G2 Sunday, March 27, 2016 | The Repository | CantonRep.

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HALL OF FAME CITY

REPOSITORY FILE
n As development of Hall of Fame Village continues, so do plans to find ways to tie downtown Canton into the football theme. Construction crews are beginning to build bleacher seats at Tom Benson Stadium.

Making downtown Canton a football destination

By Alison Matas
Repository staff writer

C
CANTON
antons pri-
mary tourist
attraction
is a football
museum, but you
wouldnt know that
walking through the
citys downtown.
When construction at
Hall of Fame Village is REPOSITORY FILE
complete, its estimated n Tom Benson Stadium under construction.
that thousands ofpeople are
going to visit Canton every
week.City leaders hope to
attract some of them down- n An artist rendering of the Hall of Fame Village.
town using football-themed
draws. Their ideas include And adding an amphithe-
installing the worlds larg- ater to the space will bring
est football, adding more more activity and include
football-related art and the fine arts in the plans.
renaming streets, restau- We want to be up and
rants and popular gathering going well before the Hall of
spaces to brand Canton as Fame Village because then
Hall of Fame City. that way this is the destina-
The citys proposed tion place in downtown,
comprehensive plan, which West said.
could be adopted this Theres even talk of
month, says Canton must changing Market Squares
work aggressively to name to Hall of Fame
tie village development to Square.
downtown redevelopment Mike King, who chairs the
and to make sure existing Downtown Canton Spe-
downtown businesses arent cial Improvement District, n An artist rendering of the fan plaza between the Hall of Fame and
forced to close or relo- would like to see at least stadium.
cate because of increased one major attraction added
downtown planners and so visitors will be able to
competition. to the square something
shared with The Repository walk around while enjoying
Canton probably will that people would talk
he thinks a shuttle loop with their alcoholic beverages
not succeed if downtown is about. One of his sugges-
several designated offsite something they think will
allowed to deteriorate, it tions is to have the worlds
Hall of Fame Village parking be popular among a younger
reads. largest football attached to
locations including parts demographic and provide an
a Timken roller bearing and
MARKET SQUARE of the Renkert lot, YMCA economic boost for down-
spinning around so visi-
lot and Saxton gallery lot town. All the signs would
The football focal point tors could come take their
would bring a critical refer to Canton as Hall of
for downtown is Market pictures with it. Another
mass of people downtown. Fame City.
Square, the 1-acre grassy square centerpiece could
Its similar to a concept Pete Fierle, spokesman
lot along Market Avenue be a four- or five-story,
proposed by theStark Area for the Pro Football Hall
N. near Canton Brewing abstract-design, stainless
Regional Transit Author- of Fame, said the develop-
Company. steel goal post with a foot-
ity and the city of Canton. ment there is meant to be
Earlier this year, Canton ball, decorated by flickering
The two groups applied a magnet that impacts the
awarded the design contract laser lights and artificial turf unsuccessfully for a entire community. While
for Market Square to MKSK, with goal lines. federal grant earlier this Hall of Fame Village will be
a Columbus-based planning year that would have devel- a destination, he assumes
firm that also is working on GETTING DOWNTOWN oped a driverless shuttle the people coming will stay
aspects of Hall of Fame Vil- A common issue raised
system between an offsite in town for several days,
lage. Drawings submitted in conversations about
parking location downtown and some of that time will
to the city showed the stage downtown development is and Hall of Fame Village. be spent seeing the other
proposed for the square the experience of getting
attractions Stark County
decorated with NFL team downtown from the Pro who wrote the compre- in some way so drivers OTHER EFFORTS has to offer.
flags and the entrance to the Football Hall of Fame can be hensive plan, was in town naturally know to turn onto Downtown, football laces King wants to make
square flanked by a foot- less than pleasant. last month, he told Canton Fourth Street an exten- could denote crosswalks, downtown so strong that
ball statute-and-fountain A 2013 downtown plan, City Council its first prior- sion of Hall of Fame Drive rather than the usual lines. employees at Hall of Fame
feature. authored by the same firm ity ought to be developing and head to Hall of Fame Signs could tell visitors how Village recommend to visi-
Councilman Thomas that wrote the full com- downtown and improving Square. Hed like to see the far of a walk they are from tors that they come see it.
West, D-2, chairs Canton prehensive plan, described Fulton Road NW and Tus- city complete a streetscape restaurants or art galler- I think the downtown
City Councils downtown the corridors to the citys carawas Street W. along the path with trees ies. NFL flags with banners advocates really just need
development committee a center as generally unap- Fulton Road NW got and lighting and flag hold- of players could decorate to work toward doing that
group established because pealing and lacking polish resurfaced last summer, ers. And any properties the citys center. Murals much to make the village
of all the potential projects and consistent patterns of though city officials at the along the corridor should be depicting football scenes developers feel like we have
planned for downtown. He investment. time said the improvements held to strict code enforce- could serve as an added merit to be considered as an
said Market Squares design Likewise, it is important were unrelated to plans for ment standards, he said. tourist draw, King said. extension, King said.
team will make a connection if one gets sidetracked or Hall of Fame Village. Of course, not everyone City officials and the Spe-
between development at the lost heading to downtown, King, with the Spe- coming to Canton would cial Improvement District Reach Alison at 330-580-8312 or
Hall and the square so that they neither wind up in cial Improvement need to drive themselves alison.matas@cantonrep.com.
are in the process of creat-
when people leave the Hall, Beirut, nor fear they might, District,wants Fulton to between the two points. ing a designated outdoor On Twitter: @amatasREP
they know to visit down- it continues. be renamed Hall of Fame King wrote in an email refreshment area downtown
town, too. And when Charles Buki, Drive and reconfigured sent to city leaders and