Chevy Centre tickets: New rates explained

The increase for top-tier
tickets would be minimal, says Mayor Jay Williams.

By DAVID SKOLNICK

CITY HALL REPORTER

YOUNGSTOWN — City officials say a proposal to reduce the price of tickets for some events at the Chevrolet Centre would boost attendance at the facility and thus make it more profitable.

The proposed change is being considered to make tickets for the average person less expensive, said Mayor Jay Williams.

The proposal, developed by the city administration, would replace parking and facility fees, $1.50 to $1.75 each, with the flat 9.5 percent admission tax. The policy, if approved by council, takes effect Oct. 1.

Under the plan, those buying tickets for up to $35 would save money.

Those shelling out top dollar for concerts or high-end Mahoning Valley Thunder tickets would pay more under a proposal to replace the fees with an admission tax, but the increase would be minimal in most cases, Williams said.

A few examples

The cheapest ticket for Sunday’s Doobie Brothers and Peter Frampton concert at the city-owned center is $32, increased to $35.50 with the $3.50 parking and facility fees. Under the proposed new structure, that ticket would be $35.04.

The mid-range ticket, $42.50, costs $46 with the fees. If the tax was in place, that ticket would be $46.54. The top ticket for the concert is $58.50 with the fees. With the tax, the same ticket would cost $60.23.

There are also three ticket price tiers for the Aug. 4 Kenny Loggins concert, all including $3.50 for parking and facility fees. With the flat admission tax, the lower-end ticket cost is 51 cents less, 7 cents more for the mid-range ticket, and 54 cents more at the top tier.

If the tax was in place rather than the fees, those attending the July 1 Tool concert would pay $1.82 more a ticket.

Charges added to the base ticket price of more expensive events wouldn’t deter many from going to the show, Williams said.

“If someone is spending $75 or $80 for a concert ticket, two or three bucks more isn’t going to drive people away,” he said. “It’s an accepted arena business practice to charge a little more [in fees or taxes] for those tickets.”

Buy at the box office

One way to cut costs is to purchase tickets at the downtown box office rather than through GetTix.Net, the center’s online ticket agency that includes a service charge as high as $7 a ticket as well as a $3 handling fee for each order.

Replacing the fees with the tax would reduce the cost of the cheapest Thunder ticket by $2.07 and increase the most expensive seats for the games by $1.25.

Going with a tax rather than the fees would end a stalemate with the Youngstown SteelHounds hockey team. Herb Washington, the team’s owner, has repeatedly refused to include a parking fee on SteelHounds tickets, and a facility fee for games not sold at the center’s box office.

Those buying the least expensive SteelHounds ticket, $8, would pay $8.76 under the tax proposal. The cost of the most expensive ticket would go from $22 to $24.09. Hockey tickets purchased at the center’s box office include a $1.50 facility fee.

skolnick@vindy.com