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Covelli Centre to undergo improvement work
YOUNGSTOWN
The city-owned Covelli Centre will undergo improvement work including an upgrade to its indoor video-display system and repairs to its roof.
Also, the city is buying a new skid loader for exterior snow removal and to use inside the center to move wood pallets and ice-rink materials, said Eric Ryan, the center’s executive director.
The purchase and the improvement work need final approval from the city’s board of control. That could come as early as Thursday.
The city is purchasing the skid loader for $31,000 to be used to plow the downtown center’s sidewalks and parking lots, he said.
The center probably still will have to hire additional help on event days.
“We’ve been spending tremendous amounts of money on nonevent days for snow removal,” Ryan said.
Depending on snowfall, the center has spent $35,000 to $50,000 annually on snow removal, he said.
Also, every time the center has to “take the ice [for hockey games] in and out or dirt [for monster-truck shows] in and out, we’ve been renting equipment that costs $1,000 a shot,” Ryan said.
Once the skid loader arrives, which is expected shortly after board of control approval, that work can be done in-house, he said.
The center will spend up to $80,000 to overhaul its control room – which operates the Jumbotron and other video screens used for advertising, promoting upcoming events as well as for instant replay during sporting events, Ryan said.
The nearly 10-year-old analog system was so outdated that replacement parts no longer were available, said Kyle Miasek, the city’s deputy finance director. The new system will be digital, he said.
The center often has had to rent equipment – ranging from $2,500 to $4,000 per event – because of problems with the outdated control room, Ryan said.
With the Youngstown Phantoms – the junior hockey team that plays its 30 home games each season at the center – home opener being Sept. 26, the new system needs to be in place before then, Ryan said.
It will take about 10 days to install, he said.
The center also will have the flashing replaced on a majority of its roof. There have been a few leaks because of material defects permitting ice to get under it, Ryan said.
Boak & Sons, an Austintown company, will handle the repair work with the project expected to be done by Nov. 1, Ryan said.
The work is estimated to cost $40,000 with the city’s roof warranty expected to cover the entire expense, he said.