Downtown Buffalo embraces busy season

Buffalo, N.Y. (WBEN) - Downtown Buffalo is bustling at this time of year between seeing a show at Shea's Performing Arts Center, watching the Buffalo Sabres, or in a few months taking a trip to "Banditland" to see the back-to-back NLL champion Buffalo Bandits, there is no lack of activity in the heart of the city.

John Cimperman, owner of 42 North brewing company, details how important the Sabres and KeyBank Center are to the downtown area and businesses around and what a full building can do.

"A full building is better for everyone," Cimperman said in an interview with WBEN. "It's better for the environment, the emotion at the game. It's better for the for the home to get a great rallying cry. And obviously, it's better for the businesses downtown. The more bodies we can bring downtown, the more people we can bring into the arena, everyone in that vicinity benefits."

Although construction downtown can hinder one's experience heading to KeyBank Center, there is an easy solution.

"Obviously construction is a part of living here in in Western New York, what I would really encourage people to is take the transit line down from the theater district, right to the building [KeyBank Center]. There's plenty of places to park. There's plenty of ways to get to the venue including, and I really think importantly, the transit and public transportation," Cimperman said.

Brian Higgins, President and CEO of Shea's, details a way that Shea's can make a slower day down town into a busy day.

"Looking at those days which are inactive, and making those active will change the dynamic of downtown Buffalo, change the dynamic of the theater district, and further amplify Shay's leadership role in doing all of that within the cultural and arts economy of Buffalo and Western New York."

Jason Sunshine, general manager of The Draft Room Buffalo, speaks on the Cobblestone rubble and how it was taken care of with The Draft Room located right near it.

"They did a great job of clearing all the debris that was around. And people have full access right now to both entrances at the parking garage, parking is not a problem," said Sunshine with WBEN.

It is not only KeyBank Center patrons that create more business, but theater goers do as well.

"We have quite a few of the individuals that do go to Shea's that also belong to our speakeasy, Room 120, and it increases business tenfold," Sunshine said.