Crews lay foundation for area's new team

The building's construction is about 75 percent complete.
By AMBER HYLAND
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
YOUNGSTOWN -- A cool reminder that the Youngstown Convocation Center is nearing completion is the work of finishing crews laying concrete for the center's ice hockey floor.
Workers got started on the floor at 7 a.m. Friday. They will lay 7,100 cubic feet of concrete for the floor.
Jeff Kossow, executive director of the Youngstown Convocation Center, said it will take a few days to cool the floor from 80 degrees to 17 degrees.
Only 3/4 of an inch of ice will be on the floor for hockey games.
The level of ice can be changed for different types of events. Kossow explained that hockey requires harder, thinner ice, while figure skaters prefer softer, thicker ice for their skates to sink into better.
Planned events
The convocation center will host figure-skating events in addition to the Youngstown SteelHounds hockey games.
Kossow said Disney's "Jungle Adventure," an ice show that combines elements of "The Jungle Book," "Tarzan" and "The Lion King," will be at the convocation center from Dec. 6 through Jan. 1.
He added that this will be the first time the show runs in the United States. The SteelHounds are expected to have their first home game at the nearly $45 million convocation center Nov. 4.
Kossow said there might be other events at the convocation center before the SteelHounds' first home game. He added that some events will tentatively be scheduled for between Oct. 25 and Oct. 30.
About 75 percent of construction on the center is complete. Mayor George McKelvey said he and Kossow will work on releasing upcoming events for the convocation center's first month in the near future.