March 26, 201213 yr ^ Wow, I did not know that building was being foreclosed on! I also didn't know that it was apartments for seniors. Is it nice at all? I don't know if the apartments are nice, or not. I wonder if whoever buys the building will keep it senior housing? Back when the project was completed, in the mid-90's, downtown living was still a novelty outside of the big cities, and senior housing was probably seen as more of a sure bet. This new fence smelled amazing: Before I saw the picture, this phrase made me laugh. You don't read/hear that phrase very often. :)
March 27, 201213 yr The HOF addition doesn't do much for me. Maybe it will look better when done. I agree
March 27, 201213 yr ^ Wow, I did not know that building was being foreclosed on! I also didn't know that it was apartments for seniors. Is it nice at all? I don't know if the apartments are nice, or not. I wonder if whoever buys the building will keep it senior housing? Back when the project was completed, in the mid-90's, downtown living was still a novelty outside of the big cities, and senior housing was probably seen as more of a sure bet. This new fence smelled amazing: Before I saw the picture, this phrase made me laugh. You don't read/hear that phrase very often. :) Ha, yeah. I think it's safe to safe that is also the last time I will probably ever say it.
March 27, 201213 yr There was a very short blurb in the Repository, Steve Coon says he will have an announcement about the Hotel Onesto in coming weeks. I hope it's good, I've been following that project for a good long while.
March 27, 201213 yr There was a very short blurb in the Repository, Steve Coon says he will have an announcement about the Hotel Onesto in coming weeks. I hope it's good, I've been following that project for a good long while. Where and what is this hotel? "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
March 27, 201213 yr Canton – Hotel Onesto (OHPTC & COAF) by Ohio Office of Redevelopment, on Flickr The Onesto hotel is the second tallest building in downtown Canton. It has been vacant for a very, very long time. It received Historic tax credits from the state years ago but has been delayed by Asbestos removal and securing loans for construction. The plan is for upscale apartments downtown, Steve Coon seems pretty determined to build a downtown population. Here is the website for the project, it has not been updated since it was created. http://historiconesto.com/info.html And here is a quote from the website, with some background information about the building: The Onesto Hotel officially opened its doors to the public on April 20, 1930. Francis A. Onesto, a young hotelier, recognized the potential in Canton, Ohio, and commissioned The H.L. Stevens Company to design and build a hotel that would rival hotels that were found in other metropolitan cities. No expense was spared during the construction phase of the Onesto Hotel. Fireproof Pyro-Blocs were used for the main structures. The main lobby of the building features travertine marble staircases, brass hardware, travertine terrazzo flooring, American walnut wood trims, Italian Renaissance ornamental relief ceiling panels and a stunning crystal chandelier. In 1982, the Onesto Hotel was added to the National Register of Historic Places, which marks it as a building of historic significance in American architecture and commerce. Now, The Historic Onesto has been fully restored to create market rate housing in the heart of Canton’s downtown Historic District. The property will feature a bronze revolving door, and all of the existing features has been retained and restored for the enjoyment of its new occupants. And finally, a great set of photos showing the building inside and out. These are not my photos: http://www.flickr.com/photos/63837784@N08/sets/72157627132553872/with/5909190691/
March 28, 201213 yr Wow, that's a beauty!! "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
March 28, 201213 yr Yeah, it's a pretty nice building.... except for the nasty appendage that was added later; "Bliss tower". That back portion did not have a tower on it when the hotel was originally built, I believe it's the ballroom. I toured the building about 2 years ago, after the asbestos abatement. The upper floors were mostly empty. The old elevator is still operational and was pretty cool to use. There is a restaurant / bar called the Conestoga that has reopened on the ground floor recently. It's a really nice bar with all of the original charm and great wooden details. It's pretty surprising to me that the building still has so much of it's original features.
