CANTON — It’s one of the biggest weeks in Canton.
The gold jackets are returning to the Pro Football Hall of Fame for Enshrinement weekend. Festivities kicked off on Thursday night with the Bears-Ravens preseason game at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium.
Progress of the nearly billion dollar expansion project is taking shape in and around the campus, but there has been concern as to the timeline of completion on the Johnson Controls Hall of Fame Village.
Issues surfaced when contractors said they weren’t paid for their work on the project, but attorneys and hall of fame officials confirmed earlier this year that the issue has been resolved. Now, officials are looking forward with a goal of completing it by the NFL’s centennial celebration in 2020. HOF officials said they are about $200 million into the $900 million project.
About 20 area homes have been razed to build out the HOF's footprint. Since the start of the expansion plan, Tom Benson stadium underwent a makeover, new youth fields were built nearby and there was a groundbreaking ceremony for the HOF's new hotel.
After this week’s enshrinement festivities, it’s back to work. Construction is set to continue on the hotel, The Center for EXCELLENCE, and the east end zone of Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium.
Canton has also teamed up with Cleveland in a bid to host the NFL draft. Nashville was picked to host the 2019 draft, but Canton is still in the running for the 2020 draft. Chris Tye explored this topic further on Channel 3 News at 11. Watch in the player below:
