The steel structure for a new 23,000-seat football stadium that will be part of the $500 million, 90-acre Hall of Fame Village in Canton, Ohio, should be visible to travelers on Interstate 77 by next Christmas.
The old stadium’s north and south stands have been demolished, and the press box—which was built in 2009—will meet the wrecking ball next week, to be replaced by a larger area for media.
The new facility, called Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium and formerly known as Fawcett Stadium, is on schedule to be completed in time for next year’s Pro Football Hall of Fame enshrinement festival, although some elements won’t be completed until 2018. The stadium’s cost alone is projected to exceed $80 million.
Tom Benson, who owns the New Orleans Saints pro football team, has donated $11 million to the Hall of Fame, nearly all of it earmarked for the stadium reconstruction. The state is kicking in $10 million, and the city of Canton $5 million for the new stadium. The Canton City Schools owns the stadium, but will only be on the hook for its maintenance.
HKS’s Sports and Entertainment Group is the stadium’s designer, working with clients Industrial Realty Group and the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
The 76-year-old Fawcett Stadium has been a high school field. Its ticket booths are among the artifacts being preserved for future display within the Village.
This fall, construction begins on the Hall of Fame Village that will involve between 400 and 500 workers.
There are eight components to Hall of Fame Village, according to its website:
•The Pro Football Hall of Fame Museum
•Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium/Sports & Entertainment Complex, which will include a first-of-its-kind permanent stage that will be embedded into the stadium’s seating bowl and located at midfield. The field is being lowered by 12 feet to accommodate a fan plaza that connects to the Hall of Fame museum.
•A four-star Hotel & Conference Center
•Legends Landing/Residential (an assisted living facility, some of which could be housing for retired pro football players)
•A state-of-the-art Youth Sports Complex, which is already underway
•Center for Excellence (Coaches University; Academy of Corporate Excellence; Officiating Clinics; Safety, Health & Performance Center)
•Main Street Hall of Fame (restaurants, retail)
•Hall of Fame/NFL Family Experience (high-tech virtual reality experiences and rides)
An economic feasibility study indicates that Hall of Fame Village will create more than 13,000 new jobs, and over a 25-year period will generate $15.3 billion in net new total economic output within Stark County, Ohio.
Related Stories
| Apr 30, 2013
Tips for designing with fire rated glass - AIA/CES course
Kate Steel of Steel Consulting Services offers tips and advice for choosing the correct code-compliant glazing product for every fire-rated application. This BD+C University class is worth 1.0 AIA LU/HSW.
| Apr 26, 2013
BIG tapped to design Europa City in suburban Paris
Danish architecture firm, BIG - led by Bjarke Ingels – has been announced as the winner of an international invited competition for the design of Europa City, a 800,000 square meter cultural, recreational and retail development in Triangle de Gonesse, France.
| Apr 24, 2013
Los Angeles may add cool roofs to its building code
Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa wants cool roofs added to the city’s building code. He is also asking the Department of Water and Power (LADWP) to create incentives that make it financially attractive for homeowners to install cool roofs.
| Apr 12, 2013
Chicago rail conversion puts local twist on High Line strategy
Plans are moving forward to convert an unused, century-old Chicago rail artery to a 2.7 mile, 13 acre recreational facility and transit corridor.
Building Enclosure Systems | Mar 13, 2013
5 novel architectural applications for metal mesh screen systems
From folding façades to colorful LED displays, these fantastical projects show off the architectural possibilities of wire mesh and perforated metal panel technology.
| Mar 5, 2013
Recycled recreation: Waste-to-energy plant combines with ski resort
A new project near Copenhagen pushes the boundaries of the term "mixed use," combining a waste-to-energy plant with a ski resort.
| Feb 22, 2013
Westlake Reed Leskosky will renovate training center for Cleveland Browns
Local firm Westlake Reed Leskosky has been chosen to design renovations to the Cleveland Browns' Training and Administrative Complex in Berea, Ohio.
| Feb 14, 2013
Brasfield & Gorrie breaks ground on New College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta
General contractor Brasfield & Gorrie is scheduled to kick off construction on the new College Football Hall of Fame in downtown Atlanta. With an anticipated completion date of fall 2014, the $66.5 million project will continue the revitalization of the city’s tourist district.
| Feb 6, 2013
George W. Bush Presidential Center among award-winning roofing projects honored by Sika Sarnafil
Winners of the 2012 Contractor Project of the Year Competition were announced this week by Sika Sarnafil. The annual competition highlights excellence in roofing installation. Roofing contractors are judged based on project complexity, design uniqueness, craftsmanship, and creative problem solving.
