Both of the expected cities for Worldcon 2009 Site Selection filed by the March 3rd deadline. I have had a few days to read over both of these bids and looked at their websites. I have not visited any of these cities (unlike Christopher Garcia did for his fanzine). Both of these cities have their strengths and their weaknesses and that is what makes this one of the most interesting Worldcon races in a while. This may be muted because of a foreign Worldcon being the place that it is decided. I will take this one City at a time.

Kansas City

The Strengths of the bid

-It is a three hour flight from anywhere in the country and has several low cost carriers serving (Southwest and Midwest the biggest).
-It has affordable hotels. The convention center attached hotel will be $129 a night and there will be rooms from $79 a night.
-It has a hotel attached to the convention center. It also has very new facilities (finished in 1999 or 2000).
-For some people that it is in suburban, I think it is a weakness.
-Veteran group of con runners.

The Weaknesses of the bid

-It is a suburban con. That means you will need a car to see downtown Kansas City and to even get to the airport. It may mean that you will have to go to the city for something other than quick casual or fast food dining. There really isn't alot to do without driving someplace else. This is why I prefer downtown convention centers over suburban convention locations. I want to walk or take a taxi or Mass Transit to get away from a con, not have to drive.
-The Overland Park Convention Center is a small convention center. I think it is the right size for the current worldcon (4,000-6,000 people) except that it doesn't have the breakout rooms for programming and the hotel attached has only 20,000 square feet of meeting space. I could imagine some of the panels being at other hotels besides at the convention center (if you want to have last years Worldcon amount of programming). If you want to grow the Worldcon, this isn't the city to do it in.

Montreal

The Strengths of the bid

-In a Downtown convention Center, you can get away from the con for a couple hours or find a cheap place for breakfast without going to McDonalds. Much more exhibitor space and much more breakout rooms. You can have a lot of programming space in the convention center without going to far flung hotels.
-A foreign city on the East Coast. Montreal is only a couple of hour flight from most of the East Coast. I think this is the best hope for an eastern worldcon until 2015. The diverse culture will help attract americans to the worldcon.
-Many hotels in a short distance of the convention center (about 4,000 rooms within a half mile of the center).

The weaknesses of the bid

-An east coast hotel room rate. About $145 per night (to today's conversions) and it may not get much better because of how the dollar is faring against the rest of the world.
-The Torcon III effect. There are probably people from all over fandom who doesn't want a Worldcon in Canada again for many years because of the issues for Torcon III in 2003.
-Needing a passport to get out of Canada. Rules have recently changed with needing a passport to get into and out of Canada by air and rail. This may make people think twice because it may make things more difficult in their travel arrangements.

Since the ballot hasn't come out yet, I won't tell you who I am voting for. What other strengths and weaknesses do these cities have for Worldcon 2009?