October 14, 20204 yr Author On 10/9/2020 at 7:33 PM, lockdog said: seems like this is going to become a destination.... but don't forget the kids.... I wonder if a permanent version of the NFL experience would work here... It's all part of the master plan. Check back at the beginning of the thread.
October 14, 20204 yr I don't remember seeing the NFL experience like at the super bowls.... but if it's there and I forgot..... that's great..!! Edited October 15, 20204 yr by lockdog
November 23, 20204 yr Hall of Fame development in Canton facing trouble as debts mount The developer of the ambitious real estate project at the Pro Football Hall of Fame faces a financial crisis and admits it may go bankrupt. More below: https://www.bizjournals.com/cleveland/news/2020/11/23/hall-of-fame-development-in-canton-facing-trouble.html "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
November 23, 20204 yr in the words of the great Vince Lombardi "what the hell's going on out here". Edited November 23, 20204 yr by lockdog
December 2, 20204 yr Hall of Fame Resort & Entertainment Co. lands $40M debt financing The emerging growth company will use the new debt financing to repay a $34.5 million bridge loan. More below: https://www.bizjournals.com/cleveland/news/2020/12/02/hall-of-fame-resort-lands-40m-debt-financing.html "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
January 29, 20214 yr On 1/28/2021 at 10:19 AM, lockdog said: steel rising above benton stadium.... What phase is this for?
January 29, 20214 yr That is phase II.... That particular building should be the constellation center for excellence.... https://www.news5cleveland.com/news/local-news/akron-canton-news/crews-break-ground-on-phase-ii-of-pro-football-hall-of-fame-village
February 11, 20214 yr "Members of Iron Workers Local 550, based in Canton and working with Kelley Steel Erectors from Cleveland, hoist the last steel beam into place at the Constellation Center for Excellence on the campus of the Hall of Fame Village" https://www.cantonrep.com/story/news/2021/02/09/ceremony-marks-progress-hall-fame-village-construction/4447749001/
February 15, 20214 yr Author It's a shame that it looks like the hotel will not be part of the campus anymore.
February 15, 20214 yr 38 minutes ago, yanni_gogolak said: It's a shame that it looks like the hotel will not be part of the campus anymore. when did the hotel get cancelled..??
February 15, 20214 yr 40 minutes ago, yanni_gogolak said: It's a shame that it looks like the hotel will not be part of the campus anymore. The article talks about the construction of an 180 room hotel in phase 2.
February 16, 20214 yr Author On 2/15/2021 at 9:52 AM, cle_guy90 said: The article talks about the construction of an 180 room hotel in phase 2. Ah, I only saw this part. Thanks. The second phase includes remodeling the DoubleTree by Hilton hotel in downtown Canton and work on a plaza at the stadium's east end. The hotel opened in November while work at the stadium is ongoing.
June 29, 20213 yr NFL HoF CEO Mike Crawford on Crain’s The Landscape podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-landscape/id1562190141?i=1000526851898 He seemed upbeat. They went public and seemed happy with the equity raised. A major investor converted debt to equity as well. From development standpoint, it was interesting to hear his comments on how the project will be phased. When is the last time I-71 turned a profit?
July 1, 20213 yr Author June 30, 2021 01:23 PM updated 10 hours ago Sports betting remains 'a priority' for company that owns Hall of Fame Village Kevin Kleps The latest round of changes to legislation that would allow sports betting in Ohio increased the number of available Type B licenses. The current plan calls for 40 brick-and-mortar sportsbooks (up from 33), with a maximum of five in the state's largest counties. https://www.crainscleveland.com/kevin-kleps-blog/sports-betting-remains-priority-company-owns-hall-fame-village
July 6, 20213 yr This article surprised me as i saw it in the Beacon reprinted from the Canton Repository. https://www.cantonrep.com/story/news/2021/07/04/officials-explore-hofx-rail-tie-between-hall-fame-downtown-canton/7785442002/ They want to study adding a streetcar system with the initial basis being the current Metro tracks by CAK that end at Tuscarawas st. They would add a stop by the NFL HOF which makes sense. They might also add a stop near the McKinley memorial. The article doesn’t explain how the streetcar would connect with the airport. Then they want to create new track that runs by Stark State on West 3rd parallel to Tuscarawas and finishing by SARTA’s bus transportation hub at Cherry avenue on the outskirts of downtown. I would think they would want to get closer to their brand new millennial park or whatever its called in the heart of downtown if this is to try to link the NFL village to downtown. If they can get the NFL and federal government to mainly pay for a rail connection from CAK to the Metro rail line that would be a big lift for Akron as well.
