Officials to focus on sites

Many questions remain unanswered about the arena.
By PETER H. MILLIKEN
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
YOUNGSTOWN -- The city will move a step closer this week to a site for the proposed $40 million civic center.
Councilman James E. Fortune Sr., D-6th, said arena consultant Tom Chema of Gateway Consulting in Cleveland is to meet with him and Mayor George McKelvey on Friday to discuss potential sites Chema has viewed, likely bringing information packets on them.
The packets would be delivered to other council members' homes, possibly by cruiser, for their review over the weekend, Fortune told council's finance committee Wednesday.
There will be no public meeting and the site locations will be kept confidential until council reviews them, Fortune said.
Fortune said council will choose the site, which will be in or near downtown, after listening to information and advice from the arena board.
Operations: There are no drawings and he hasn't seen any figures on what it will cost to operate the arena once it is built, he said.
"My understanding is that ... the money is going to come through us. Regardless of what is done with it, the liability still stays with council," said Artis Gillam Sr., D-1st.
"When it's up and running, if there are any financial difficulties, or anything like that, if I'm not mistaken, [liability] would fall back to the city of Youngstown," said Michael Rapovy, D-5th.
Fortune said he isn't sure if tax dollars would be used to subsidize arena operations. He said he wants a majority of arena employees to be city residents.
Arena board: Councilmen discussed whether the arena board would be a temporary panel for five years or whether it would be a permanent body. The ordinance council passed in September to create the board does not specify any time frame.
Also discussed Wednesday was the lack of a contract between council and the arena board, which would specify the responsibilities of all parties involved in the project.
"Before budgeting is approved, or anything like that, a contract should be approved," said council President Charles Sammarone "Without a contract, we don't know what we're doing and they don't know what they're doing."
Chema received environmental information on the sites last week, according to Leonard Schiavone, arena board chairman. Chema has said six sites are under consideration and he will outline each and rank them in order of desirability.