Developer Mark Croce is best known for saving historic buildings in downtown Buffalo, most notably the Statler City Building and the Curtiss Hotel.

Now, Croce has a plan to expand the Buffalo Niagara Convention Center and breathe new life into downtown.

He said his firm decided to try and find a creative approach to accomplish all the city is looking to achieve with a new convention center “without having to use eminent domain and take a lot of private property.”

Croce thought, instead of a skywalk connecting the convention center with the rear of the Statler and building a new structure on the entire block north of Mohawk, why not connect the two with an above-ground addition.

Among his ideas: Using the current convention center and the Statler as the pedestals of a base to “create a new box on top over Franklin Street and give us a giant portico,” he said. That would create some 130,000 square feet in which to expand the convention center while being able to go from “Main Street to Delaware Avenue all by going through and around in buildings like they do in Minneapolis and other cities,” he said.

Croce said so far it's just an idea and he doesn't have an estimate of how much the project would cost, but he’s hoping the county will give it serious consideration.

"It's by no means the end-all or a perfect solution to an existing problem, but I think it's worth looking at," said Croce.          

Croce said the concept is just a way to keep the conversation going if the county decides to move forward with expanding and renovating its old convention center.

Meantime, the county wants to hear from residents as to whether it should stay in the convention business. Comments are due by December 19.