July 6, 20213 yr 9 hours ago, audidave said: This article surprised me as i saw it in the Beacon reprinted from the Canton Repository. https://www.cantonrep.com/story/news/2021/07/04/officials-explore-hofx-rail-tie-between-hall-fame-downtown-canton/7785442002/ They want to study adding a streetcar system with the initial basis being the current Metro tracks by CAK that end at Tuscarawas st. They would add a stop by the NFL HOF which makes sense. They might also add a stop near the McKinley memorial. The article doesn’t explain how the streetcar would connect with the airport. Then they want to create new track that runs by Stark State on West 3rd parallel to Tuscarawas and finishing by SARTA’s bus transportation hub at Cherry avenue on the outskirts of downtown. I would think they would want to get closer to their brand new millennial park or whatever its called in the heart of downtown if this is to try to link the NFL village to downtown. If they can get the NFL and federal government to mainly pay for a rail connection from CAK to the Metro rail line that would be a big lift for Akron as well. This sounds awesome, but I’d much prefer that route to be the first leg of intercity rail going all the way the Cleveland. CAK is 14 miles north of downtown Canton - the speed difference (streetcar vs train) would be noticed. Electrified rail w self propelled cars was be AWESOME! And those trains could eventually go to Akron and on to Cleveland. That would be fantastic for this region. When is the last time I-71 turned a profit?
July 6, 20213 yr 10 hours ago, audidave said: This article surprised me as i saw it in the Beacon reprinted from the Canton Repository. https://www.cantonrep.com/story/news/2021/07/04/officials-explore-hofx-rail-tie-between-hall-fame-downtown-canton/7785442002/ They want to study adding a streetcar system with the initial basis being the current Metro tracks by CAK that end at Tuscarawas st. They would add a stop by the NFL HOF which makes sense. They might also add a stop near the McKinley memorial. Also, article requires a subscription and I can’t find it on Akron Beacon Journal. Can you post that link? Are there any other key details? Hey @KJP, had you heard about this? When is the last time I-71 turned a profit?
July 6, 20213 yr Not a peep. First I've heard of it. "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
July 6, 20213 yr Well this plan is at most a distant concept. The Canton engineer and SARTA are looking to get SCATS to do a study for $25k. SCATS let the engineer know its not very high on their list. Probably why they went more public with it to get more support for the study. They said the city and SARTA might pay for the study themselves if SCATS wasn’t going to do it. Its definitely out of left field. What also was odd is they seemed to know the power source of the train, a fuel cell. What made the article even more confusing is it said in a “subsequent” phase they would connect to CAK. So if they think they are going to be transporting people in droves back and forth from the HOF to the outskirts of downtown Canton without an airport connection or real connection to Akron and they can use those tracks to run 30 minute intervals they are highly deluded. In all, It seems more like a Stark State and SARTA wishlist than an NFL HOF village pursuit. That’s why this caught me off guard so much as well. I don’t recall ever hearing discussion from anyone running the NFL village project that transportation was a factor either to the airport or to downtown Canton.
July 6, 20213 yr I'll respond in the rail thread in the transportation section. "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
July 13, 20213 yr Hall of Fame Resort adding interactive esports to gaming business Hall of Fame Resort & Entertainment Co. in Canton, Ohio, is partnering with a Birkirkara, Malta-based company to bring esports to the football-themed resort it is building around the nonprofit Pro Football Hall of Fame. Esports Entertainment Group will operate a Helix eSports interactive esports complex as part of the eventual retail and entertainment offerings at the resort's Hall of Fame Village powered by Johnson Controls, the resort and entertainment company said in a press release. Slated to open in mid-2022, the Helix eSports entertainment center will serve as practice, competition and tournament space for esports activities and events, the Canton company said. More below: https://www.bizjournals.com/cleveland/news/2021/07/09/hall-of-fame-resort-adding-esports-to-gaming-biz.html "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
July 31, 20213 yr https://www.cleveland.com/travel/2021/08/pro-football-hall-of-fame-village-aka-the-disneyland-of-football-starting-to-take-shape-in-canton.html
August 3, 20213 yr Author I wonder what this giant concrete flat area under the standalone scoreboard is intended for. Maybe pop up vendors?
August 3, 20213 yr Maybe they want to keep the temporary staging for concerts and induction ceremonies off the turf, since there were issues in the past? Could also have temporary stands and yes, maybe vendors.
August 9, 20213 yr I feel like every year the NFL induction Ceremony flies way under the radar up here in Cleveland. It always seems like a few days before I become aware the event starts in a few days. Maybe its because its more of a Canton thing, but it is only an hour down the road and it is the NFL.
August 9, 20213 yr Totally agree. I haven’t listened to cle sports radio in a while as I live in Chicago and mostly listen to Sirius - but I know a few years back 92.3 hardly acknowledged it. In the meantime Rizzo and Hammer actually did some remotes from there but not sure if they still do or not.
August 9, 20213 yr following this is like riding a roller coaster, but it is a great idea and i hope it all gets built out and comes to pass. a permanent nfl experience, waterpark and more for kids is a no-brainer.
