Hockey talks for arena are ongoing

But the SteelHounds have terminated their usage rights to the Chevrolet Centre.

Staff REPORT

YOUNGSTOWN — Mayor Jay Williams says discussions between the city and Blue Line Hockey LLC remain “amicable” even after the termination of any usage rights Blue Line had to the Chevrolet Centre.

There is agreement that Blue Line has relinquished all rights to the downtown facility for the time being, said Herb Washington, president of Blue Line.

For three seasons, Blue Line operated the Youngstown SteelHounds of the Central Hockey League at the downtown arena. On June 2, the CHL kicked the SteelHounds out of the league because of non-payment of league fees.

The SteelHounds had offices in the arena.

This fall, Bruce Zoldan’s amateur hockey team, the Mahoning Valley Phantoms, will play 25 games at the arena.

So far, no one has announced any steps to find another minor league for a revived SteelHounds.

“We continue to have conversations to discuss getting hockey back next year,” said Washington, agreeing with the mayor that conversations are civil.

Williams said Thursday that there is an interest from a number of people to get professional hockey back into the arena.

“Mr. Washington and Blue Line are part of those conversations as an interested party, among others,” Williams said.

Williams said conversations are beyond preliminary stages, but nothing is set in stone.

“I think it’s going to take a strong collaborative between the city, myself and whoever I team up with,” Washington said.

“I recognize the city will do anything to get someone back in there and hopefully we are a part of that,” Williams said. “The fact is, you need a sport in there to fill dates.”

A sport in the Chevrolet Centre is the intention of the city, Williams said. “It’s just a matter of who will be involved.”

In June, the city went to court to remove Blue Line from the arena. Before that court document was filed, Blue Line already had filed a lawsuit against International Coliseums Co. of Phoenix, which managed the center for the city until October 2007.

Earlier this month, it was determined that a mediator would handle any disputes between ICC and Blue Line that included Youngstown.

On Oct. 3, all parties involved agreed that Richard Blair of Roth, Blair, Roberts, Strasfeld & Lodge, Youngstown, would serve as the mediator.

There are no disputes at this time between the city and Blue Line, Williams said. The agreement provided the city with some definitiveness to any impression that Blue Line had rights to use the Chevrolet Centre, said Law Director Iris Guglucello.

“It was necessary to get something in writing,” she said after the city’s board of control meeting on Thursday.

Though the center may not see a professional hockey team any time soon, it will get a new sign outside the facility facing Front Street by the end of the year.

At Thursday’s board of control meeting the board approved the request for a 10-by-10-foot stand-alone sign with a 3-by-8-foot scrolling marquee to be placed in front of the center.

Cost for the project is about $44,000 and construction should start within a month, said Charles Shasho, deputy director of public works.