March 28, 201213 yr Work under way at Shearer's Foods new HQ IndeOnline.com staff report Posted Mar 27, 2012 @ 11:46 PM MASSILLON — Signs of progress — whirring power tools and swirling dust — are easy to see inside the four-story Grand Mill Centre, located downtown across from the Massillon Museum, which is being renovated for Shearer’s Foods new corporate headquarters. The 40,000-square-foot building, which was designed for multiple tenants, is being rehabbed to meet the needs of a single tenant, according to Kim Schumacher, president of Massillon-based Schumacher Construction Co., the project’s general contractor. More: http://www.indeonline.com/communities/massillon/x221018411/Work-under-way-at-Shearers-Foods-new-HQ
March 28, 201213 yr Downtown?? Awesome!! Sounds like Massillon is following Kent's lead, with a small-town downtown pulling in a corporate HQ (or two) and building it with a traditional, pedestrian-friendly design! http://www.indeonline.com/communities/massillon/x720909749/Shearers-move-to-city-delayed?photo=0 "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
March 29, 201213 yr So long to Esber's. I'm not old enough that I will miss this place. It has been around since 1928 and must have had a great local reputation at one point. It's still sad to see a local institution fail.... although, this one was in a pretty sad state. Somewhere along that line it seems the passion died and the meal I had there was nothing worth returning for. Anyway, I work next door and my employer bought the lot. Standard Printing now owns nearly all of the property on that block, all the way from Cherry to Walnut. The only two other buildings remaining are a body shop (that Standard owns) and a small church. Esber's Restaurant demolished CantonRep.com staff report Posted Mar 29, 2012 @ 08:20 AM Last update Mar 29, 2012 @ 02:15 PM CANTON — It took Eslich Wrecking about three hours Thursday to demolish the 84-year-old Esber’s Restaurant & Cocktail Lounge building. Project Manager Rich Eslich said the demolition was smooth and easy, with no nearby utility poles to worry about. http://www.cantonrep.com/newsnow/x760608133/Esbers-Restaurant-demolition-begins-today
April 12, 201213 yr New life possible for Stone Block building MASSILLON — The old Stone Block building at the northeast corner of Tremont Avenue and Erie Street S could play an integral role in the city’s creation of an arts district. “The owner of the building wants to clean it up and put it back into reuse,” Massillon Chamber of Commerce President Robert Sanderson said. “He’s got a real interest in the arts. Between the old Stone Block and the building that is up against it, where the bicycle shop was, he’s looking to bring some artists in to lease space. It’s all conceptual right now.” More: http://www.indeonline.com/communities/massillon/x876162933/New-life-possible-for-Stone-Block-building
April 13, 201213 yr Wow, talk about unrecognizable...compared with the old photo in the paper. That is good news.
April 13, 201213 yr ^Back in college, I wrote a paper on Massillon. The building lost its mansard roof in a fire.
April 24, 201213 yr What's even more impressive is that its continuous caster will rise 180 feet above ground -- and 80 feet below ground! And this investment (like others) is more proof that major companies see the natgas boom as big and long-lasting.... Timken breaks ground on big expansion By Katie Byard Beacon Journal business writer Published: April 23, 2012 - 01:30 PM | Updated: April 24, 2012 - 07:05 AM PERRY TWP.: Timken Co. Chairman Ward J. “Tim” Timken Jr. recalled Monday that people thought the company was “a little bit nuts” to begin building the $450 million Faircrest steel plant in the early 1980s recession that gave the Rust Belt its name. On Monday, 30 years later, the bearing and steel maker ceremoniously broke ground on a $225 million expansion to the Faircrest plant, south of Canton. Timken’s steel business is thriving. The Canton company reported record overall sales in 2011 and is expecting higher sales and income for this year. READ MORE AT: http://www.ohio.com/news/break-news/timken-breaks-ground-on-big-expansion-1.302373 "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
June 20, 201212 yr Republic headquarters sells for $165,000 By Matthew Rink IndeOnline.com staff writer Posted Jun 19, 2012 @ 11:19 PM Last update Jun 19, 2012 @ 11:26 PM MASSILLON — Republic Steel’s former world headquarters sold at auction for $165,000 to First Street Development on Tuesday, and a company official says plans for the building and possibly the separately owned 350-acre, now-defunct steel yard behind it could be unveiled in August. ... Eisenhut answered in the affirmative and without hesitation when asked if the plans would lead to significant economic development for the area. The project partially is tied to the oil-and-gas industry, but not entirely, he said. He said the company is interested in the adjoining steel yard that was not part of the auction. However, he would not provide details of the plan. “It’s the location, not the building,” he said. “It’s the property and the location.” More: http://www.indeonline.com/news/x448224972/Republic-headquarters-sells-for-165-000?zc_p=0 That last quote has me worried. I like this building, even though it's somewhat isolated. And, it sounds like they have plans to tear it down in the name of progress.
