^ Wow, I missed that one too. I do know hid firm has been great at re-purposing all those huge facilities that had gone out of business for one reason or another. And I agree, he has been very helpful to NEO in fulfilling that part of the market and making some $$ while doing so. Good for him and good for us.

Retail promenade...

 

 

 

 

for all of you who wanted a pro football championship game in NEO...   the pro football hof has you covered...    

 

the center for performance excellence will host the NFL alumni training academy... (this is for NFL teams also)

 

 

Edited April 23, 20223 yr by lockdog

I'd love to see Canton get a USFL team, but their strategy for picking markets has been different from most minor/alternative leagues.  They've mostly picked larger markets with NFL franchises instead of smaller towns that can't support an NFL team.

Football Hall of Fame center for performance rendering...

 

 

https://www.crainscleveland.com/sports-business/cantons-hall-fame-village-secures-additional-funding

Edited April 28, 20223 yr by lockdog

Take a 'tour' of the emerging Hall of Fame Resort on a rainy morning

 

A recent bout of heavy rain did not stop the construction workers at Hall of Fame Village powered by Johnson Controls in Canton, Ohio.

 

Hall of Fame Resort & Entertainment Co. (Nasdaq: HOFV) is working to complete retail shops, restaurants, a "play-action plaza," and a center of performance in time for this year's Pro Football Hall of Fame enshrinement weekend in August.

 

I took a "tour" of the emerging resort — mostly through the wall-to-wall windows on the third floor of its Constellation Center for Excellence, given the rain — on May 20. Here's what I saw...

 

...below:

https://www.bizjournals.com/cleveland/news/2022/05/23/take-a-tour-of-hall-of-fame-resort.html

 

Hall of Fame Resort lands $33 million in financing to open venues by early August

 

Hall of Fame Resort & Entertainment Co. in Canton, Ohio, said Wednesday it has landed $33.4 million in energy efficiency financing to help open some of its sports-themed assets by early August.

 

That's when the nonprofit Pro Football Hall of Fame — around which the company is building its football-themed resort — is scheduled to enshrine eight pro football players during its annual enshrinement week.

 

Coupled with $5 million in previously announced financing from Stark Community Foundation Inc., the capital is expected to help Hall of Fame Resort meet its goal of generating revenue at its center for performance, fan engagement zone, play-action plaza and expanded youth sports complex during enshrinement week.

 

More below:

https://www.bizjournals.com/cleveland/news/2022/07/06/hall-of-fame-resort-lands-financing.html

 

2 hours ago, ColDayMan said:

Hall of Fame Resort lands $33 million in financing to open venues by early August

 

Hall of Fame Resort & Entertainment Co. in Canton, Ohio, said Wednesday it has landed $33.4 million in energy efficiency financing to help open some of its sports-themed assets by early August.

 

That's when the nonprofit Pro Football Hall of Fame — around which the company is building its football-themed resort — is scheduled to enshrine eight pro football players during its annual enshrinement week.

 

Coupled with $5 million in previously announced financing from Stark Community Foundation Inc., the capital is expected to help Hall of Fame Resort meet its goal of generating revenue at its center for performance, fan engagement zone, play-action plaza and expanded youth sports complex during enshrinement week.

 

More below:

https://www.bizjournals.com/cleveland/news/2022/07/06/hall-of-fame-resort-lands-financing.html

 

Can someone explain to me why the league with roughly Nine Billion dollars in revenue, hasn't come in to help get this thing done?

 

I know they've lent some funds, but seems like this has been an embarrassing struggle to get done that the league could help fix this with the writing of a single (huge), check.

1 hour ago, Mov2Ohio said:

Can someone explain to me why the league with roughly Nine Billion dollars in revenue, hasn't come in to help get this thing done?

 

I know they've lent some funds, but seems like this has been an embarrassing struggle to get done that the league could help fix this with the writing of a single (huge), check.

Because they, like most investors, don’t see the viability in the concept. 

