Press Release: Wean Foundation Park

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

The Raymond John Wean Foundation Secures Naming Rights to Riverfront Park

The Raymond John Wean Foundation Park will encompass a community complex that will include The Youngstown Foundation Amphitheatre, recreational green space, and walking paths

July, 2019 Youngstown, OH— The City of Youngstown and JAC Management Group are proud to announce The Raymond John Wean Foundation has secured the naming rights to the new riverfront park located in downtown Youngstown. Under construction, The Raymond John Wean Foundation Park is slated to open in mid to late summer and will encompass the new Youngstown Foundation Amphitheatre, 1.25 miles of walking trails, a sprawling green lawn with over 20 acres of flexible recreational space as well as Huntington Bank Community Alley located underneath the Market Street Bridge. The agreement is for 15 years at $125,000 annually.

“This investment is a continuation of a long-followed practice of supporting initiatives that strengthen community through engaging residents. We look forward to the Wean Park being filled with the diversity and vibrancy of residents, for years to come. A place where it’s always apparent that downtown is everybody’s neighborhood,” said Jennifer Roller, President of The Raymond John Wean Foundation.

JAC Management Group will manage the new park. “The park will serve as the new front door to downtown, but most importantly it will create opportunities for residents to engage in community activities and come together,” said President of JAC Management Group, Eric Ryan.

This relationship with The Raymond John Wean Foundation will ignite exciting new initiatives for both JAC Management and the City of Youngstown. “This private/public partnership is a great example of what can happen when multiple entities work together for a common goal,” stated Mayor Jamael Tito Brown regarding the gravity of this new relationship. “The name of the park, The Raymond John Wean Foundation Park, is a great example of how we have worked to repurpose the space that originally held the Wean United building. I am very thankful for The Raymond John Wean Foundation for seeing the benefit of this park as much as I do.”

Part of the agreement outlines the hiring and oversight of a Community Engagement and Inclusion Coordinator. Earlier this year Derrick McDowell was hired to fulfill this position and has since embarked on its mission to connect with the residents of Youngstown on a grassroots level.

“My mission is to engage and include every willing resident of this city, and those that surround it, so that they feel welcome to fully participate and enjoy the beautiful, all-inclusive facilities of The Youngstown Foundation Amphitheatre and Huntington Bank Community Alley; all anchored by the wonderful Wean Park.”

ABOUT THE RAYMOND JOHN WEAN FOUNDATION PARK

The Raymond John Wean Foundation Park, a community complex with over 20 acres of recreational green space and walking paths, serves as the front door to the City of Youngstown.

The Park is a continuation of the Raymond John Wean Foundation’s long-followed practice of supporting initiatives that strengthen community through engaging residents.

The Wean Park reflects the spirit of its urban setting while projecting the nature of community fellowship. Families picnic on plush, grassy knolls, residents walk to summer concerts, art and culture enthusiasts participate in festivals in their own backyard, and employees of downtown businesses jog or walk the well-appointed trails that encompass the park. The Wean Park is owned by the City of Youngstown and proudly managed by JAC Management Group.

For more information, please visit WeanPark.com

ABOUT JAC MANAGEMENT GROUP

JAC Management Group is a private management company headquartered in Youngstown, Ohio that specializes in entertainment facility management encompassing all areas of operations, bookings, food and beverage operations, marketing and facility maintenance. JAC Management Group proudly manages the Covelli Centre and The Youngstown Foundation Amphitheatre in Youngstown, Ohio as well as Packard Music Hall in Warren, Ohio.

ABOUT THE YOUNGSTOWN FOUNDATION AMPHITHEATRE

The culmination of progressive culture, transformative vision, generous support, and celebrated revelry is that of The Youngstown Foundation Amphitheatre. The amphitheatre is an impressive and well-appointed physical structure that invites the community to experience the pinnacle of outdoor entertainment and community events.

With the Youngstown City skyline overlooking the 4,800-person facility, The Youngstown Foundation Amphitheatre is simultaneously settled amongst the vast green spaces of the park, allowing visitors the unprecedented opportunity to experience downtown in all its forms. The Youngstown Foundation Amphitheatre is the palpable outcome of collaborative vision which is reflected in both its construction and its events serving the community in which we live and work; we invite you to experience it at a live event this season.

Press Contact:

Phoebe Breckenridge

[email protected]

330.746.5978