June 25, 201212 yr ^ Nothing. I just like it. http://maps.google.com/maps?q=410+Oberlin+Road+Southwest,+Massillon,+OH&hl=en&ll=40.781468,-81.523404&spn=0.008043,0.013797&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=34.450489,56.513672&oq=410+Oberlin+Road+SW+MASSILLON&t=h&hnear=410+Oberlin+Rd+SW,+Massillon,+Ohio+44647&z=16&layer=c&cbll=40.781461,-81.523078&panoid=AJWDrNnRdLYCe_Q17xW-fQ&cbp=12,160.07,,0,-9.18
June 25, 201212 yr ^The property itself sits on the Tuscarawas River and has easy access to the State Rt. 21 and Rt. 30 interchange in Southwestern Stark County, so the location is a very good one for industrial/manufacturing use.
June 25, 201212 yr This building is of great historical significance as the Massillon office of Republic Steel Corp., once the 3rd largest steel company in the world. It was near here that the "Little Steel" strike of 1937 occurred where 3 workers were shot and killed by police after the company had expelled over 1000 workers because of union organizing activities. I grew up and worked there the summer after graduating from high school. Republic Steel once employed over 1/2 the entire workforce in the City of Massillon. (thank you Wikipedia!)
August 11, 201212 yr I went out the other day and wasted some time downtown. There are some new things happening that I hadn't noticed before. The former downtown YMCA, soon to be torn down. DSC06750 by mkeller234, on Flickr DSC06752 by mkeller234, on Flickr DSC06753 by mkeller234, on Flickr The plywood in the Onesto is newish, at least there is a visible sign that something is going on. DSC06760 by mkeller234, on Flickr Another view, the YMCA is peeking over the top. DSC06765 by mkeller234, on Flickr There were some construction workers inside the Sten & Mann building. DSC06769 by mkeller234, on Flickr AH! These used to be covered with drop ceilings. DSC06774 by mkeller234, on Flickr My co-pilot: DSC06775 by mkeller234, on Flickr DSC06776 by mkeller234, on Flickr An artist set up shop in the Canton steam power plant. Steve Coon owns this building. DSC06779 by mkeller234, on Flickr DSC06787 by mkeller234, on Flickr DSC06788 by mkeller234, on Flickr DSC06790 by mkeller234, on Flickr
August 11, 201212 yr This building is looking great these days. Someone did a nice job. DSC06795 by mkeller234, on Flickr The floor lights up underneath, it looks really cool. DSC06798 by mkeller234, on Flickr DSC06800 by mkeller234, on Flickr DSC06803 by mkeller234, on Flickr DSC06806 by mkeller234, on Flickr DSC06808 by mkeller234, on Flickr DSC06809 by mkeller234, on Flickr DSC06810 by mkeller234, on Flickr Another artist studio on Rex avenue DSC06812 by mkeller234, on Flickr Even better.... there was a full construction crew at the house next to mine today! DSC06815 by mkeller234, on Flickr DSC06814 by mkeller234, on Flickr
August 12, 201212 yr Thanks for the pics! I've probably said this before, but even though I grew up in Stark County, we were a Massillon oriented family, and almost never went to Canton.
September 23, 201212 yr The downtown YMCA is coming down soon. I snapped a few farewell photos of it in the small Canton skyline. Y'd ya have to go?? DSC00416 by mkeller234, on Flickr DSC00421 by mkeller234, on Flickr
September 24, 201212 yr "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
October 2, 201212 yr Yes, a new YMCA will replace the one being torn down. The new one is much smaller and more of a suburban design with parking lots surrounding it.