Hall of Fame Resort to break ground for hotel, waterpark this summer

 

Hall of Fame Resort & Entertainment Co. in Canton, Ohio, plans to break ground for its on-campus hotel and waterpark this summer, CEO Mike Crawford said on Friday.

 

The 180-room Hilton Tapestry hotel and indoor waterpark are the final pieces of the company's Phase II development plan at its resort surrounding the nonprofit Pro Football Hall of Fame.

 

The resort company expects both the hotel and waterpark to open by late next year or early 2024, Crawford told securities analysts during a Friday conference call.

 

More below:

https://www.bizjournals.com/cleveland/news/2022/08/12/resort-to-break-ground-for-hotel-waterpark.html

 

That's a far cry from earlier renditions of that hotel.  Sigh.

 

8 hours ago, JohnSummit said:

That's a far cry from earlier renditions of that hotel.  Sigh.

 

Welcome to Northeast Ohio

Hall of Fame Resort lands $28.2M more in 'just-in-time financing'

 

Two subsidiaries of Hall of Fame Resort & Entertainment Co. have agreed to borrow up to $28.2 million to help construct two retail buildings on the resort's Canton, Ohio, campus.

 

The borrowings — which include a sale and leaseback of land — are another example of the "just-in-time financing" the resort company is using to construct its football-themed resort during challenging financial times.

 

"We've faced one of the worst lending environments and inflationary environments in four decades," Michael Crawford, the resort and entertainment company's chairman, president and CEO, said during a special meeting with shareholders on Thursday.

 

More below:

https://www.bizjournals.com/cleveland/news/2022/09/30/hall-of-fame-resort-agrees-to-282m-in-financing.html

 

Caught ferris at his new home...   He says hi, misses everyone and everything is fine....

 

 

 

This is an old story but I was told that the dispute was not able to be resolved and Johnson Controls is out.

 

Hall of Fame Village work continues, company hopes to resolve Johnson Controls dispute

 

https://www.cantonrep.com/story/news/2022/05/20/hall-fame-resort-construction-continues-despite-naming-rights-fight-johnson-controls/9801403002/

 

But hey, they are getting a Pizza Over (worst pizza around)

 

Pizza Oven being added to Hall of Fame Village

Published: Nov. 22, 2022, 12:41 p.m.

 

https://www.cleveland.com/entertainment/2022/11/pizza-oven-being-added-to-hall-of-fame-village.html?e=04b384150ba93fa19e5b286d3d9842f4&utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Newsletter_rubber_city_daily 2022-11-23&utm_term=Newsletter_rubber_city_daily

I drove by the HOF this past weekend and they do still have the Johnson Controls signage on the large endzone billboard facing the highway.

Ground broken on waterpark for Hall of Fame Village in Canton

 

Ground was broken Monday in the latest phase of the hall of Fame Village in Canton: A waterpark.

 

While the project is about two years from hosting visitors to slosh through water, it does represent an important point for the massive project: The Hall of Fame campus is about much more than football.

 

More below:

https://www.bizjournals.com/cleveland/news/2022/12/06/waterpark-for-hall-of-fame-village-in-canton.html

 

 

Four NE Ohio projects win TMUD credits
By Ken Prendergast / December 7, 2022

 

In the first round of Ohio’s Transformational Mixed Use Development (TMUD) tax credit program, more than half of the major-city credits went to Cleveland. Today, more than half of those credits went to just two projects in Columbus. That left enough TMUD credits to benefit two projects in Cleveland — the Erieview redevelopment in downtown Cleveland and the Circle Square megaproject in University Circle. Unfortunately, that also meant that several other projects in Cleveland and Cuyahoga County were left out.

 

MORE

https://neo-trans.blog/2022/12/07/four-ne-ohio-projects-win-tmud-credits/

 

I haven't been following this project closely at all. Can anyone summarize for me why people on this forum aren't interested in or excited about it? 

