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Published: Monday, October 1, 2007

Bureau envisions welcome center

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The center would be patterned after a similar one in
downtown Cleveland.

By PETER H. MILLIKEN

VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER

YOUNGSTOWN — The Mahoning County Convention and Visitors Bureau seeks to establish a storefront tourist welcome center in a highly visible and accessible location in the city's downtown.

The center would include bureau offices, a tourist information counter, an art gallery exhibiting local artists' work and studios to be rented by artists.

Eventually, there could be a local event ticket sales counter and possibly a local economic development office, said Phil T. Moore, the bureau's director.

A major focus would be on promotion of local fine and performing arts institutions and their events, but no name has been chosen for the center, he said.

"We want it to be a welcoming place that attracts people, both local residents and visitors, to come for information," Moore said. "We want this to become a focal point in the revitalization of downtown Youngstown,'' and possibly a "catalyst" to attract new businesses to locate downtown, he added.

"I would be very receptive to that and certainly would do anything that we could do to help make this come to fruition," said Mayor Jay Williams. "I think this would be great to add to the continued interest in downtown," he observed.

"I think it's good for the Valley," the mayor said, noting that some Mahoning Valley residents haven't recently participated in downtown activities.

"I welcome all opportunities to have a unified method for advocating for the arts and to create art tourism in the Mahoning Valley," said Patricia Syak, president and chief executive officer of the Youngstown Symphony Society.

Sites considered

Site selection would be completed around the end of this year, and the new center could open next spring, Moore said. He has visited six vacant downtown spaces that were candidates to house the center.

Moore said he and the bureau's board narrowed the list to three sites:

The ground floor of the former McCrory's Department Store building, and the ground floor of the vacant former Erie Terminal Building. Both were rejected because the space configuration didn't meet the center's needs.

A vacant building at 25 Federal Plaza West — the site Moore recommended to the bureau's board. The county commissioners must approve the choice of a welcome center location, Moore said.

The building at 25 Federal Plaza West, which the board toured Friday, is a structurally sound former clothing store owned by Denise Powell, and the building would require minimal remodeling, Moore said. The county could buy or lease the entire 10,000-square-foot, 1924-vintage building, he said.

Artists' studios would be in the basement, with the bureau's offices, welcome center and art gallery on the first floor, a proposed economic development office on the second floor and a shared conference room on the third floor, Moore said.

"It will enhance visibility. It will partner with other entities that have common purpose," bureau board chairman George McCloud said of the proposed welcome center.

After touring the building, the board authorized Moore to pursue further discussions with state economic development officials, the Regional Chamber and others concerning the proposed center.

"Tourism development and economic development need to be overlaid like two layers of the same drawing because the same resources that attract one, properly done, should attract the other," Moore said.

Costs of renting or buying the new center and renovating it would be borne by county hotel and motel bed tax revenues and state or federal monies, but not the county's general fund, Moore said. Volunteers would assist in operating the center, he added.

Convention and Visitors Bureau offices are now on the third floor of the county administration building — a location that doesn't have high visibility and accessibility, Moore said.

Origin of idea

The concept of centralizing tourism and economic development offices is patterned after a somewhat similar newly opened center in the former Higbee Department Store in downtown Cleveland. It houses the Greater Cleveland CVB on the first floor, the Chamber of Commerce on the second floor, and the Team NEO economic development organization on the third floor. The old bronze chandeliers have been preserved and still hang from the lobby's 23-foot ceiling, Moore noted.

"It's a proven approach. I think it's the right kind of approach. I think it's timely," Tom Humphries, president of the Regional Chamber, said of the proposed Youngstown center and its location.

Downtown Warren, Sharon and New Castle also have street level tourist welcome centers.

In keeping with the theme of promoting Youngstown and its entertainment offerings, members of the bureau's board endorsed Friday the concept of a new multi-colored "Live Youngstown" logo that promotes the community as a desirable place for young people to live and enjoy live entertainment.

The new logo, which will appear on tourism promotion literature, in advertising and on letterheads, will promote the soon-to-be-activated Web site youngstownlive.com. "It's all talking about youth, progress, and a great place to live," Moore observed.

Monday, October 1, 2007