The half-billion-dollar Pro Football Hall of Fame Village project in Canton is supposed to be done in 2019. WKSU’s Tim Rudell says that’s why Canton City Council wrapped up 2016 with tax legislation aimed at supporting the development.
Canton’s lawmakers created a tourism development district for the Hall of Fame and adjoining areas. Additional sales tax will be charged for goods and services bought there, and the revenue will stay in the district. Council Rules Committee Chairman Bill Smuckler says the approach can help the project’s sustainability, and he says the city has experience with the approach.
“We’ve been doing this for years. The special taxes for downtown go to improve downtown. And the special taxes for the Hall of Fame will improve Hall of Fame, and they become a self-sustaining area.”
Smuckler says the legislation provides a foundation for specific measures that will be needed to craft a full infrastructure support mechanism for the village.
