DOWNTOWN YOUNGSTOWN The first look at a grand vision

One developer sees an arena, conference center, hotel and village of shops and restaurants in the city's future.
By ROGER G. SMITH
CITY HALL REPORTER
YOUNGSTOWN -- Picture this:
It's 6:30 p.m. on a late fall day, 2005. The workday is done and darkness has set in. But there are plenty of people waiting at Front and Market streets downtown.
Cops are directing pedestrians across the street to the nearby Youngstown Family Arena. The city's new Central Hockey League team takes the ice in a half-hour.
Other fans mill around shops surrounding the arena. Many already have eaten dinner at one of several nearby restaurants and bars.
The hockey crowd mixes with another group. Dozens of businessmen and women from around the region are just emerging from the conference center across from the arena. It's the first of a three-day trade show. The business people are looking for dinner somewhere downtown, too. Most are staying at the 250-bed Hilton Hotel connected to the conference center.
Tables at the nearby bars won't be easy to find right after the game, when fans and convention-goers mingle again. They grab a beer or mixed drink before heading home or back to the hotel room.
Landmark proposal
Can't picture it?
The Landmark Organization can.
The Austin, Texas, developer laid out just such a scenario last week in its proposal to the city.
The proposal gives a glimpse into what the private sector thinks is possible for downtown Youngstown.
Landmark was one of four companies responding to the city's recent request for proposals. The city is looking for a private developer to turn a $26.8 million federal grant into a civic center project.
Only Landmark, however, outlined a detailed vision for what the site between the Market Street and South Avenue bridges could be.
Garfield Traub Development of Dallas and the Waterford Group of Waterford, Conn., mostly emphasized their substantial backgrounds.
MG Financial Services of Carmel, Ind., provided only a generic financial and technical framework for an arena. Its proposal appears identical to the long-delayed arena project the company is involved with in Massillon.
Another company, Ellerbe Becket of Kansas City, Mo., sent the city a letter noting its interest only in designing and engineering any project.
Mayor George M. McKelvey expects to hear more details from the companies when the city does interviews.
McKelvey wants to pick a developer by year's end. He wants construction to be started in spring 2003 and the project ready by 2005.
Two ideas
The starting point, however, is Landmark.
The company's proposal outlines concepts for the project and how the developer would carry out that vision.
Landmark gave two ideas.
Both feature a 6,500- to 8,500-seat arena along the Mahoning River near the Market Street bridge. There also would be a 45,000-square-foot conference center next door. A 250-room Hilton or Doubletree hotel near the South Avenue bridge would connect to the conference center.
One plan shows a 2,500-space parking lot between those buildings and Front Street.
The other plan, however, fills that space with shops and restaurants. A pedestrian walkway through the site and a river walk are included.
A majority of event parking is left to the rest of downtown.
The idea is to create a mixed-use village where people can eat and shop. Otherwise, the site is just event space that is the sole destination.
"Mixed-use projects are going up in cities and towns all over the country and are garnering rave reviews," the company said.
Owners and operators
None of the developers except Waterford indicate clearly who would own the buildings or any surrounding development. Waterford's proposal says the company doesn't want to own any facilities.
That's a critical issue to the city. McKelvey has been clear that the private sector -- not the taxpayers -- must bear the ultimate ownership risk.
Otherwise, Landmark details how such a project would work.
Landmark said it would oversee development, planning, design and construction of all the buildings.
The arena
The company projects an arena would cost $26.4 million and take about 15 months to build.
A partner, Global Spectrum, would handle feasibility analysis and then operate the arena day to day.
Philadelphia-based Global Spectrum calls itself the world's second-largest manager and event development company for public assembly facilities. Global is a division of Comcast-Spectacor.
Comcast-Spectacor owns and operates the NHL's Philadelphia Flyers, the NBA's Philadelphia 76ers, minor league hockey and baseball teams, several arenas and ice rinks. Comcast-Spectacor is a subsidiary of the Comcast Corp., which has 8.4 million cable subscribers and owns a number of cable channels and networks.
Global Spectrum provided a detailed 20-year projection of revenues and expenses for a Youngstown arena. The projections show the company expects $1.28 million operating income the first full year.
There are no indications of how many jobs an arena would generate. However, payroll for full-time workers is projected at about $1 million per year.
Those figures are based on 107 dates at the arena. The bookings would be a mix of sports, family entertainment, concerts and other events. Nearly half the dates are pegged to a minor league hockey team; 35 regular season and five playoff games.
Global Spectrum can guarantee the main tenant because it owns the entire 16-team Central Hockey League. A subsidiary, Global Entertainment Corp. of Phoenix, acquired and merged the Western and Central hockey leagues last year. The company now owns and operates the CHL.
Conference center, hotel
The conference center is estimated to cost $9.5 million and take 15 months to build.
The building would have 30,000 square feet of exhibition space and 7,500 square feet each of ballroom and meeting space.
The city sought a building of up to 100,000 square feet. Landmark said that wouldn't work financially, but room would be left to expand the building, the company said.
Global Spectrum would handle planning and day-to-day operation of the conference center.
A 250-bed Hilton hotel is estimated at $38.8 million and would take about 15 months to build. The size is subject to further market and feasibility analysis, the company said.
A Hilton franchisee would handle planning and day-to-day operation.
Landmark estimates $3.5 million would be spent on improving the common areas around the arena, conference center and hotel.
Landmark said it would oversee the ownership and operational structure, obtain financing, design, build and market any retail development on the site.
rgsmith@vindy.com