DEVELOPMENT Warren lobbies for entertainment area

The city is seeking legislative help to create an exception in the statute.
WARREN -- All of downtown Warren would be included within the city's proposed Community Entertainment District.
Portions of Tod Avenue and Summit Street on the other side of the Mahoning River also would be included.
City council will give a first reading Wednesday to legislation to approve 492.5 acres for the district.
Creation of such districts under state law can allow an area to acquire additional liquor permits, if certain guidelines are met. One big requirement is a population of 100,000 -- which Warren doesn't meet.
Two communities, Youngstown and Sandusky, succeeded in having the Legislature amend the law to include exceptions: $50 million in investment in the immediate area (Youngstown Convocation Center and Powers Auditorium renovation, for example), or having an amusement park in an entertainment district (Cedar Point).
Development of an entertainment district is an element of the downtown's revitalization, and establishing its boundaries is the first step.
Next, Mayor Michael O'Brien said, the city has requested assistance from state Rep. Randy Law of Warren, R-64th, and state Sen. Marc Dann of Liberty, D-32nd, on finding a legislative way to also make Warren fit under the liquor permit requirements for an entertainment district.
Warren's district, for example, would include venues such as the National Packard Museum, W.D. Packard Music Hall and the Warren Amphitheatre that draw patrons to the downtown.
The idea is to mix a vibrant night life with retail, education and residential space to entice young professionals to downtown.
Existing districts
In Youngstown, three bars have opened on Federal Street since the development of its entertainment district last summer, and three more upscale bars are to open there this year.
Since Youngstown had reached its quota for liquor licenses before the entertainment district formed, new bar owners typically paid between $20,000 to $40,000 to out-of-business establishments for licenses.
Youngstown's designation opened up 15 new licenses at $2,300 each. The district covers about 120 acres from South Avenue to Belmont Avenue.
Other cities with entertainment districts include Columbus and Dayton.
A year ago, the director of Youngstown State University's Center of Urban and Regional Studies told Warren leaders that they need to identify its assets and structure planning around them.
Hunter Morrison said a successful plan must have consensus from the community and the will to carry it out. He pointed to Courthouse Square and the showcasing of the Mahoning River with the Riverwalk as city assets.