Devos Place brought in $428,000 more than expected during its first year, but the new $216-million convention center still tallied a loss of nearly $1.2 million. The Van Andel Arena, which isseveral blocks away from the Devos Place, is operated by the same authority, which is using a profitable year at Van Andel to help pay for the losses at DeVos.

The revenue sharing between the two facilities was a central part of the financial plan put together during the planning for DeVos Place.SMG, the company managing DeVos for the Grand Rapids-Kent County Convention/Arena Authority, attributed the lower-than-expected loss toconvention-goers spending more than anticipated on concessions and utilities bills that were well under budget.

The 2004 fiscal year, which ended June 30, shows a less than glamorous view of at the venue's finances, in part because the venue didn't host its first convention until December, officials say. The budget also was affected by a shorter DeVos Performance Hall season, start-up costs and ongoing construction that left large portions of the complex unavailable.

Total revenue at DeVos Place was $2.6 million.

In Detroit, regional leaders are trying to work out a plan on how to pay for a $665-million expansion to the Cobo Center in Downtown.