Digital marquee coming to Chevy Centre

YOUNGSTOWN —It’s taken longer than originally planned, but there should be a digital marquee sign outside the city-owned Chevrolet Centre touting what’s going to happen inside by the end of the year.

The free-standing sign to promote upcoming events at the center was supposed to be erected when the facility opened in October 2005.

But city officials said it was put it on the back burner because of financial concerns.

The city provided $11.9 million of the $45 million needed to build the center. Most of the money to construct the facility came from a $25.8 million federal grant obtained by then-U.S. Rep. James A. Traficant Jr.

The sign wasn’t seen as a priority because the city was spending more money than it had anticipated toward the construction of the center.

The sign will cost about $70,000, said K. Anthony Hayek, director of architecture for MS Consultants, the Youngstown firm hired by the city to oversee the project.

The city’s design review committee approved a proposal today for the 10-foot-high sign. Any exterior work done in the city’s downtown requires approval from this committee.

For the complete story, read Thursday’s Vindicator or vindy.com