YOUNGSTOWN Mayor: Arena won't affect public money

A private arena leaves millions to expand on a 'community center' concept, McKelvey said.
By ROGER G. SMITH
CITY HALL REPORTER
YOUNGSTOWN -- A downtown civic center funded mostly by private investors doesn't mean any of the project's public money would be diverted, Mayor George M. McKelvey says.
Rather, whatever is left from $26.8 million in federal dollars after a private arena is set would go into developing another project. That project would follow the original concept of a "convocation and community center," he said.
On Thursday, McKelvey outlined his vision for how the whole development should work, assuming mostly private money builds an arena. This morning, he and Law Director Robert Bush Jr. were to talk with the civic center board about the city's position.
On Tuesday, the company building a $20 million, 6,500-seat arena in downtown Massillon with mostly private money -- MG/Dove of Carmel, Ind. -- said it is interested in doing a similar project here.
Congressman: U.S. Rep. James A. Traficant Jr. of Poland, D-17th, who secured the federal money, and his supporters were quick to criticize any changes to the subsidized civic center project. They argue any change to the project under way now wouldn't meet with what the money was intended for. Changes could jeopardize the entire congressional grant, the said.
McKelvey balked at the idea of losing the money, calling it a scare tactic.
An arena financed mostly by the private sector would simply leave millions more public dollars to expand on the still nebulous "convocation and community center" concept, he said.
"That's all positive," he said. "No one is trying to divert anything."
McKelvey supports keeping the civic center board to oversee details of creating such a building downtown.
Here's how he views the process:
UFirst, the city and board must finalize a contract outlining the board's duties, responsibilities and authority.
The relationship would have to be a partnership with the board. That includes the city in decision-making. The city would remain ultimately responsible for whatever happens. It needs to be involved, despite attempts to protect it from financial losses.
McKelvey hopes the contract is done by November.
UThen, the board would hire a project manager, as planned. The manager would handle details of proposals from companies invited to design, build, manage and maintain the multipurpose facility.
The civic center board and city would choose the best proposal. MG/Dove's proposal might be the best. Or, another private concern could offer even more and that could be picked.
"Wouldn't that be tremendous? Wouldn't that be wonderful if MG/Dove became the benchmark?" the mayor asked.
UEven a privately funded arena project probably will seek public money for items such as land, access roads and water and sewer lines. That money would come from the $26.8 million federal dollars already secured.
The rest would be available for other development. For example, say land and utilities for a private arena total $6.8 million in public spending. That would leave $20 million in federal money.
UThe city probably would control the extra federal money. The money would pay for "site acquisition, planning, architectural design and construction of a convocation and community center," just like the federal legislation says.
What that building or buildings will contain is wide open in McKelvey's mind.
A spare $20 million for a "convocation and community center" is an opportunity to make a huge statement about downtown's future, he said.
Demolition possible: One possibility is leveling a couple of blocks of vacant, decrepit downtown buildings. In their place could go an auditorium, recreation center, city offices and city courts. Such a project would serve a wide range of the community and meet the federal money's goals, McKelvey said.
"We should be open-minded about a vision of that nature," he said.
McKelvey doesn't buy the argument that the federal money can only go into the original civic center project.
The same flexibility Traficant used to let the federal money subsidize the civic center for sports and entertainment can be applied to his vision, McKelvey said.
"It's flexible enough to build a hockey arena, but it's not flexible enough to build a community center with government offices? I question that," he said.
rgsmith@vindy.com