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8 firms want to design Covelli amphitheater
YOUNGSTOWN
Eight firms are interested in design and architectural work on a proposed amphitheater at the Covelli Centre, but until funding is in place, the mayor says the project won’t go forward.
“I’m not in a rush to award a contract for design work until the city has a better idea where the funding for this will come from,” said Mayor John A. McNally. “I don’t expect anything immediate on this.”
Those interested in design and architectural work had until Friday to submit letters of interest and information about their firms to the public works department.
City council agreed Dec. 18 to permit the board of control to spend up to $90,000 to hire a consultant to design the outdoor facility.
Of the eight firms, five are based in Youngstown, two are in Cleveland and one is based in Pasadena, Calif., with a Canfield office.
The firms are:
Richard Fleischman + Partners Architects, based in Cleveland, partnering with Karpinski Engineering of Uniontown, Peller & Associates Inc. of Westlake, and Knight & Stolar Inc. of Cleveland. Fleischman has designed numerous libraries, government buildings and the Near West Theatre in Cleveland.
Westlake Reed Leskosky of Cleveland, which has designed health-care facilities, museums, government buildings and improvements to Blossom Music Center in Cuyahoga Falls.
Tetra Tech Inc. of Pasadena with nine offices in Ohio, including one in Canfield. Tetra helped with a Covelli Centre roof project.
Strollo Architects of Youngstown, which designs health-care facilities, schools and government buildings, and handled two projects for Mill Creek MetroParks: the Experimental Farm in Canfield, and the D.D and Velma Davis Education & Visitor Center.
MS Consultants of Youngstown, which does extensive engineering, construction oversight and architectural work for the city and other government entities. The company’s park work includes preparing a trail map for Boardman Township Park.
RBF of Youngstown, a firm created in April 2013 by Paul Hagman, the former project manager for Faniro Architects Inc.
Olsavsky Jaminet Architects, a Youngstown firm with a focus on schools that also designed the Museum of Labor and Industry, and Wick/Weller House at Youngstown State University, and the William McKinley Homestead and Research Center in Niles.
Balog Steines Hendricks & Manchester Architects Inc., a Youngstown company with a focus on school buildings and historical structures. It’s designed Mill Creek’s Morley Performing Arts Pavilion in Youngstown, the Warren Community Amphitheatre, and the restoration of Powers Auditorium in Youngstown.
The amount of money the city will spend on the project depends on how much money it raises through naming rights and corporate sponsorship, possible state funding and using water and wastewater funds for utility expenses.
City officials have said they expect the construction of the project to cost $2 million to $3 million.
The facility would be located at the rear of the center, near South Avenue, where employees currently park.
The amphitheater likely would add at least 25 summer events at the center, which has about 100 events a year, Eric Ryan, its executive director, has said.
The summer months are the slowest at the indoor facility.
McNally also wants to focus attention on paying down the city’s debt on the center. Youngstown borrowed $11.9 million in 2005 for its share of constructing the $45 million facility. After more than eight years, the city has paid less than $900,000 toward the debt’s principal.