28 minutes ago, Ethan said:

I haven't been following this project closely at all. Can anyone summarize for me why people on this forum aren't interested in or excited about it? 

I'm interested, but I don't think it should be getting TMUD.  Can't they get the NFL to pony up some money to help build it?

On 12/8/2022 at 9:27 AM, Ethan said:

I haven't been following this project closely at all. Can anyone summarize for me why people on this forum aren't interested in or excited about it? 

If you want to read the entire 5 pages of thread you will get a good sense of why.  The HoF has big ideas makes strides, then scales back.  It has also been on the verge of completely collapsing on several occasion. Some of these negatives include:

 

1) Johnson and Johnson Johnson Controls wanting to pull out over its sponsorship

https://www.cantonrep.com/story/news/2022/05/14/hall-fame-village-johnson-controls-dispute-over-agreements/9775611002/

 

2) Hall of Fame village being in danger of being desilted from the NASDAQ

https://sports.yahoo.com/hall-fame-village-mulls-reverse-040100402.html?guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAABdNe360Fwpg0b70rFHwtQe4zfg8fmZT3jvtE9bJG5wpliHfStl3gmmXoLgbe59i8qQSY4vzv39zYDHXHYNMS52OSkkbDWVdBJiRhioKETdYuSvpoGDJ8KA4c5buu3qlvpsyBB_Q8P3lVck6r3dbRQAYLhCU0QCDIvf-2aiF-gT6

 

3) Massive downgrade in the quality and look of the hotel from this stunning beauty

https://www.johnsoncontrols.com/insights/2017/enterprise/features/johnson-controls-hall-of-fame-village-hotel-groundbreaking

 

To this basic cheap looking hotel

https://www.cantonrep.com/story/news/local/2020/07/04/whatrsquos-next-for-hall-of-fame-village/113375766/

 

There are more but that's three of the biggest.

Edited December 13, 20222 yr by cle_guy90

Wow I never saw the initial designs of the hotel. Talk about scaling back lol

24 minutes ago, dwolfi01 said:

Wow I never saw the initial designs of the hotel. Talk about scaling back lol

That hotel hurts to see again. Without giving too much away, the engineering alone of that building was the kind that would have won awards

On 12/8/2022 at 10:11 AM, cle_guy90 said:

1) Johnson and Johnson wanting to pull out over its sponsorship

https://www.cantonrep.com/story/news/2022/05/14/hall-fame-village-johnson-controls-dispute-over-agreements/9775611002/

 

Johnson Controls, not Johnson & Johnson

 

 Here’s another article on the waterpark

 

 

On 4/22/2022 at 10:46 PM, 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. 

 

Except that Lichter and IRG is a major reason for its pull back and failure. 

 

Instead of choosing a developer with the expertise and knowledge to get a project like this done from the very start, there was a decision made to choose developers who, during peak development boom, failed to get other projects done timely or as promised. It's been a while so probably not top of mind for casual observers but those of us that followed it from the beginning couldn't really understand the selections of the developer and leaders in general to begin with. It wasn't until Hall of Fame Village brought in a former Disney exec in 2018 that things started to get turned around in a scaled back way. So I would argue that any good work done by IRG is at the guidance of Mike Crawford because frankly, if left as it was, the stadium would likely have been as far as the project had gotten. 

 

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/28/sports/pro-football-hall-of-fame-canton-ohio.html

 

In the end, it's going to be just ok when it had the opportunity to be great on many different levels but that goes back to early decisions made. 

Edited December 13, 20222 yr by DTCL11

3 hours ago, DTCL11 said:

 

Except that Lichter and IRG is a major reason for its pull back and failure. 

 

Instead of choosing a developer with the expertise and knowledge to get a project like this done from the very start, there was a decision made to choose developers who, during peak development boom, failed to get other projects done timely or as promised. It's been a while so probably not top of mind for casual observers but those of us that followed it from the beginning couldn't really understand the selections of the developer and leaders in general to begin with. It wasn't until Hall of Fame Village brought in a former Disney exec in 2018 that things started to get turned around in a scaled back way. So I would argue that any good work done by IRG is at the guidance of Mike Crawford because frankly, if left as it was, the stadium would likely have been as far as the project had gotten. 

