Computer rendering by Premier Presentations . From an urban design and preservation perspective, there is no better place for a downtown Buffalo convention center than the old Lehigh Valley Railroad Yards between Scott and Perry Streets, running from the Marine Midland Atrium building to Michigan Avenue. Lehigh Yards site has plenty of room for future expansion, hotel, even outdoor events. Computer rendering by Premier Presentations . Lehigh yards site is large, clear, and publicly owned.
Convention centers lose money.
Lots of it. Yet, convention center groups are a powerful, if intermittent, part of American civic life. They re hometown heavies. However, siting can invert the funding calculus, often causing concentrated harm and diffuse benefit. That is why big box store locations, road projects, and convention center locations are worthy of public debate.