It’s been a rough year for Youngstown’s Chevrolet Centre. First, the hockey team departed, leaving a junior team to fill the gap. Now GM has declined to renew its naming-rights deal for the arena, leaving city officials scrambling to find a replacement.
It’s been a rough year for Youngstown’s Chevrolet Centre. First, the hockey team departed, leaving important holes in the schedule. Now GM has declined to renew its naming-rights deal for the arena, leaving city officials scrambling to find a replacement.
The three-year naming-rights deal was a little unusual: $GM paid 175,000 in cash annually and supplied four GM vehicles to the city, including one issued to the mayor.
But there may be good news. City officials are talking with local Chevy dealers about a new deal that would retain the name and avoid the cost of rebranding the facility.
Still, there are some financial issues. Holders of luxury-box leases were issued a rebate of $8,500 because the promised professional hockey — in the form of the defunct Youngstown SteelHounds (CHL) — was not delivered.
