see exibit space at around 200,000s/f. We wanna have more space...its right here. Hotels, plenty of room for spinoff development and added projects once the Donovan State office building comes down.

Here is what Buffalo has now...

Buffalo Niagara Convention Center 110,000 total Square feet, 64,410 square feet of exhibit space. The buildings main entry is on a one way street hidden from nearly every main square or crossing downtown. The convention center is dark and completely cuts off Genesee Street.

The "Aud" is around 230,000 s/f of total space, it is made solid from hard 1930's labor from the Public works commission. The structure already stands as an open space facility, The "Aud sits on Main Street with a MetroRail station at its doors. The "Aud" is only feet from the riverfront and canal project.

Here are some numbers of total convention center exhibit space in other noted cities:

Rochester - 100,000
Pittsburgh - 313,400
Cleveland - 375,000
Toledo - 75,000
Cincinnati - 200,000
Detroit - 700,000


All in all this could serve as a public market, convention center and a new hope for the Buffalo Convention and Visitors Bureau to bring some new shows and tours to Buffalo...not to mention perhaps a hotel...in the end, filling a void called the "Aud"

anyone?