 

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/28/sports/pro-football-hall-of-fame-canton-ohio.html

 

In the end, it's going to be just ok when it had the opportunity to be great on many different levels but that goes back to early decisions made. 

 

There is nothing with this property that is out the capabilities of IRG.

Original developer failed. Original contractor failed. Original leadership failed.

On 12/8/2022 at 9:58 AM, LibertyBlvd said:

I'm interested, but I don't think it should be getting TMUD.  Can't they get the NFL to pony up some money to help build it?

 

The NFL is obviously not interested in this project. If they were it would be done by now.

 

I'm not sure why this would even been considered for TMUD. It's a suburban development that razed many single family homes. So, yes, transformational in that sense.

9 minutes ago, yanni_gogolak said:

 

There is nothing with this property that is out the capabilities of IRG.

Original developer failed. Original contractor failed. Original leadership failed.

 

Lichter is one of the original leaders and developers. His hands have been involved since day one. His mixed success is well documented, especially in Canton.  There's literally no way around the fact that he was part of the issue. Sure, it may be a passion project of his, he could technically do it, and he wants to put money in to it but that doesn't mean he and IRG are shining examples or should have been selected to begin with. The project still required better people all around from the beginning. Which, as we both agree on, goes back to the beginnings.  

 

Seems like the old Arshot arguments here. 'Look. They had this successful project and this one. Let's ignore the well documented pattern of issues, ESPECIALLY when similar issues arise.' 

 

As for deserving of TMUD, remember there are criteria that allow a non-urban core projects to be selected. The issue is not in whether it was deserving of TMUD but rather in what the law allows to be chosen. There's a lot of wiggle room to give the right pay to play folks a chance at those funds. 

1 hour ago, yanni_gogolak said:

I'm not sure why this would even been considered for TMUD. It's a suburban development that razed many single family homes. So, yes, transformational in that sense.

I don't understand this perspective. A lot of people on this forum seem to have made the logical leap that transformational = urbanist. It doesn't, and it never has. Transformational means just that, projects that transform, or change the character of, their surrounding neighborhoods. 

 

This project, while imperfect, stands a very good chance of being transformational to the surrounding area, and even Canton as a whole. It's clearly a tourist centered project, and it's aimed at beefing up the only tourist attraction in Canton. If this project can increase tourist draw of the Football HOF (and thus Canton as a whole) by 10%, is that transformational? What about if it takes 10% of the tourists who visit the HOF and gets them to spend a day in Canton versus driving through? The latter in particular seems to certainly qualify as transformative to me. I'm rooting for this project to succeed. 

1 hour ago, Ethan said:

This project, while imperfect, stands a very good chance of being transformational to the surrounding area, and even Canton as a whole. It's clearly a tourist centered project, and it's aimed at beefing up the only tourist attraction in Canton. 

 

This kind of brings up a side conversation and issue I have with Canton right now is they're going all in on this singular identity when I think we should be hearing from leaders who could also be exploring some investment into the McKinley Museum (specifically an expansion of the Discover World, and regional history areas. We don't necessarily need more education on McKinley himself) and National First Ladies Museums as well. Not that these are necessarily big draws, a modest expansion/renovation of each could help bolster a more rounded tourist experience for those that may not be all in on football alone. If Canton has identified tourism as it's number one identity, and rightfully so, build up the entire tourism industry. Surely there are pockets big enough to fund such endeavors in the political circles. Add in the (albeit far fetched idea) of a streetcar to connect these institutions, I would hope we could see more investment in them to bolster the desire to travel between the sites. The same could probably be said for the art museum and classic car museums as well. Just a bit more oomph to up even the regional attraction of them.  Anywho...

