Director, sponsor sign with facility

LIBERTY -- The dream of making the Youngstown Convocation Center the hub of a revitalized downtown took a big step forward Wednesday.
The building, rising between the South Avenue and Market Street bridges, has a new executive director; the Holiday Inn MetroPlex signed on as a sponsor and official hotel for convention center guests; and the owner of the minor-league hockey team that will be center's core tenant is moving closer to getting a general manager and a coach.
Those were some of the highlights at a news conference about the next steps in the development of the $42 million center.
GECompass named Jeff Kossow as the center's executive director. GECompass is a joint venture of Global Entertainment Corp. of Phoenix and Compass Facility Management Inc. of Ames, Iowa. The convocation center will their first joint project.
"Youngstown is going to be amazed at what we can do with this facility," Kossow said.
He said plans call for events featuring indoor racing on ice, rodeos, concerts and circuses.
"This is going to be a community building, with something for everyone, and I'm thrilled to be a part of it," Kossow said.
His expertise is preparing facilities for opening. He has served as operations manager at the Target Center in Minneapolis and assistant operations manager at the Bradley Center in Milwaukee.
From 1998 to 2002, he served as executive director of the Alerus Center in Grand Forks, N.D., an indoor stadium and convention center. He led the facility from its construction phase through its grand opening in February 2001.
Wayne H. Davis, president of Global Entertainment Marketing Systems, said Global looks for companies to become partners with the convocation center. They found one in the MetroPlex, which signed to serve as the center's official hotel.
Nancy Merlo, hotel general manager, said Holiday Inn corporate officials were excited about a three-year marketing deal with the center.
It's "the best initiative to come to the Valley in a long time."
A 'model' for others
Youngstown Mayor George McKelvey said the convocation center will be a first-class operation and will be the model every other developer in the country will come to town to tour.
He added the city has negotiated favorable agreements with GECompass to "guard the interests of the taxpayers of the city of Youngstown."
Kozuback said the project is on budget and on time. The steel for the center is set to arrive the middle of this month, and erection of the frame should proceed through January and February.
"Unless the weather changes for the worse, we see no reason not to open in fall 2005," he said.
He said hockey does sell, and audiences appreciate the game more in person than on television.
Herb Washington of Boardman, who owns several McDonald's restaurants, is the owner of the minor-league Central Hockey League hockey franchise. He said in the past two weeks he has spoken with a potential general manager for the unnamed team, and he's been on the phone with a possible coach who has strong roots in the northeast Ohio area.
McKelvey said later the city still had not heard whether it will receive more than $4.5 million from the state for the center. The request is among projects submitted for consideration in the two-year, capital-appropriations bill.