Impact of downtown amphitheater, riverfront park costs discussed tonight at Covelli

YOUNGSTOWN

How spending $4 million of Youngstown’s federal Community Development Block Grant funds for the proposed downtown amphitheater and riverfront park will impact other CDBG-funded projects was one of the concerns raised at a public meeting on the matter.

The meeting, conducted Thursday in the Covelli Centre’s community room, was an opportunity for public input on the city’s application to borrow $4 million from its CDBG funds, which would be paid back over 20 years with an interest rate of 3.75 percent.

Thirty to 40 people attended the meeting run by Bill D’Avignon, city Community Development Agency director.

In addition to the $4 million in CDBG funds, the city is creating a $12 million fund for the amphitheater and park that also consists of $5 million from its water, wastewater and environmental sanitation funds, and – it is hoped – $3 million from sponsorships, including naming rights.

The estimated costs of the project are: engineering/design, $800,000; amphitheater, $2.2 million; green infrastructure/combined sewer separation, $3.8 million; and other park amenities, $1.2 million.

Read more about the plans in Friday's Vindicator or on Vindy.com.