Wednesday, March 25, 2015
YOUNGSTOWN
The city received six proposals from firms wanting to design an amphitheater at the Covelli Centre and a park at the site of the former Wean United building along the Mahoning River downtown.
Companies had until Tuesday to submit letters of interest and lists of their qualifications.
“We’ll set up an internal committee of four to five people to review the submissions, hear presentations and then go from there,” Mayor John A. McNally said.
The mayor said he doesn’t have a specific time frame for making a decision. “Sooner rather than later,” McNally said.
The city asked in February 2014 for letters of interest and lists of qualifications for a proposed amphitheater, but never moved ahead with a project.
Every firm that provided information by Tuesday’s deadline did the same a year ago except MKSK of Columbus. That firm sent documentation and a letter of interest as part of a group along with MS Consultants of Youngstown — which sought the amphitheater work last year — and FTL Design Engineering Studio of New York City.
Other proposals came from:
Olsavsky Jaminet Architects of Youngstown.
Tetra Tech Inc. of Pasadena with an office in Canfield.
Westlake Reed Leskosky of Cleveland.
Balog Steines Hendricks & Manchester Architects Inc. of Youngstown.
Strollo Architects of Youngstown.
“This isn’t a normal process,” said Charles Shasho, deputy director of the city’s public-works department. “We have a wide array of submittals. It will take some time to go through them. At some point, we’ll talk to some of the candidates.”
The 15-acre location to be improved goes from underneath the South Avenue Bridge to just west of Hazel Street, where the former Wean United Building was located. The building was demolished late last year with ownership given to the city.
An amphitheater would increase the number of events at the city-owned Covelli Centre, particularly during the summer when the indoor facility is rarely used, city officials say.
The cost of an amphitheater was estimated last year at $2 million to $3 million. However, there is no estimate for the work this time.
The cost of the park is unknown.
McNally said Tuesday that no general-fund money would be used for the amphitheater or park.
Some money would come from water and waste-water funds with the city “looking for grants, foundation money and private funding,” McNally said.
The mayor said he’s been approached by a couple of companies interested in the naming rights for the amphitheater and park. He declined to name them as the process has just begun.