Thursday, November 22, 2018
Funds will be used for construction of amphitheater
YOUNGSTOWN
Youngstown Council approved an ordinance Wednesday authorizing the city to enter into a $4 million loan agreement with the Department of Housing and Urban Development for the construction of the Youngstown Foundation Amphitheater.
The structure is expected to cost between $8 million and $8.5 million to build.
The legislation repealed and replaced similar legislation approved Oct. 3.
The city’s interim finance director, Kyle Miasek, said there are no substantive changes between the new ordinance and the ordinance approved in early October.
He said attorneys representing HUD made numerous minor changes to the language of the legislation, prompting the city to simply replace the ordinance with the changes rather than amend the original to reflect the changes in language.
The loan must be repaid over 20 years and has an interest rate of 2.59 percent.
The remainder of the project’s funding is coming from other foundations that have yet to be named. Funds from the water, sewer and environmental sanitation funds are also being used in the project. Most of those funds are being used to replace one of the city’s largest and oldest sewer lines that travels through the location of the park and amphitheater.
The Youngstown Foundation donated $3 million to the project to secure naming rights.
In April, the city’s board of control signed an $8 million contract with Brock & Associates Builders Inc. to construct the amphitheater with a completion date of summer 2019.
Chuck Shasho, deputy director of public works, said construction is underway.
“Buildings are up off the ground there, and the workers will mostly do interior work through the winter,” Shasho said. “There’s no indication we’re falling behind schedule.”
The facility will be able to hold 4,500 people.
The amphitheater and adjacent park is being built on 12 acres along the Mahoning River at the former Wean United site.
MKSK of Columbus designed the plans for the amphitheater and park, and is partnering with MS Consultants.