A new downtown Amtrak station would be built in the lobby of the old Memorial Auditorium under a proposal formally submitted to federal officials. But city planners also told Washington that they favor demolishing the General Donovan State Office Building and using a part of that parcel for later phases of the project, such as bus service, officials said Tuesday.

The federal government has agreed previously to provide the bulk of the $8.1 million being considered for the proposed transportation center for Amtrak trains, buses and light rail.

That's enough money to build the train station, the project's first phase, and would give project backers time to pursue the remaining amounts needed for later phases, said Joseph N. Giambra, city public works commissioner.

Demolishing the Donovan Building, located next to the Aud, and extending the terminal as part of a mixed-used plan would make the entire site easier to develop, Giambra said.

"It also leaves more space in the Aud to develop," Giambra said.

A planning team made up of state, city and Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority officials recommended the combined Aud-Donovan Building option in its environmental assessment sent to the Federal Transit Administration.

The federal agency must approve the option before the federal government can release the money for the project.

Building the whole Buffalo Intermodal Transportation Center could cost as much as $20 million, and perhaps more for off-site improvements and contingencies, a consultant's report shows.

That does not include the cost of demolishing the Donovan Building, which could run as much as $20 million. Building a parking structure would add $30 million to the tab.

Rep. Jack Quinn, R-Hamburg, who helped secure the federal aid, supports moving forward on the Amtrak portion, an aide said.

"He believes there was good public input to come up with this decision, and there's a need to get the Amtrak portion of this built as soon as possible," said Ron Hayes, community development director in Quinn's local office.

The recommendation also won support from the NFTA.

"It makes sense to get this first piece complete with Amtrak and keep the options open going forward," said Lawrence M. Meckler, NFTA executive director.

Planners eliminated the option of demolishing the Donovan Building and building a terminal entirely at that site. They also discarded the idea of building a new home for the downtown Amtrak station at its current Exchange Street location.

One state lawmaker worries that focusing only on Amtrak at first could discourage Greyhound from becoming a key component of the multi-use terminal.

"I don't object to it being the combined site," said Assemblyman Sam Hoyt, D-Buffalo. "But I wish we could do it all together. I'm afraid delaying for too long the bus component dramatically hurts our chances of Greyhound's participation in the intermodal transportation project."

But city officials said focusing on Amtrak first does not push Greyhound from the city's plans.

Hoyt envisions a facility to house an Amtrak station with connections to Metro Rail and bus services. Greyhound, which serves about 500 customers a day from the NFTA's Ellicott Street terminal, should be part of the multi-use facility, Hoyt said.

Greyhound's lease at the Ellicott Street terminal expires next summer, but the NFTA has previously said if Greyhound decides to relocate, the agency would try to accommodate the bus company until the new terminal is built.

If the federal government approves the environmental assessment later this year, design and construction could begin by late 2002 or 2003 and the Amtrak terminal could open by 2004, Giambra said.