Youngstown Event Center Celebrates 250 Bookings
YOUNGSTOWN – HaSheen Wilson is taking a leadership role in the revitalization of Youngstown with a determination to fill gaps in community needs with all-inclusive business environments.
The businessman operates the Youngstown Event Center at 12 E. Dewey Ave., the former Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses church that he purchased in 2018 and renovated into a gathering space.
“We’d like to be a part of changing the image of Youngstown,” Wilson said. “We believe that Youngstown’s future is brighter than its past and that’s truly the part we play – in helping people see that and experience it.”
The Youngstown Event Center opened in November 2019, on the cusp of the pandemic. Wilson held a ribbon cutting Friday to celebrate the business making it through COVID-19 and securing 250 bookings.
Wilson also owns and operates Crawling to Destiny Preschool and Learning Center at 11 Overhill Road in Boardman, a learning center to support local families and education; and New Vision Behavioral Health Services at 80 E. Midlothian Blvd., an all-inclusive service to help community members with behavioral and substance abuse issues.
“We provide services in the community and everything leading up to the event center is all-inclusive in that regard — from child care, to substance abuse counseling services, to this piece here as a gathering space for all of us,” said Wilson.
Wilson described the center as part of his “bridge building” attempt to gather the people of the community and tackle the gaps where there are needs.
“I believe it adds immense value because it is a niche to where people can come and have an exclusive event and a safe event in a safe place,” he said. “One of the hurdles to overcome here in the city is safety. We have a fenced in property and we’ve had zero incidents. We’re very high on security and we believe in a pursuit of excellence.”
The event center is the sole fully equipped gathering space on the south side of Youngstown, Wilson said.
Chanel Crunkleton, director of the Youngstown Event Center, said their goal during the pandemic was ensuring that safety was paramount.
“Of course, people were very nervous about being around people. So we made sure we implemented masks. We had an air cleaner to make sure we purified the air, keep things sanitized,” Crunkleton said.
“A lot of people felt more comfortable coming to our facility because of the quality in which we kept it clean and encouraging people to still live their lives,” she continued. “I believe people came to be more comfortable here versus celebrating in the masses. So we did very well during the pandemic.”
Among the events held at the center are educational meetings, business meetings, birthdays, graduation parties, baby showers, family reunions and fraternal organization meetings.
“Our overall goal is to provide safety for our community and continue to enrich those who come to our buildings with our kindness, with the principles in which we hold and provide a place for anybody to come in a do their visions and goals,” said Crunkleton.
Going forward, Wilson said he plans to expand offerings at the center.
“We’d like to raise the standard and therefore attract all people to participate here at the Youngstown event center,” he said.
For bookings and more information, people can call 330-707-4636 or visit their website at www.youngstowneventcenter.com.
Pictured at top: Right to left: Noah Massie, ambassador for Complete Pest Solutions; Chanel Crunkleton, director; Laroy Dock, overseer; HaSheen Wilson, owner; Daniel Wilson, brother of the owner; Darlene Tropea.
Copyright 2024 The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.
