BUFFALO, N.Y. — It's not a new convention center, but a new look for the convention center that was unveiled at a news conference Tuesday morning.
Erie County and Buffalo tourism officials showed off $1.2 million worth of improvements to the building's lobby, including new flooring, lighting and tech. The interior spruce up, combined with upcoming work to the center's facade and entryway, is aimed at creating a more welcoming and tech-friendly space for tourism groups.
“The improvements being made in the Buffalo Niagara Convention Center by Erie County will ensure that the meetings, conventions and events industry be positioned for a strong recovery,” said VBN President & CEO Patrick Kaler. “The County’s leadership has taken the constructive feedback from the center’s customers and put the resources into capital projects to retain current and generate new business.”
Work on the entryway and facade is set to get underway in February 2022 and be completed by December 2022. It will include improved lighting for nighttime events and reconfigured door entries for smoother traffic flow.
“These improvements make the Convention Center much warmer and more welcoming for visitors, creating brightly-lit and accessible spaces that will aid in the flow of large events and assist visitors in finding their way around the building. The next step will involve a much-needed renovation of the Convention Center’s Franklin Street façade and entryway, vastly improving the exterior and lighting the way to a new future for tourism in downtown Buffalo,” said Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz.
“As we build our economy back we will be welcoming more and more tourist groups, conventions and trade shows so it is important that we maintain and enhance this facility to provide the best possible experience here in Erie County. These renovations do that and I thank our Department of Public Works and our contractors for getting the project done on such a short timeline.”
