CEO: Hall of Fame Village water park still progressing, but work slowed by financing

Kelly Byer, Canton Repository
Water slide materials sit in a parking lot adjacent to the future Gameday Bay water park at the Hall of Fame Village in Canton. Work on the water park project has slowed.
Water slide materials sit in a parking lot adjacent to the future Gameday Bay water park at the Hall of Fame Village in Canton. Work on the water park project has slowed.

CANTON − It may look like nothing is happening at the future Gameday Bay water park at the Hall of Fame Village, but Hall of Fame Resort & Entertainment Co. CEO Michael Crawford said there's still activity occurring indoors.

Piping and pumps were installed in the 147,000-square-foot building and several million dollars' worth of slide equipment was delivered Monday to the complex south of Fulton Road NW. Crawford said the pace of work has slowed, though, as the Village seeks to finalize funding from multiple entities.

The Hall of Fame Village says that work is continuing inside Gameday Bay, a water park being built in Canton.
The Hall of Fame Village says that work is continuing inside Gameday Bay, a water park being built in Canton.

“We’re waiting right now to close on some very important components of the final capital stack for the water park," he said. "We’re hopeful that those are going to close in this next month so that there is continued building and no interruption."

Several community members have contacted The Canton Repository with concerns that the work on the water park has stopped because of a lack of money.

The Hall of Fame Village says that work is continuing inside Gameday Bay, a water park being built in Canton.
The Hall of Fame Village says that work is continuing inside Gameday Bay, a water park being built in Canton.

The $117 million indoor water park will be funded by property-assessed clean energy financing and bonds repaid through tourism development district revenue and tax-increment financing. The state also awarded the Village a $15.8 million transformational mixed-use development tax credit for the football-themed water park and Hilton Tapestry hotel.

The entities handling the funding “all want to close simultaneously," Crawford said. They're all moving forward but on different timelines.

“So it’s rather complicated when you start talking about $100 million worth of funding coming from three or four different sources," he said.

Equipment sits in a parking lot adjacent to the future Gameday Bay water park waiting to be installed. The Hall of Fame Village says work is taking place indoors, but work on the project has slowed.
Equipment sits in a parking lot adjacent to the future Gameday Bay water park waiting to be installed. The Hall of Fame Village says work is taking place indoors, but work on the project has slowed.

Crawford also referenced difficult lending and economic conditions, citing the recently delayed Intel project near Columbus as an example, and a supply chain that's "still a little bit strained."

Regarding speculation about contractors not receiving payment, Crawford said payments were made this past week and more are "forthcoming." The Village is typically billed about a month and a half after work occurs and then payments are completed about a month later after a verification process.

Read more: What's going on with the Hall of Fame Village water park project in Canton?

Construction began in December 2022 on the water park, which will feature a wave pool, lazy river, water slide tower and other attractions. It and the adjacent hotel were scheduled for completion this fall.

“We’re continuing to source the necessary capital," Crawford said. "It’s just taking time, given the complexity of the market and given the complexity of everything we’re trying to do all at the same time.”

Gameday Bay, an indoor water park at the Hall of Fame Village in Canton, is scheduled to open later this year.
Gameday Bay, an indoor water park at the Hall of Fame Village in Canton, is scheduled to open later this year.

Canton Mayor William V. Sherer II, who stepped down from his Ironworkers Local 550 leadership position after taking office but remains a member, said the ironworkers are one of the trades working on the water park. He acknowledged a "pause in construction" but believes the project is still on track.

"If some of the ironworker contractors were not getting paid, I would have heard that," he said. "I haven't heard that at all."

Sherer said the city needs the Village to be successful, and he's confident work will ramp up again soon and the project will be completed.

Water slide materials sit in a parking lot adjacent to the future Gameday Bay water park at the Hall of Fame Village in Canton. Work on the water park project has slowed.
Water slide materials sit in a parking lot adjacent to the future Gameday Bay water park at the Hall of Fame Village in Canton. Work on the water park project has slowed.

Welty Building Co., the Village project's general contractor, provided The Canton Repository with a statement about the water park, saying that delays or timeline shifts are not uncommon in construction. The company also stated that it involves "multiple layers of work," not all visible from the exterior.

"Work is continuing on aspects of construction within the water park and we continue to receive and make payments," Welty Building Co. stated. "We remain committed to working alongside the Hall of Fame Village to complete this transformational project."

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

This article originally appeared on The Repository: Gameday Bay water park work in Canton's Hall of Fame Village slowed

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