DOWNTOWN Design experts: Arena will fit in, yet stand out

The building's look is timeless, an architect said.
By ROGER G. SMITH
CITY HALL REPORTER
YOUNGSTOWN -- A stepped plaza is a key design element meant to invite concert enthusiasts and sports fans into the downtown arena, architects say.
The city's design review committee Wednesday unanimously approved the arena's look. The building is a mix of glass, brick, masonry and architectural metal panels in various shades of beige, gray and silver with a touch of blue.
"I love the palette of colors," said Brenda Williams, a design board member and architect.
The plaza, combined with the colors and materials, makes the arena unique to the city but compatible with downtown, said Cherie Hayek, an architect at MS Consultants in Youngstown. MS is doing much of the arena site and design work.
The 5,500-seat, $41 million project is modeled on an arena in Hidalgo, Texas. Groundbreaking is planned for about two weeks.
Hayek said the city arena will look far different than Hidalgo's stark yellow building that sits on a flat site in an open field.
Entrance
The arena floor will sit 10 feet below Front Street, so the main public entrance at Walnut Street will feature four sets of three steps each.
The sloped plaza will collect people from Front and Walnut streaming into the building and gradually ease them into the arena, Hayek said.
Dark gray masonry will surround the building at pedestrian level. Beige brick and blue architectural metal will accent spots near the entrance and along Front Street.
Most of the building's upper portion will be silver or gray ribbed architectural metal panels. For variety, the ribs will be horizontal in the building's midsection and vertical at the highest points.
Earth tones are needed because trendy colors soon would look out of place in a building that should be around for many years, Hayek said. In addition, the earth tones are found in older downtown buildings, she said.
"We thought that this would be timeless," Hayek said.
The silver and gray metal will best reflect the color of the sun and sky, said K. Anthony Hayek, director of architecture at MS.
"We want something light and airy. Very tailored," he said. The ribbed panels also should let water run off instead of collecting dirt, he added.
A mass of glass lets sun into the entrance during the day and lighting from inside lets the building glow at night, he said. The glass also gives a view of downtown to the VIP club on the arena's second level above the entrance, he said.
Business offices for the arena and Central Hockey League, the anchor tenant, will be on Front Street. A 20-space parking lot will be available for those doing business in the offices.
A conference room with restrooms and kitchen facilities available to the public for rent will be near the entrance.
Lockers and coaches offices will be in the rear, closer to the South Avenue Bridge, near the mechanical and loading dock areas.
Sign color and size on the building are unclear because naming rights haven't been sold.
The winning bidder for the rights likely will have the company name and possible logo mounted on the arena along Front Street and on the side facing the Market Street Bridge, Cherie Hayek said.
Unrelated items
The design board also handled these items:
U Approved a 90-space parking lot downtown operated and owned by Coyne Investments, bounded by West Boardman and West Front streets, Vindicator Square and Market Alley. The entrance and exit will be on Vindicator Square. The lot will have the same fencing as a lot Coyne owns across the street, and a few trees that remain on the site will stay. Demolition of a warehouse made way for the lot.
U Approved a proposal by Jim Colley to replace the garage doors, repaint and install signs at his auto repair business at 37 N. Meridian Road, the old Jeswald towing building.
U Approved a proposal by Sandel's Loan to replace the sign at 306 W. Federal St.
U Deferred a request by First National Bank on Federal Plaza to mount illuminated signs on the 18th floor on all four sides of its building. The board wants more information.