October 9, 201212 yr North Canton finds buyer for vacant car dealership building By Dottie McGrew Special to the Beacon Journal Published: October 8, 2012 - 11:51 PM NORTH CANTON: The former Willis Motor Co. site on North Main Street will become the new home of the North Canton YMCA Child Care Center. The YMCA of Central Stark County purchased the long-vacant site last week for an undisclosed amount, North Canton Y Director Ben Wheeler said. http://www.ohio.com/news/local-news/north-canton-finds-buyer-for-vacant-car-dealership-building-1.340457
October 13, 201212 yr Yes, a new YMCA will replace the one being torn down. The new one is much smaller and more of a suburban design with parking lots surrounding it. Of course! While more cities are densifying, Ohio's cities are going in the opposite direction. "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
October 15, 201212 yr I'm pretty bummed out about it KJP. I do think that it's the right decision for the YMCA, I just wish it didn't involve tearing the old one down. I took these today. Notice the construction vehicle up on the top floor. DSC00814 by mkeller234, on Flickr DSC00815 by mkeller234, on Flickr
October 15, 201212 yr How did they get that bobcat up there? Ha, I have no idea.... maybe a crane? I wouldn't want to drive that around up on the destroyed 9th floor.
November 16, 201212 yr Yeah, it's a pretty nice building.... except for the nasty appendage that was added later; "Bliss tower". That back portion did not have a tower on it when the hotel was originally built, I believe it's the ballroom. I toured the building about 2 years ago, after the asbestos abatement. The upper floors were mostly empty. The old elevator is still operational and was pretty cool to use. There is a restaurant / bar called the Conestoga that has reopened on the ground floor recently. It's a really nice bar with all of the original charm and great wooden details. It's pretty surprising to me that the building still has so much of it's original features. Has there been any update on the Onesto? I know that they have been working on it in pieces for a while, but I have heard very little about their progress.
November 17, 201212 yr Yeah, it's a pretty nice building.... except for the nasty appendage that was added later; "Bliss tower". That back portion did not have a tower on it when the hotel was originally built, I believe it's the ballroom. I toured the building about 2 years ago, after the asbestos abatement. The upper floors were mostly empty. The old elevator is still operational and was pretty cool to use. There is a restaurant / bar called the Conestoga that has reopened on the ground floor recently. It's a really nice bar with all of the original charm and great wooden details. It's pretty surprising to me that the building still has so much of it's original features. Has there been any update on the Onesto? I know that they have been working on it in pieces for a while, but I have heard very little about their progress. The last update that I read about the Onesto was in a section of the Canton repository called "boldface", on March 17. Here is the full article: http://www.cantonrep.com/news/business/x872943252/Bold-Face-Brownstone-vacancy-filled And the snippet about the Onesto: He (Steve Coon) said there also will be good news to share on the Onesto Hotel project in four or five weeks. “We’re going to have life back downtown, and the Onesto’s going to bring it,” Coon said. “We’re going to be alive and well downtown. You watch.” About that same time I noticed that a lot of the windows were being replaced with ply wood. I never saw that "good news" and it's been a little more than 5 weeks. I have a feeling it's all about financing....I hope it's on some sort of track.
November 19, 201212 yr We need some updated YMCA demo pics as well. I grabbed my camera and went back today. It's gone, nothing but a small pile of rubble now.
November 28, 201212 yr For a downtown that is trying to preserve its heritage and revitalize itself at the same time, it seems like such a major setback that the city gave the go-ahead to demo a building that contributed to its very modest skyline... only to replace it with a suburbanesque design that belongs on a generic strip mall outlot up in Belden Village. :roll: Downtown Canton certainly benefits from having a YMCA, but it's too bad they couldn't have redeveloped the existing building for another use (offices, apartments, etc.) while building the new YMCA on one of the all too numerous parking lots nearby. Alas, shortsighted thinking and the car culture mentality prevails once again.
December 6, 201212 yr New factory planned in Canton Township By Nancy Molnar Special to the Beacon Journal Published: December 4, 2012 - 08:46 PM The company needs to move because its current facility at 1600 Whipple Ave. SW is not large enough for the conveyors it builds, Canton Development Director Fonda Williams said. AmbaFlex is expected to move its 17 employees to the new building. http://www.ohio.com/news/local-news/new-factory-planned-in-canton-township-1.355327
December 6, 201212 yr I guess expanding their current facility is out of the question? I think this is the industrial park they are moving to. Undeveloped, former farmland about 15 minutes southwest from downtown. http://www.starkcoohio.com/html/mills.html http://www.starkcoohio.com/jpegs_lrg/mills_aerial_new.jpg
December 7, 201212 yr I guess expanding their current facility is out of the question? I think this is the industrial park they are moving to. Undeveloped, former farmland about 15 minutes southwest from downtown. http://www.starkcoohio.com/html/mills.html http://www.starkcoohio.com/jpegs_lrg/mills_aerial_new.jpg From looking at all of the handouts and possibly more depending on employees, it seems like another one of those no brainers to relocate to a new facility.
