BUFFALO, N.Y. — The Buffalo Convention Center is debuting at least six million dollars worth of new upgrades. Many of you have probably seen the convention center's new façade with its blue, silver, and gray strips which is supposed to be representative of Lake Erie. But that is just one part of the upgrades.
On the outside, the convention center has brand new lighting panels which can be color coordinated to match certain events or organization logos. There are also new heated sidewalks.
When you go inside, you will be greeted by a new piece of security technology. You'll also notice that the ceilings are higher and that it is newly painted.
"Prior to the pandemic the county was set to announce construction on a new convention center, unfortunately those plans had to be put off the table for the time being but we also needed to be competitive in the market place and the county and the county executive recognized the importance of the convention center and the importance of this building and the economic impact it means. So something had to be done and this cosmetic upgrades truly mean that we will be competitive in the market place and that we can continue to bring in existing clients as well as new ones as well," Patrick Kaler with Visit Buffalo Niagara said.
Other improvements patrons will see:
• New decorative linear grille soffit above the pedestrian sidewalk along Franklin on the Convention Center side of the street with improved lighting above the sidewalk for nighttime events;
• Reconfigured door entry for better flow of pedestrian traffic as well as a more obvious entry/ exit location for events. Doors include three 10-foot-wide sliding main entry doors with egress leaf doors on either side of the main entrance;
• New vestibule with terrazzo floors that match the previous Lobby Renovation project, including radiant heat panels mounted to the ceiling for larger events that requiring queuing in the vestibule upon event entry;
• Revised curb layout developed in conjunction with the City of Buffalo to provide a loading & unloading zone with curb bumpout in front of the main entrance. This includes removable traffic rated bollards in front of the main entrance for pedestrian safety during events;
• All new concrete within the loading/ unloading zone in front of the main entry including an integrated snow melt system;
• Enhanced wayfinding signage mounted to the underside of the upgraded soffit (3 signs) along with 2 large display screens to show eventgoers where to enter as well as advertise for upcoming events;
• Rebranding of the convention center to the "Buffalo Convention Center" with new lettering on the façade; and
• New ceiling panels within the lobby to complement the upgrades (floor and finishes) as part of the Lobby Project (completed in 2021).
Back in 2021, when these improvements were first announced in this scaled back renovation plan., it was stated by county officials that this might at least last for another ten years with this purpose. It was also stated that the legislature had to approve the use of funding from the county budget surplus and American Rescue Plan COVID relief payments to the county.
A similar renovation was completed in 2010.
So now with this most recent upgrade, the convention center on Franklin Street has the availability to host multiple events at once.
As stated before the center is now called Buffalo Convention Center, where before it was Buffalo Niagara Convention Center. Officials said that was based on the point that the city of Buffalo in itself is enough of a drawing card without the need to mention nearby Niagara Falls.