Downtown businesses hungry for a convention center expansion are disappointed — but not surprised — that Ohio lawmakers won't help their cause this year.

        Unanswered questions about funding and the type of structure Cincinnati needs prevented convention center advocates from making a strong case before state lawmakers. The legislature is expected to pass a budget bill this week that fails to give Hamilton County authority to collect a hotel tax increase and a new restaurant tax.

        “Obviously, I'm disappointed,” said Paul Sacco, managing director of the Omni Netherland Plaza Hotel. “However, I still have faith we'll have an expanded convention center in the future.”

        Dan Meyer, who heads an expansion task force appointed by Cincinnati Mayor Charlie Luken, said his group decided it must nail down details and drum up local support before appealing to the state.

        “We need local support before we get state support,” said Mr. Meyer, chairman of Milacron Inc. “I committed to the mayor that we wouldn't force an issue this year. It's an election year, and all the people should be focusing on their election rather than the funding.”

        Downtown business interests have championed the convention center expansion as the top development priority because rival cities such as Louisville and Indianapolis are attracting more lucrative conventions through bigger facilities.

        Mr. Meyer said it didn't make sense to pursue funding without first deciding the size and direction of the convention center. The task force pulled back an initial recommendation to build west over Interstate 75 after learning about engineering difficulties and an alternative proposal by the Urban Land Institute.

        In March, ULI recommended that a smaller conference center for high-tech and other industry meetings be built east toward the former Nordstrom site at Fifth and Race. The panel of national planning experts expects to release a report covering the expansion and other downtown development recommendations by next week. The ULI report “caused us to really rethink our plan,” David Ginsburg of Downtown Cincinnati Inc. said.

        A westward expansion of the convention center likely wouldn't be completed before 2008, but a smaller eastward version could be finished earlier, Mr. Meyer said.

        Such an expansion is desperately needed to improve the business of downtown establishments such as the Garfield Suites Hotel, said Gary Wachs, Garfield's general manager.

        “It's the only project that brings in new, fresh money for Cincinnati,” Mr. Wachs said, comparing a possible $325 million convention center expansion to the costly $1 billion-plus price tag for two new riverfront sports stadiums and the Banks neighborhood development.

        “I don't think this (funding decision) is a concern because it wasn't a surprise,” Mr. Wachs said. “The state is not ready to move until we get our act together locally.”

        The task force is considering changing its original $334.9 million funding package, Mr. Meyer said.

        One possibility is asking for a smaller contribution from Hamilton County, which has been reluctant to ante up for an expansion of the city-owned center.

        Convention center advocates are also considering the “drawdown funding” method of collecting money from government and private sources as needed rather than asking for a large sum upfront.

        Cincinnati Business Committee Executive Director Laura Long said expansion advocates shouldn't be discouraged.

        “Anytime you introduce something that hasn't ever been done, you're always faced with the possibility that it's harder than you think,” Ms. Long said.

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