November 3, 20213 yr I drove past the football HOF on yesterday.... and the walls of a large building were almost completely up... No picture because I was surprised, I pass it every week.... I think this building is the retail promenade.... and it looks like they are working on a couple of other buildings....
November 9, 20213 yr @KJP's public records request for TMUD applicants revealed the following: HOF Village NEWCO, LLC Hall of Fame Village Canton 2014 Blake Avenue as a General applicant seeking $6,170,000.00 of $20,000,000.00 available credits, of which there were $32,803,543.30 total requested by 11 "General" applicants (outside of major metro areas). http://freepdfhosting.com/4ac96bae52.pdf
February 19, 20223 yr USFL to hold inaugural playoffs, championship game at Canton’s Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium https://www.cleveland.com/browns/2022/02/usfl-to-hold-inaugural-playoffs-championship-game-at-cantons-tom-benson-hall-of-fame-stadium.html
March 15, 20223 yr Hall of Fame Resort has enough lender commitments to finish Phase 2 Hall of Fame Resort & Entertainment Co. has received lender commitments for enough money to finish Phase 2 of its football-themed resort in Canton, Ohio, the company's CEO said Tuesday. "We are now in possession of over $150 million of term sheets to finish the assets that we're building here on campus," Michael Crawford, CEO and president of the company, said during a Tuesday conference call with securities analysts. In addition, some lenders of the emerging resort, entertainment and media company have extended about $38 million of short-term debt that was due to be paid this year, Crawford said. More below: https://www.bizjournals.com/cleveland/news/2022/03/15/hall-of-fame-resort-has-commitments-to-finish.html "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
April 14, 20223 yr Hall of Fame Resort unveils plans for 'play-action plaza' Hall of Fame Resort & Entertainment Co. in Canton, Ohio, on Thursday unveiled its vision for a "play-action plaza" at its emerging football-themed resort property. The 3.5-acre plaza at Hall of Fame Village powered by Johnson Controls will include a 20-gondola Ferris wheel and a zipline, Hall of Fame Resort said in a statement. An amphitheater is planned to host outdoor entertainment events including concerts, fitness challenges and lectures is planned for the plaza, as are a water feature, bar area with patio and space for food trucks and local vendors, the resort company said. More below: https://www.bizjournals.com/cleveland/news/2022/04/14/hall-of-fame-resort-unveils-play-action-plaza.html "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
April 14, 20223 yr 33 minutes ago, ColDayMan said: Hall of Fame Resort unveils plans for 'play-action plaza' Hall of Fame Resort & Entertainment Co. in Canton, Ohio, on Thursday unveiled its vision for a "play-action plaza" at its emerging football-themed resort property. The 3.5-acre plaza at Hall of Fame Village powered by Johnson Controls will include a 20-gondola Ferris wheel and a zipline, Hall of Fame Resort said in a statement. An amphitheater is planned to host outdoor entertainment events including concerts, fitness challenges and lectures is planned for the plaza, as are a water feature, bar area with patio and space for food trucks and local vendors, the resort company said. More below: https://www.bizjournals.com/cleveland/news/2022/04/14/hall-of-fame-resort-unveils-play-action-plaza.html That drawing has a vibe of something from the 1960s. Honestly, I feel like the HOF keeps putting out tons of ideas and then underdelivering.
April 15, 20223 yr 6 hours ago, ColDayMan said: Hall of Fame Resort unveils plans for 'play-action plaza' Hall of Fame Resort & Entertainment Co. in Canton, Ohio, on Thursday unveiled its vision for a "play-action plaza" at its emerging football-themed resort property. The 3.5-acre plaza at Hall of Fame Village powered by Johnson Controls will include a 20-gondola Ferris wheel and a zipline, Hall of Fame Resort said in a statement. An amphitheater is planned to host outdoor entertainment events including concerts, fitness challenges and lectures is planned for the plaza, as are a water feature, bar area with patio and space for food trucks and local vendors, the resort company said. More below: https://www.bizjournals.com/cleveland/news/2022/04/14/hall-of-fame-resort-unveils-play-action-plaza.html We get an ugly ass bridge at Northcoast Harbor and Canton gets the cool, pre lit Ferris wheel. Cmon!
April 15, 20223 yr 39 minutes ago, marty15 said: We get an ugly ass bridge at Northcoast Harbor and Canton gets the cool, pre lit Ferris wheel. Cmon! Exactly. The Ferris wheel would have looked cool at Nautica. or East Bank
April 18, 20223 yr Author Where is this located on the property? The retail development steel is pretty much done. Should be enclosing the envelope now.