 

 

Edited December 13, 20222 yr by DTCL11

In regards to the hotel and overall design, I will take the good that is delivered over the perfect that never materialized. The hotel design IS very disappointing though, especially since they actually broke ground on the original design before dumbing it down. The original design was exciting. The big inflated dome is another example of that, earlier renderings show a field house with brick and glass exterior.

 

The water park renderings suck. I hate the gigantic, generic football silhouettes beside the gigantic TV. Talk about a boring and underdeveloped space... EVEN SO, I will take it, with all of it's faults, over no water park.

 

The money side is a whole other can of worms. It really bothers me the way the NFL avoids supporting the Hall of Fame. The high school is most likely going to be moved downtown, to the benefit of the Hall of Fame. Canton would then have a multi-million dollar school project. I'm sure the school is not being paid for by the NFL.

Edited December 13, 20222 yr by mkeller234

On 12/13/2022 at 10:46 AM, Ethan said:

I don't understand this perspective. A lot of people on this forum seem to have made the logical leap that transformational = urbanist. It doesn't, and it never has. Transformational means just that, projects that transform, or change the character of, their surrounding neighborhoods. 

 

This project, while imperfect, stands a very good chance of being transformational to the surrounding area, and even Canton as a whole. It's clearly a tourist centered project, and it's aimed at beefing up the only tourist attraction in Canton. If this project can increase tourist draw of the Football HOF (and thus Canton as a whole) by 10%, is that transformational? What about if it takes 10% of the tourists who visit the HOF and gets them to spend a day in Canton versus driving through? The latter in particular seems to certainly qualify as transformative to me. I'm rooting for this project to succeed. 

 

As I stated, people were living in single family homes in the area. They were all razed to put in a sports dome and hotel.

This forum is called "Urban Ohio". So yes, many are interested in urban density vs. suburban sprawl.

On 12/13/2022 at 10:00 AM, DTCL11 said:

 

Lichter is one of the original leaders and developers. His hands have been involved since day one. His mixed success is well documented, especially in Canton.  There's literally no way around the fact that he was part of the issue. Sure, it may be a passion project of his, he could technically do it, and he wants to put money in to it but that doesn't mean he and IRG are shining examples or should have been selected to begin with. The project still required better people all around from the beginning. Which, as we both agree on, goes back to the beginnings.  

 

Seems like the old Arshot arguments here. 'Look. They had this successful project and this one. Let's ignore the well documented pattern of issues, ESPECIALLY when similar issues arise.' 

 

As for deserving of TMUD, remember there are criteria that allow a non-urban core projects to be selected. The issue is not in whether it was deserving of TMUD but rather in what the law allows to be chosen. There's a lot of wiggle room to give the right pay to play folks a chance at those funds. 

 

IRG was not the original developer and they are who stalled things out. That's the way around it.

10 hours ago, yanni_gogolak said:

 

IRG was not the original developer and they are who stalled things out. That's the way around it.

 

Unless you're talking about someone way back, as of 2015, IRG was the developer of everything we see today and during the delay and the failure to pay contractors etc etc etc. 

 

The Canton Rep can be quoted as Stuart Lichter being involved as early as Day 3 with Baker and others suggest even earlier with Mayor Healy. Lichter paid for the feasibility study itself which was released in 2014 and what lead to the approval of the concept master plan in fall 2014. Unless I'm missing something, it seems pretty clear that Lichter and IRG are intwined from inception. 

 

Edited December 20, 20222 yr by DTCL11

On 12/19/2022 at 4:59 PM, DTCL11 said:

 

Unless you're talking about someone way back, as of 2015, IRG was the developer of everything we see today and during the delay and the failure to pay contractors etc etc etc. 

 

The Canton Rep can be quoted as Stuart Lichter being involved as early as Day 3 with Baker and others suggest even earlier with Mayor Healy. Lichter paid for the feasibility study itself which was released in 2014 and what lead to the approval of the concept master plan in fall 2014. Unless I'm missing something, it seems pretty clear that Lichter and IRG are intwined from inception. 

