The Chevrolet Centre Something for Everyone
Think only venues in big name cities can attract top-rated performers? Not likely! Y-Town has created a name for itself thanks to the 42 million dollar Chevrolet Centre located on East Front Street in downtown Youngstown. The brainchild of the still incarcerated and forever controversial James Traficant, the Chevy Centre has lived up to the former US State Representative’s promise of bringing big name acts to Youngstown’s downtown. If you build it, they will come. 
Everyone from Sesame Street Live to rock legend Meat Loaf have performer here. The Trans-Siberian Orchestra has returned several years in a row because of the success they have filling the arena to overflowing. Carrie Underwood brought her show (which was sold out in less than 48 hours) to Youngstown as did Smucker’s Hot Ice, Cool Sounds with Peter Cetera and the Cleveland Pops Orchestra.
With the ability to seat more than 6000 people (with 520 Club Seats and 26 Luxury Suites), the Chevy Centre is also the home to major sporting events including Phantom ice hockey and Mahoning Valley Thunder arena football games.
The Chevy Centre is not afraid to get messy either. When motocross races come to town, more than 550 cubic feet of dirt is laid down. The Center has been host to tractor pulls, rodeos and the circus too.
Talk about cool! Consider these facts found on the Chevrolet Centre’s website, www.chevroletcentre.com detailing how the Center is converted to an ice hockey arena. The ice is put in sometime in late September and remains on the floor of the arena during the entire hockey season. If an act is to perform during this time, the ice is covered with an Athletica “Ice Deck.” It takes about 6 hours for the facility to be converted from event to event and about 10 people of the Chevrolet Centre Operations 32 hours to make ice, including painting all logos by hand. Said ice is one inch thick and kept at 19 degrees for hockey and – interestingly – 24 degrees for Disney on Ice and figure skating performances. This is all accomplished thanks to the seven miles of cooling pipes in the concrete floor under the ice.
Locals can have access to the facility as well. The Skating Club of Greater Youngstown uses the Centre to teach figure skating and host skating competitions. Area businesses rent the facility to for trade and consumer shows as well as community events.
Yes, the Chevy Centre is doing very well despite nay-sayers dire predictions that Youngstown would not support such a venue. Sponsorship is a must and names like General Motors (of course), Superior Beverages, Pepsi-Cola, Youngstown, St. Elizabeth Health Center, First Place Bank, and Ron Haus Auto Group lead the way.
Be sure to visit the Chevrolet Centre’s website at www.chevroletcentre.com to check on upcoming events. Know that the box office is always open Monday through Friday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and special hours during ticket “on sale” days. For more information call the center at (330) 746-5600.
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