January 7, 201312 yr PHOTOS: Stark State Hoists New Pedestrian Bridge Into Place The bridge connects the 660-space student parking lot at the corner of Mega Street and Frank Avenue to the second floor of the North Academic Building By Morgan Day Stark State College hoisted its new $1.1 million, 80-ton pedestrian bridge into place Monday afternoon. The bridge connects the 660-space student parking lot at the corner of Mega Street and Frank Avenue to the second floor of the North Academic Building. http://northcanton.patch.com/articles/photos-stark-state-hoists-new-pedestrian-bridge-into-place#photo-10535824
January 15, 201312 yr I disagree with some stating that Canton has a so so skyline for a city its size. Here are some recent aerials I found of Canton. They are copyrighted so you have to go through the link. http://www.aerialaspectphoto.com/shop/gallery.php?mode=gallery&id=NTAyNDkxOGE5YzE=&page=1 Canton photos very nicely from the air. With a metro of over 400,000 though I do think Canton should have a couple more high rise buildings between 10 to 18 floors. But like the rest of Ohio cities, the suburban nightmare is still all too prevalent. Overall downtown Canton has vastly improved over the last 15 years. I wish the old YMCA was renovated rather than torn down but I guess the cost of asbestos abatement made that impossible.
January 15, 201312 yr An ariel? "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
August 29, 201311 yr Downtown Canton got it's very first bicycle lanes this month. The lanes are on each side of Walnut Ave NE. They run from 3rd street South, up to 12th street. Walnut is a one way, one of the bike lanes has cyclists riding against traffic. I think that was probably a mistake, but I am happy to see the lanes. These lanes will tie into the greenway master plan, which should eventually connect the entire county with recreational trails.
August 30, 201311 yr ^I recently saw the new bike lanes too on Walnut Ave and noticed that the lane running against traffic even has its own traffic light. Never seen anything quite like it. I agree, it's probably a mistake given that people around NE Ohio aren't exactly used to this sort of arrangement, but I guess we have to start somewhere, right? Still, I think they might have been better off converting this street to two-way traffic. For that matter, I'm not sure that Downtown Canton even gets busy enough during rush hour now to warrant any one-way streets. They should convert them all over to two-way. It would do a lot to nurture a stronger sense of downtown being a safe and walkable place as well as encourage more investment and re-development.
August 30, 201311 yr I tend to agree with you about the one way streets being converted into to way. However, I like Cherry Ave as a one way. The lights on that street are synched so well that you can hit each one without stopping. I suppose that might not be a healthy thing for downtown.... but I enjoy it! I wish they would do a better job with the lights on W. Tusc. Driving down that road is much harder than it probably should be.
October 22, 201311 yr This is sort of exciting news, at least to me. Canton doesn't have a college campus like you would find in Akron or Wooster. I realize this Stark State satellite is no comparison to the other cities, but it's a tiny start. I think it's wonderful news. http://www.cantonrep.com/newsnow/x1467725940/Stark-State-to-expand-in-Canton Stark State to expand in Canton By Edd Pritchard CantonRep.com staff writer Posted Oct 22, 2013 @ 12:05 AM Stark State College will enlarge its downtown Canton footprint by building an oil and natural-gas training site on Cherry Avenue SE. The Jackson Township-based school will install a pump jack and well head, stock tanks, a separator and other equipment on what now is a paved parking lot bounded by Cherry Avenue, Third Street, Savannah Avenue and Second Street. The complex will be part of the Stark State Downtown Canton Satellite Center and Energy Institute. The new facility will be include a building for indoor labs in addition to the outdoor equipment.
Create an account or sign in to comment