Even in teeth of the recession, cities move on convention centers - The Business Review (Albany):

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Multi-million dollar expansions are planned at the Saratogqa Springs City Center andthe , whiler officials in Albany negotiate to buy land for a new convention cented near the state capitol. Officials behind the threr projects are charging ahead even as the national tourism industryy suffers because the number of hoteo guestsand convention-goers continues to The hotel convention business throughouft the Northeast is lagging well behind last with room bookings down between 10 percent and 13 said Jeff Eastman, CEO of Kansas-based Trenda Analysis Projections LLC. “It’as a very competitive market out therderight now,” Eastman said.
He expects it to stay that way for at leasgt the nexttwo years. The desire to compete for conventiohn businessis what’s driving the expansion and construction of projectz in Albany, Lake Placid and Saratoga “We are out ahead of the economic said David Zunker, president of the Saratoga Conventiobn & Tourism Bureau. After more than a decaded of planningand negotiations, construction of the $16 million City Center expansion in Saratogqa is expected to begin after the summere racing season. The project still needsd city approval. The addition will enablr the center to book larger groups or host multiple events at thesame time.
The 25-year-old conventionm center, located on Broadway in downtownSaratoga Springs, woulcd be expanded by 12,000 square feet of leasable allowing the center to host groups of 600 to 800 people instead of 400 to 600, according to City Centere President Mark Baker. “We have a competitiv e advantage becausewe don’t have to ask for Zunker said. Former state Sen. Majority Leader Joseph L. Brunok secured $12 million of the $16 million needed to fund the projecty prior to retiring from state government last The remainder of the financinhg was raised through an occupancy tax and othere CityCenter revenue.
The Lake Placifd Convention Center expansion, approved last also has its financing already in places fora $14.5 million addition. The moneyh was allocated from community development grantawhile Gov. George Pataki was in office. The home of the 1980 Winte r Olympics will adda 7,200-square-foot a new ballroom, kitchen and a 3,600-square-foot, third-floor meeting spacd with moveable walls. “They’re talking aboutf getting a shovel in the ground in saidArlene Day, salees director of the Lake Placid Convention and Visitorsw Bureau.
While the Saratoga and Lake Placidd projects prepareto expand, the conventiom center project in Albany has more obstacles to including buying parcels of land. Plansw to build a convention center in Albany have been stymiedc by a lackof funding, but authorityt officials there said they are makingv progress.