BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — The Buffalo Grand Hotel is doing all it can to become a top tier hotel and convention center.
"We will have at least one possible two rooms that are designed specifically for teams so they have four bunk beds in a room so they can accommodate families you can have a couple and three kids in the bunks," Harry Stinson, the owner, said.
One of the demographics Stinson wants to hit are traveling sports teams. He is creating rooms and even floors designed to accommodate families and athletes.
Currently, there is 72,000 square feet of conference space in the Buffalo Grand. Stinson wants to increase it to 150,000. He said the space is already there, and only a few changes need to be made.
"Cosmetics. The structure is here,” he said.
The Canadian developer is remodeling the fitness center, pool and spa, restaurants, bars, coffee shops, and lobby. He said the Buffalo Grand will soon be prime for future conventions and events.
"We have 500 rooms in the hotel. We have three restaurants. We are adding another bar and lounge to it. We have the health club. We have 26 meetings rooms."
Stinson has a history of refurbishing historic buildings in Toronto. Now, he is trying his hands at the the remodeling the Buffalo Grand Hotel.
This all comes at the same time as Erie County contemplates what it will do with the Buffalo Niagara Convention Center.
The county commissioned a report by HVS Convention, Sports, & Entertainment Facilities Consulting.
It concluded that the convention center is "functionally obsolete." It also reported that it lost $1.5- $2 million a year for the past half decade.
There was a 90-day public opinion forum that invited any and all people to submit comments about the convention center. According to the county executive's office, there were over 600 responses and around 90 percent were in favor of either remodeling or constructing a new convention center.