April 21, 20223 yr Cleveland I-X Center Ferris wheel heading to Hall of Fame Village in Canton The I-X Center’s iconic Ferris wheel, which poked through the roof and gave riders a glimpse of the surrounding area through a skylight, will be heading to the Hall of Fame Village in Canton. The Hall of Fame Resort & Entertainment company announced a new Play-Action Plaza — 3.5 acres including a Ferris wheel, zipline, amphitheater and more. Both the Ferris wheel and zipline are coming from Cleveland’s International Exposition Center. More below: https://www.bizjournals.com/cleveland/news/2022/04/21/cleveland-i-x-center-ferris-wheel-heading-to-hall.html "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
April 22, 20223 yr 2 hours ago, marty15 said: Another failure of Cleveland leadership. Details matter. What does Cleveland leadership have to do with it? Political leadership? Private leadership? The Pro Football Hall of Fame is a private organization who had the money to buy it and the I-X center is going to sell it to them. It’s not the Cleveland Mayor’s job to save a Ferris wheel. I think the Mayor’s office is focused on other “details” such as actually making progress on city projects like those listed on the Mayor’s website that have improved the city considerably. It’s easy to armchair quarterback and say “it should’ve gone here or should’ve gone there,” but who’s going to pay for it? That requires raising a lot of of money for the land and infrastructure needed for something like this whether for North Coast Harbor or somewhere else in Cleveland, when the Football HOF had the money now to buy it. Any sane business is going to sell it to a buyer who is ready with money in hand.
April 23, 20223 yr On 4/21/2022 at 4:40 PM, ColDayMan said: Cleveland I-X Center Ferris wheel heading to Hall of Fame Village in Canton The I-X Center’s iconic Ferris wheel, which poked through the roof and gave riders a glimpse of the surrounding area through a skylight, will be heading to the Hall of Fame Village in Canton. The Hall of Fame Resort & Entertainment company announced a new Play-Action Plaza — 3.5 acres including a Ferris wheel, zipline, amphitheater and more. Both the Ferris wheel and zipline are coming from Cleveland’s International Exposition Center. More below: https://www.bizjournals.com/cleveland/news/2022/04/21/cleveland-i-x-center-ferris-wheel-heading-to-hall.html I totally forgot about this ferris wheel but this picture unearthed a ton of memories of me riding it when I went to the car shows at the I-X center as a kid 😁
April 23, 20223 yr 23 hours ago, jeremyck01 said: What does Cleveland leadership have to do with it? Political leadership? Private leadership? The Pro Football Hall of Fame is a private organization who had the money to buy it and the I-X center is going to sell it to them. It’s not the Cleveland Mayor’s job to save a Ferris wheel. I think the Mayor’s office is focused on other “details” such as actually making progress on city projects like those listed on the Mayor’s website that have improved the city considerably. It’s easy to armchair quarterback and say “it should’ve gone here or should’ve gone there,” but who’s going to pay for it? That requires raising a lot of of money for the land and infrastructure needed for something like this whether for North Coast Harbor or somewhere else in Cleveland, when the Football HOF had the money now to buy it. Any sane business is going to sell it to a buyer who is ready with money in hand. And I suspect that this asset wasn’t even sold, but more likely just transferred between businesses. Industrial Realty Group now owns the I-X Center, and IRG is the master developer of the HOF Village Resort (and Stuart Lichter, as an individual, is the majority shareholder of the HOF). This isn’t really that complicated/surprising. Love the attempts to make this a scandal of Cleveland leadership. Next we’ll hear the Deshaun Watson signing is Mayor Bibb’s fault too! Edited April 23, 20223 yr by brtshrcegr
April 23, 20223 yr 2 minutes ago, brtshrcegr said: And I suspect that this asset wasn’t even sold, but more likely just transferred between businesses. Industrial Realty Group now owns the I-X Center, and IRG is the master developer of the HOF Village Resort (and Stuart Lichter, as an individual, is the majority shareholder of the HOF). This isn’t really that complicated/surprising. Love the attempts to make this a scandal of Cleveland leadership. Interesting, I didn’t know Stuart Lichter was the majority shareholder in the HOF. IRG has done a lot of good work in Northeast Ohio and I trust that they will do a good job with the HOF as well.
April 23, 20223 yr 4 minutes ago, jeremyck01 said: Interesting, I didn’t know Stuart Lichter was the majority shareholder in the HOF. IRG has done a lot of good work in Northeast Ohio and I trust that they will do a good job with the HOF as well. Stuart Lichter, the real estate tycoon, emerges as majority owner of Hall of Fame Resort “Real estate tycoon Stuart Lichter has reemerged as majority owner of Hall of Fame Resort & Entertainment Co. (Nasdaq: HOFV) in Canton, Ohio, following a private sale of securities near the end of 2020” I don’t think it’s too much of a stretch to say that Stuart Lichter is the primary reason the HOF is still a going concern, after all the challenges it has had with this development. As a whole, I don’t think NE Ohio realizes how fortunate it has to have Lichter.
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