 

 

Ah, you're correct.

I know there was some partners in-and-out around the time the football stadium renovations were being finalized. One being the contractor. Maybe the financing fell through then?

Stopped by Shula's this past weekend. Parked at the upper lot and walked down (skipping the $8 valet fee).
The last photo is the Brew Kettle build-out underway.

 

 

got a pic of dirt being moved for I think, the HOF experience...

 

 

On 5/9/2023 at 7:50 PM, lockdog said:

got a pic of dirt being moved for I think, the HOF experience...

 

 

 

I believe the hotel is underway on the North side of the campus.
Since last time I was there they have also completed the inflated dome.

Akron's Perfect Pour to open at Hall of Fame Village in Canton

New Akron bar and grille set to expand into Hall of Fame Village.

Robert Wang

The Repository

 

CANTON − The Hall of Fame Village is adding a bourbon bar and restaurant.

Hall of Fame Resort and Entertainment Co. announced Tuesday that Perfect Pour in Akron will be opening a second location at the football-themed entertainment district.

The statement did not announce an opening date for the "veteran-owned Akron establishment specializing in cocktails, bourbon and burgers."

 

https://www.beaconjournal.com/story/news/local/hall-of-fame-village/2023/05/30/akron-based-bourbon-and-burgers-bar-to-open-at-hall-of-fame-village/70270935007/?utm_source=nabj-DailyBriefing&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=daily-briefing&utm_term=Content List - Stacking - optimized&utm_content=OHIO-AKRON-NLETTER65

So what's open at the HOF village? I understand the museum is, the stadium is when there are events, but what about the mall/lifestyle center aspect? Is that open yet?

 

Was thinking about driving down one weekend to check it out, so was wondering what will I find?

On 6/1/2023 at 9:02 PM, Mov2Ohio said:

So what's open at the HOF village? I understand the museum is, the stadium is when there are events, but what about the mall/lifestyle center aspect? Is that open yet?

 

Was thinking about driving down one weekend to check it out, so was wondering what will I find?

 

Don Shula's American Kitchen

There is an area with a ferris wheel, mini golf, and another slingshot type ride or something.
Starbucks may be open.
In a couple months there will be a little more. Not much right now.

did not know about this ride being added... takes it up another notch...

 

https://www.google.com/amp/s/fox8.com/news/hall-of-fame-village-adds-new-amusement-ride/amp/

Hall of Fame Resort nears financing goal for Phase 2 building

 

Hall of Fame Resort & Entertainment Co. is employing its "just-in-time financing" expertise to raise the money it needs to complete the indoor water park and Hilton Tapestry hotel on its Canton, Ohio, resort property.

 

The emerging resort and entertainment company is "being extremely creative about sources" of financing for the final two pieces of Phase 2 of its building plan, Ben Lee, Hall of Fame Resort's CFO, told securities analysts during a Friday morning conference call.

 

The emerging growth company raised money to build other assets for the $355 million building phase, such as centers for performance and excellence and a "fan engagement zone" that includes three amusement rides, retail shops, restaurants and amphitheater, in a similar fashion, Lee said.

 

"We have various, not just bank sources, but municipal sources as well," he said. "We've talked about the fact that we're in a tourism development district. It's a source for revenue for us to bond against for construction financing. So [we're] really looking at all channels."

 

More below:

https://www.bizjournals.com/cleveland/news/2023/08/11/hall-of-fame-resort-near-phase-2-financing-goal.html

 

I guess this is the best place for this;

 

Canton to land spring football team following USFL-XFL merger: report

Joe Scalzo | September 21st 2023

 

"It looks like spring football is returning to Canton.

 

Canton has secured a team in the merged USFL-XFL league, which will begin play with the 2024 season, according to a report from USFL Newsroom.

 

...

