CANTON, Ohio — The Pro Football Hall of Fame and Museum is planning a multimillion-dollar modernization project in Canton.
The estimated $80 million project, which is expected to take three to five years, will bring the largest, most comprehensive renovation and expansion project attempted by the HOF in its 60-plus-year history, according to officials.
The first phase of the project is expected to begin this spring.
"The Pro Football Hall of Fame has been working for almost two years on a modernization plan. It will represent the most significant investment in the Hall’s history and its biggest ‘makeover’ since opening in 1963," said Pro Football Hall of Fame President Jim Porter.
The goal of the project is to make the Pro Football Hall of Fame a leading innovator in museums and interactive spaces. The new look is hoping to give the next generation of visitors a dynamic and engaging experience.
The project will include the following:
- The modernization and renovation of the existing 120,000-square-foot Hall of Fame and Museum
- A new 8,000-square-foot Grand Lobby featuring high-tech interactive Exhibition Gallery spaces, office, and storage space
- An 18,500-square-foot Event Center Complex
Additionally, the Black College Football Hall of Fame will make its permanent home within the Pro Football Hall of Fame and Museum.
"We are proud to be working with Sol Harris Day and Beaver Excavation on the designs and preliminary work needed to begin in earnest later this spring. And the Hall must thank Scott Oelslager and the Statehouse for allocating the money and sharing the Hall’s vision for what this will mean not only for the Canton community but the entire Northeast Ohio region. We believe this project will position the Hall to be the leader in economic development for the area that was envisioned when it opened 61 years ago," said Porter.
On Wednesday, the Ohio House of Representatives passed House Bill 2 (HB2), appropriating $2 billion for economic development and community investments throughout the state.
Of those funds, $7 million will be allocated to the Pro Football Hall of Fame Modernization Project. The bill now heads to the Ohio Senate.
The new Community Event Center will also be capable of hosting large-scale events and will be offered to local 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations at an at-cost or substantially reduced-rate basis for large-scale fundraising events.
Officials noted that this project is "separate and distinct" from the Hall of Fame Village project.
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