Contract quickly inked for Chevy Centre management

YOUNGSTOWN —The irony of signing a contract with a company to help manage and promote the city-owned Chevrolet Centre wasn’t lost on Mayor Jay Williams.

“It takes weeks and months to negotiate and it takes less than 15 seconds to finalize” the contract, he said following today’s board of control meeting.

“Less than 15 seconds” is probably generous.

The three-member board — Williams, Finance Director David Bozanich and Law Director Iris Torres Guglucello — ended the meeting before their seats got warm.

The city began looking for a company to run the Chevrolet Centre after it ended its contract in October 2007 with International Coliseums Co., a subsidiary of Global Entertainment Corp. of Phoenix.

Under ICC management for two years, the center lost about $280,000.

The board signed a five-year-plus contract today with SMG, a Philadelphia company that manages more than 200 facilities worldwide.

For the complete story, read Wednesday’s Vindicator or vindy.com