City should look for best ways to utilize 'arena money'

It is time to look at new ways of utilizing scarce resources to revitalize part of downtown Youngstown.
Tonight, City Council will almost certainly vote to eliminate the 13-member arena board, a creation of council from which the city fathers had grown increasingly estranged.
Council wanted to use the board to distance itself from long-term liability for a proposed arena project, which seemed like a good idea at the time. But as it became clear that council would still be financially responsible for whatever project the board developed, and as a rift widened between council and the board over the scope of the project, tonight's action became almost inevitable.
We suppose there will be more than enough time for finger-pointing in the days, months and years to come, but it seems clear that sufficient progress was not being made toward utilization of $26.8 million in federal funds secured by U.S. Rep. James A. Traficant for the project.
When a majority of council takes its vote tonight repealing the legislation that created the board, it will be time for the city administration and council to move.
We believe the move should be in a new direction, one aimed not only at insulating the city from the liabilities inherent in attempting to operate a sports and entertainment center, but toward getting the most it can for the $26 million that's available.
More for the money: Repeating our suggestion of two months ago, we believe Youngstown should aggressively pursue a private developer for the arena and put together a downtown revitalization project that will give the city the most bang for the 26 million federal bucks that are waiting to be spent.
MG/Dove Inc. of Carmel, Ind., is developing a 6,500-seat multiuse sports and recreation center costing $20 million in Massillon. Nineteen million of that is in private money. MG/Dove officials have already said informally that they would be interested in Youngstown as a site for a similar facility.
The exact size of such a facility would be determined by the developer, based on its knowledge of the market. There is a stronger incentive for a private developer to build what the market demands than for a quasi-governmental board that is building a facility with largely government money to be operated by a management company that has little or no long-term investment in the structure.
Broad range: While private money was being used to build the arena, the city could put together a package that reflects the broad use of the money described in the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's project grant. It provides for a convocation and community center that would house "a wide range of activities including after-school programs, mentoring programs for senior citizens and youth, adult education, craft shows, cultural festivals, art exhibits, music concerts, educational seminars, community meetings, health fairs, computer workshops, job fairs, political and industrial conventions, boat shows, figure skating events, boxing, high school and collegiate athletic events and minor league sports."
An arena would be nice, but not if the city has to go in hock to support it through thick and thin. A privately owned arena, as a complement to and complemented by a community center, would clearly be better.