 

Canton’s Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium was the home site for two USFL teams last season — the Pittsburgh Maulers and the New Jersey Gamblers — and has hosted the league championship game each of the past two seasons. It’s unclear whether the new league would add a Canton-centric team, or if Canton would continue serving as a hub for another league team."

 

https://www.crainscleveland.com/sports-recreation/canton-reportedly-lands-team-following-usfl-xfl-merger

Hall of Fame Resort is offering to sell stock to help fund waterpark and hotel construction

 

Hall of Fame Resort & Entertainment Co. said Wednesday it has begun a public offering of 750,000 shares of common stock and accompanying warrants to help fund the completion of an indoor waterpark and hotel on its campus in Canton, Ohio.

 

The offering, expected to close on Friday, is expected to generate gross proceeds of about $2.8 million, the football resort and entertainment company said in a statement.

 

The offering is being made under the Hall of Fame Resort's September 2021 "shelf registration," which authorizes the company to offer up to $39 million in common shares and warrants "from time to time."

 

More below:

https://www.bizjournals.com/cleveland/news/2023/10/11/hall-of-fame-resort-offers-stock-waterpark-hotel.html

 

Canton left out of new United Football League

Joe Scalzo

January 1st 2024

 

The United Football League (UFL), the newly-merged league featuring teams from the USFL and the XFL, announced the eight teams that will compete in its inaugural season — and Canton isn’t one of them.

 

Canton’s Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium was the home site for two USFL teams last season, the Pittsburgh Maulers and the New Jersey Gamblers, and hosted the league championship game each of the past two seasons.

 

When word leaked in September that the two spring leagues would merge for the 2024 season, Canton reportedly was poised to land a franchise, but the UFL kept just four former USFL teams: the Birmingham Stallions, Houston Roughnecks, Memphis Showboats and Michigan Panthers.

 

https://www.crainscleveland.com/sports-recreation/united-football-league-wont-feature-team-canton

1 hour ago, Luke_S said:

Canton left out of new United Football League

Joe Scalzo

January 1st 2024

 

The United Football League (UFL), the newly-merged league featuring teams from the USFL and the XFL, announced the eight teams that will compete in its inaugural season — and Canton isn’t one of them.

 

Canton’s Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium was the home site for two USFL teams last season, the Pittsburgh Maulers and the New Jersey Gamblers, and hosted the league championship game each of the past two seasons.

 

When word leaked in September that the two spring leagues would merge for the 2024 season, Canton reportedly was poised to land a franchise, but the UFL kept just four former USFL teams: the Birmingham Stallions, Houston Roughnecks, Memphis Showboats and Michigan Panthers.

 

https://www.crainscleveland.com/sports-recreation/united-football-league-wont-feature-team-canton

 

Lame.  I watched both USFL and XFL over these last couple years, and enjoyed the product.  I was actually pretty excited that the merger would provide us with a bigger and more robust league, but I guess not.  Seems like it's in decline.  And they've decided to be a pretty much sunbelt only league except Michigan.  Lame again.

Crain's is reporting that Guardians minority owner David Blitzer and business partner Josh Harris have acquired $10 million stake in the Hall of Fame Village.

 

Cleveland.com is more specifically indicating they bought the ForeverLawn Sports Complex at Hall of Fame Village.

https://www.cleveland.com/news/2024/01/hall-of-fame-village-sells-sports-complex-to-guardians-minority-owner-david-blitzer-and-business-partner-josh-harris.html

 

Edited January 2, 20241 yr by willyboy

33 minutes ago, willyboy said:

Crain's is reporting that Guardians minority owner David Blitzer and business partner Josh Harris have acquired $10 million stake in the Hall of Fame Village.

 

Cleveland.com is more specifically indicating they bought the ForeverLawn Sports Complex at Hall of Fame Village.

https://www.cleveland.com/news/2024/01/hall-of-fame-village-sells-sports-complex-to-guardians-minority-owner-david-blitzer-and-business-partner-josh-harris.html

 

I figure this is Blitzer's practice session for building the 'baseball village' in Cleveland.  🙂