Chalk up another victim of the state's budget problems: the effort to restore cars to Main

Street in downtown Buffalo.

The $8 million plan to restore through traffic to the 600 block of Main Street — including

the Theater District — has hit a snag, as the money needed to continue the preparatory work is

being held up by Albany's budgetary problems.

Work on the block was slated to begin this in the fall but might now be delayed until next

the spring, as the design work hasn't even started. It can't proceed without the federal funds

that are being funneled to Buffalo through Albany, Buffalo Place Planning Manager Debra L.

Chernoff told the nonprofit group's directors at the organization's monthly board meeting

Wednesday.

She said she still hopes the project can proceed on schedule, but she is not completely

confident.

"Everything is done, except the money is tied up," Chernoff said. "The funding is in place.

We're talking about cash flow."

This is the latest stage of the larger effort to reverse restore traffic on the decades-old

pedestrian mall on Main Street south of Tupper Street, and restore traffic to an area that

businesses say has suffered without easy car access to stores. The 700 block already has been

opened back up for vehicle traffic, and the project is to proceed one block at a time down

Main Street so as to minimize the overall disruption.

The project is largely being paid for by the federal government, but that money first goes

through the state, which is conserving its cash to get through its own budget crisis.

Also during the meeting, Buffalo Place directors, largely downtown developers, heard an

update from Buffalo Niagara Convention and Visitors Bureau officials on plans for renovating

the Buffalo Niagara Convention Center. The plans include upgrading floors, carpets, walls,

lighting and the exterior facade to make the facility more competitive and address

long-standing concerns about the quality of the venue.

In other matters:

The conversion of 501 Main St. into a pair of loft apartments by Don Warfe is nearly

completed and scheduled for move-in in April, while Roger Trettle's combination of 500

Washington St. and 523 Main St. into the Cornucopia Building has been approved by the city

Preservation Board and will be considered next week by the city Planning Board.

Rotary Rink at Fountain Plaza has ended its season. More than 40 public, private or

charter schools rented the facility for special events during the winter. "It's really been a whiz-bang season, doing what it's supposed to do," said Buffalo Place board President Anthony Colucci III.

The Downtown Country Market is scheduled to kick off its 28th season in May, to last 24

weeks.

Officials are wrapping up sponsorship coordination for the Summer Concert Series and will

announce the musical events shortly.