Great week for The Covelli

By DAVID SKOLNICK

CITY HALL REPORTER

YOUNGSTOWN — A concert by a trio of classic rock bands today concludes the busiest week ever in terms of attendance at the Covelli Centre, the head of the facility says.

Including tonight’s show featuring Styx, REO Speedwagon and Night Ranger, close to 27,000 people will have come to the center since Sunday for four concerts and two hockey games at the city-owned facility, said Eric Ryan, the facility’s executive director.

The six ticketed events this week is equivalent to or more than the number of shows the center holds in a typical summer month — the slowest time of the year for an indoor entertainment and sports facility.

The busy week at the center, which opened in October 2005, means increased revenue for the city and downtown restaurants.

For example, the city will make about $55,000 from these six events from the 5.5 percent admission tax it charges on tickets for events at the center, Ryan said.

Downtown restaurants were crowded on concert nights this week and are expected to be busy today.

Besides tonight’s show, there were two Trans-Siberian Orchestra concerts Sunday, and Daughtry performed Wednesday.

“It’s probably one of my biggest weeks ever,” said George Mager, owner of Cafe Cimmento, the restaurant on East Boardman Street close to the center.

“Business has been tremendous this week,” he said. “We’ve had to turn people away. It’s been so crowded. We have people walking in [to the restaurant] from out of town, and I shuffle them to other restaurants. I’ve been at full capacity for the concerts.”

Rosetta Stone also has enjoyed good business this week, said Chuck Sop, co-owner of the West Federal Street restaurant.

Those attending evening concerts at the center come to Rosetta Stone before the event much more so than after it, Sop said.

The events packed into a seven-day period meant a lot of changes at the center, Ryan said.

Because TSO has a “revolving stage,” the center had to melt the ice used by the Youngstown Phantoms hockey team before Sunday’s pair of concerts.

A few hours after the TSO stage was packed up and on the road about 2:30 a.m. Monday, center employees were “building the ice,” Ryan said.

The ice needs close to 36 hours to freeze and was ready for the Phantoms’ Thursday and Friday games.

The ice was covered with wood and a stage built early Wednesday for the Daughtry concert.

After that concert, the wood was removed and the hockey dashers that surround the rink were installed for the two games.

Shortly after Friday’s game, the ice was to be covered and the stage built for today’s concert.

“The amount of changeovers were just so significant going back and forth,” Ryan said. “This is what we’re here to do. It’s a good problem to have.”

skolnick@vindy.com