Gemara:

Sukkah 

Halacha:

Beit HaKenesset,  Contemporary Issues,  Tefillah 

Machshava:

Tefillah 

References: Succah: 51B  

Description

There are 4 reasons why, on principal, the Bima MUST be in the middle of the shul: 1- Like the מזבח in the courtyard of the Temple which was in the MIDDLE 2- Like the מזבח inside the בית המקדש which was in the MIDDLE 3- Like the encampment of the Jewish people in the desert surrunding the Torah in the אוהל מועד 4- The middle is praiseworthy like the Menorah From these perspectives, no room to compromise even if PRACTICALLY the Bima in FRONT/BACK would be better to hear, or nicer to look at