It's time to think outside the box

Several years ago, a visitor from London was being given a tour of Youngstown, and as the car traveled down Fifth Avenue past Youngstown State University, he looked to his left and exclaimed, "That's a Graves."
Robert Savage, an architect, was referring to the building designed by world-renowned architect Michael Graves. It houses the Youngstown Center of Industry and Labor, the so-called steel museum.
The fact that the city had a Graves building impressed Savage, who suggested that it be made a focal point of the downtown revitalization effort. In his opinion, having such a structure in the center of town put the city in some pretty exclusive company.
Now, Youngstown has the opportunity to build on that exclusivity. With $26.8 million available for the development of a convocation/community center, a grand design is easily within reach. The challenge, of course, is to ensure that Mayor George M. McKelvey and city council think outside the box. The box is a recreation center with basketball courts. The box is one more gymnasium. (Youngstown has such facilities galore. There's the South High field house, the YMCA, which will lose attendance once the Boardman Y is up and running, and the soon-to-be-built recreation center at Youngstown State.) The box is another nondescript building.
No, Youngstown does not need another recreation facility downtown.
Where's the money?
So, what should be done with the $26.8 million federal grant now that the proposed sports/civic arena project appears to be dead? The mayor says he will give FaulknerUSA two weeks to come up with $23.2 million in private financing to match the $26.8 million to build a 5,500- to 6,500-seat arena, but it is highly unlikely that the Texas-based developer will bring its checkbook to the table anytime soon.
Remember that the city faces a 2005 deadline to show substantial progress in building a convocation/community center. If work hasn't begun by then, the federal government could withdraw the grant. Thus, the pressure is on to find a project that will, in effect, be a diamond in the rough -- just like the Michael Graves building.
The mayor and city council should reach out to the community for ideas on the kind of project that will put Youngstown on the national map.
Is there such an attraction that would do the Mahoning Valley proud?
There certainly is: a children's museum as the focus of the convocation/community center. Such a museum would inspire architects to come up with designs that are as creative as the Michael Graves structure.
The idea for a children's museum was first broached by the Junior League of Youngstown, and now a nonprofit corporation has been formed to handle its development. Similar museums around the country have not only become important to the civic and cultural life of their communities, but have proved to be catalysts for economic development.
In Youngstown's case, the federal government would welcome such a use because the museum would expose inner city children to sights and sounds that are not now available to them. And the beauty of such a project is that it easily fits into the scheme of creating a cultural and entertainment mecca downtown.
Designated agent
Given the time constraints and the fact that community input is essential, the Youngstown Central Area Community Improvement Corp., the city's exclusive designated agent for downtown development, is the obvious entity to manage such a project. The CIC, which is governed by a board of directors that includes the mayor and several members of council, as well as business and community leaders, has spent many hours developing a long-range revitalization plan for downtown. A children's museum project needs the kind of creativity the CIC has shown it possesses. The George V. Voinovich Government Center is its success story. The proposed office building to house the Mahoning County Children's Services Board and the Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation also promises to be successful.
Mayor McKelvey and city council did their due diligence in pursuing the sports arena project. It would be unfair to blame them for its failure -- should FaulknerUSA not come through with the private dollars. Indeed, McKelvey is to be commended for not wavering in his demand for a substantial investment in private dollars. The lack of such investment must be seen as clear indication from private developers that such a project is not financially viable.