From the Business Journal

By George Nelson
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – The broad recognition that Ticketmaster enjoys in the ticketing industry is just one of the assets that the company will bring when it takes over ticket sales for the Chevrolet Centre next month, city officials say.

The Youngstown Board of Control Friday approved awarding a contract to Ticketmaster, based in West Hollywood, Calif., contingent on approval by the city Law Department. Approval of a formal contract is expected to take place at next week’s meeting of the Board of Control.

Seven companies expressed interest in handling ticketing for the city-owned arena, including Gettix, which currently handles the service. Gettix is affiliated with Global Entertainment Corp., the company that managed the Chevrolet Centre until city officials severed the relationship last fall.

From the Business Journal

By George Nelson
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – City officials moved ahead Friday on a revised version of a West Federal Street project that in its original form drew heavy fire from downtown activists last summer.

The Board of Control awarded a contract worth $474,683.55 to Parella-Pannunzio Inc., Austintown, for the project, to reconstruct West Federal from Fifth Avenue east to Phelps Street. The contract is contingent on review by the city law department. Parella-Pannunzio was the lowest of five bidders. Design engineers projected the work should cost no more than $695,000.

The project was the topic of a heated public hearing last August that caught city officials off guard. As first proposed, it would have involved eliminating a tree-lined median in West Federal.

From the Business Journal

By Dan O’Brien
YOUNGSTOWN,
Ohio -- Two companies vying for a contract to manage the Chevrolet Centre say they’re prepared to make some type of investment in the operation to help the arena become profitable.

City officials Thursday heard proposals from The Cavaliers Operating Co., its partner, International Facilities Group of Chicago, and SMG of Philadelphia during separate -- and seemingly marathon -- public meetings.

Global Spectrum of Philadelphia, the third company competing for the contract, presented its credentials Tuesday.

From the Business Journal

By Dan O’Brien
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – Within the next 30 days, the city hopes to have an agreement in place with a new manager for the Chevrolet Centre, officials say.

The selection process kicked off Tuesday as representatives of Global Spectrum, Philadelphia, spent nearly two hours in a public question-and-answer session with city officials.

The company is one of three that answered questions about why it should be chosen to manage the 5,400-seat arena.

From the Business Journal

By George Nelson
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – The owners of the Rosetta Stone Café know they can draw business when events are held downtown. The challenge, they say, is bringing people in the doors when there aren’t.

Proprietors George Lenahan and Greg Sop have discussed several possibilities, such as staging an interactive murder mystery or other entertainment, they said Tuesday morning.

“One of our challenges is going to be trying to make our place a destination spot in and of itself when there aren’t events downtown,” Sop said. “We’re going to try to arrange some things to draw a crowd based on our entity alone.”

From the Business Journal

YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – The owner of the Mahoning Valley Scrappers, Alan Levin, and local businessman Bruce Zoldan announced late Thursday they are creating a joint marketing partnership with Philadelphia-based Global Spectrum, a division of Comcast Corp., to secure a contract to manage the Chevrolet Centre.

“I am very pleased to be partnering with Bruce Zoldan and Global Spectrum in our efforts to make the Chevrolet Centre the successful centerpiece of the region´s entertainment and sports alternatives,” said Levin, managing partner of the Scrappers’ parent company, Palisades Baseball, in a prepared statement. “We believe that the involvement of Bruce and me and our respective organizations, which have consistently provided the community with a high quality of sports entertainment, with the broad base skills of Global Spectrum, will provide the formula for the long term success of the Chevrolet Centre.”

From the Business Journal

YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – The Chevrolet Centre showed a profit its fiscal first quarter, posting slightly higher numbers compared to the same period last year when it was managed by Global Entertainment of Phoenix.

The municipal arena, now managed locally with city supervision, reported net income of $151,203 for the three months ended Dec. 31, or $6,881 more than the $144,323 it reported for the last three months of 2006.

“We’re doing much better,” said Deputy Finance Director Kyle Miasek. “I’m comfortable the building is moving in the right direction.”

From the Business Journal

By Dan O’Brien
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – An engineering and architectural firm is relocating from Canfield to downtown, bringing with it somewhere between 12 and 15 jobs.

CT Consultants will lease 3,660 square feet on the fifth floor in the 20 Federal Place building, owned by the city, its economic development director, T. Sharon Woodberry, told the Board of Control Thursday. “They’re a great professional firm to add to the building,” she said.

CT Consultants should be moved in by next month.

The Board of Control approved the lease this morning. CT will occupy space on the same floor as Power Direct, a call center that anticipates adding 400 new jobs downtown over three years.

From the Business Journal

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- The Realty Building in Youngstown is one of 11 historic renovation projects to receive awards through the Ohio Historic Preservation Tax Credit program. The total estimated value of the tax credit for the project is $1,896,280.

The tax credit program, which awards refundable tax credits to owners of historic buildings who renovate and rehabilitate the buildings in preparation for commercial or residential uses, provides recipients with tax credits equal to 25% of qualified rehabilitation expenditures, said Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher.

"These 11 projects will add to our statewide inventory of one-of-a-kind historic buildings that will serve new and exciting purposes and support economic development while preserving the history of the communities in which they reside," said Fisher, who also serves as director of the Ohio Department of Development. "The revitalization of these historic buildings supports not only redevelopment of these buildings, but the state's overall goal to invest in enhancing and finding new uses for existing places and infrastructure."

From the Business Journal

By George Nelson
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – A Cleveland-based telemarketing services company plans to bring as many as 400 jobs to Youngstown over the next three years, beginning with 100 in 2008.

The Youngstown Initiative Committee recommended an incentive package Thursday for Power Direct to locate a call center at 20 Federal Place downtown. The new center will provide inbound and outbound call services, said T. Sharon Woodberry, city economic development director.