Barberton company files, then releases liens for Gameday Bay work at Hall of Fame Village

CANTON − A Barberton company filed two mechanic's liens this week for more than $500,000 worth of work on the Hall of Fame Village's water park ― and then released the liens three days later.

S.A. Comunale Co. claimed that it was owed $388,433 for supplying plumbing materials or services between April 13, 2023, and Feb. 2 of this year, and $114,302 for providing fire protection materials or services between Oct. 4, 2023, and Feb. 2 of this year.

A mechanic's lien guarantees payment to contractors or firms involved in construction if a project is liquidated.

S.A. Comunale filed liens with the Stark County recorder against the "land, building or leasehold" at 2301 George Halas Drive NW. The property is owned by HFAKOH001 LLC ― an affiliate of the Chicago-based Oak Street Real Estate Capital firm, which has a lease agreement with the HOF Village Waterpark LLC, a subsidiary of the Hall of Fame Resort & Entertainment Co.

Messages left with S. A. Comunale were not returned by Thursday, when the liens "against Welty Building Construction, the contractor, and HFAKOH001 LLC" were released. The company reserved the right to file liens in the future.

Anne Graffice, executive vice president of global marketing and public affairs for the Hall of Fame Resort & Entertainment, said the Village remains committed to securing the funding to complete the phase two projects and paying the involved contractors.

"When we found out about it, there was communication, it was taken down," Graffice said about the S.A. Comunale liens, declining to elaborate.

A representative for Oak Street declined to comment for this article.

Welty released the following statement: "We are in close conversation with the Hall of Fame Village leadership and our valued partners including S.A. Comunale. Welty and our subcontractors remain committed to the success of the Hall of Fame Village project."

The Village — a football-themed entertainment and business complex surrounding the Pro Football Hall of Fame — started construction on the Gameday Bay water park in December 2022 with Welty Building as the general contractor. S.A. Comunale's claim states that its work was part of a contract with Welty.

The Village's initial plans were to open the water park, along with an on-site Hilton Tapestry hotel, late this year.

Michael Crawford, president and CEO of the Hall of Fame Resort & Entertainment, told The Canton Repository in March that the Village was "continuing to source the necessary capital" for the $117 million project. However, due to the "complexity of the market" and attempting to finalize multiple funding sources at the same time, work had slowed.

During an earnings presentation later that month, Crawford announced that the opening of Gameday Bay and the hotel were delayed until at least early 2025.

With the slowdown came calls about contractors not receiving payment, which the Village and Welty denied. Crawford said the Village typically receives bills about a month and a half after work occurs and then pays about a month later after a verification process.

Reach Kelly at 330-580-8323 or kelly.byer@cantonrep.com.On X: @kbyerREP

This article originally appeared on The Repository: S.A. Comunale files, then releases liens for HOFV Gameday Bay work