Covelli Centre posts near-record surplus

YOUNGSTOWN

Sold-out concerts by Elton John and Carrie Underwood led the way during a near-record operating-surplus quarter to start the year at the Covelli Centre.

The facility’s operating surplus for January to March was $306,862, the second-best financial quarter in the history of the center, which opened in October 2005.

“We’re off to a fantastic start,” said Eric Ryan, the center’s executive director. “Any time you can start off that strong, it’s a good thing. To make more than $300,000 in a quarter is great.”

The center had budgeted a $304,861 operating surplus for the first quarter.

Underwood’s concert March 17 and John’s show March 22 were both sellouts of nearly 7,000 tickets, Ryan said.

The only quarter in the history of the center with a larger operating surplus was the first quarter of 2014. During those three months, the center’s operating surplus was $382,016, largely because of a sold-out John concert.

Read more about the situation in Tuesday's Vindicator or on Vindy.com.