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

CANTON − Holes are being dug, steel beams lifted and walls erected at the Hall of Fame Village as the country's only football-themed indoor water park comes to life.

Motorists on Interstate 77 or Fulton Road NW will notice a beehive of activity at the site, where bulldozers, backhoes, dump trucks and cranes have been working in recent weeks. Hall of Fame Village officials hope the water park and an adjacent hotel will be finished by October 2024.

"Our 120,000-square-foot indoor water park is coming to life with core and shell being erected, and the building’s exterior is set to be completed prior to winter of this year," Michael Crawford, president and CEO of the Hall of Fame Resort and Entertainment Co., said in a recent letter updating Hall of Fame Village shareholders on the project and other happenings at the entertainment campus and development.

"It’s an incredible new, one-of-a-kind asset that will impact not only the company’s revenue growth, but will also be an anchor guest experience to extend our 'stay and play' concept for the Village," he wrote.

Since the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, delays, rising costs, labor shortages and supply chain issues have been the norm with construction projects. But progress on the main pool area continues, including work on the foundation, said Anne Graffice, executive vice president of global marketing and public affairs for the Hall of Fame Village Resort and Entertainment Co.

"The project is on time and budget as of right now," she said last week. "And we are looking forward to sharing it with the world later next year."

One of a kind: Hall of Fame Village water park to feature high-thrill rides, lazy river, football theme

Water park won't be finished in time for HOF Festival 2024

Water park features will include high-thrill rides, sport racer tube rides, football-themed decor, swim-up bars, giant television screens, a lazy river, water slide tower, cabanas, children's area, and outdoor patio and entertainment area.

Crawford has said it will be the only football-themed water park in the country, attracting visitors from up to two to three hours away.

"I think we'll have the latest, greatest ride (and safety) technology, " he said at December's groundbreaking. "... The theming will be very immersive, theming being sports themes, and so I think we will be very competitive, very complementary (to other Northeast Ohio water parks), but we'll have a big draw for ourselves as well."

Pool plumbing and equipment are actively being installed for the $117 million water park project. The shell of the building is expected to be enclosed by winter, said Madison Zurakowski​, public affairs specialist at the Hall of Fame Village.

The Village is hopeful the indoor water park will be completed late in the third quarter of 2024 (July 1 to Sept. 30), Graffice said, adding that executives are "shooting for" that time period.

However, she doesn't anticipate the water park will be open for next year's Pro Football Hall of Fame Enshrinement Festival, which takes place in late July and early August.

The name of the water park will be announced in the near future; more renderings and the names of inside attractions also will be shared, Zurakowski​ said.

Entertainment destination: Music, comedians, football: What's next for Hall of Fame Village?

Work on Hilton Tapestry hotel expected to start soon

As work on the water park's exterior finishes, construction on the adjacent Hilton Tapestry hotel should begin in "the very near future," Crawford said in the letter to shareholders earlier this month.

"The site of this new hotel has been under preparation and was needed to support the water park construction for equipment and materials storage," he said.

More details on the hotel groundbreaking will be announced in the coming weeks, Crawford added.

The water park and 180-room hotel will be separate but connected so guests won't have to go outside to walk back and forth, Crawford said previously.

Both projects are part of the 100-acre Hall of Fame Village entertainment campus and development, which surrounds the Pro Football Hall of Fame and Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium. Components include Don Shula's American Kitchen, The Brew Kettle and Topgolf Swing Suite, Starbucks, Heggy's Nut Shop, The Pizza Oven and a Build-A-Bear Workshop.

Play-Action Plaza features the "Red Zone" Ferris wheel ride; "Forward Pass" zipline; and "Spike It" drop ride.

The Hall of Fame Village hosts a variety of events, including USFL football games, youth sports tournaments and holiday events, as well as star comedian Bill Burr's recent performance and last month's Tacos & Tequila Music Fest.

Visit Canton: Water park will be 'transformational' for region

Allyson Bussey, president and CEO of Visit Canton, said the water park is another example of the Village's broad economic impact.

Calling it a "huge asset," Bussey said that "having a year-round attraction of (the water park's) size and scope will be not only a catalyst for visitors to Stark County but also a great addition to complement our many other destinations, and keep them in our community longer, thus exponentially increasing visitor spending.

"... This is an exciting time," she said. "And this will be a transformational project we can all enjoy."

Lots of steel

Steel used in the entire water park project will total 2,274,000 pounds, Zurakowski said.

The foundation has been poured for the locker room area, with structural steel work scheduled for this month.

The project's general contractor is Welty Building Co. Subcontractors also have been busy working at the site in recent weeks, including the Stark County-based Beaver Excavating Co.

"A water park is an enormous undertaking and colossal and intricate build," Graffice said.

HOF Village executive: 'The proof's in the pudding.'

The idea is to complete the water park and hotel around the same time, she said.

The Hilton Tapestry will feature a restaurant open to both water park and hotel guests, Graffice said. Conferences and other events are also anticipated at the hotel.

Construction on the water park is yet another step in realizing the vision that Graffice and other Village executives and backers have for the $600 million overall development and entertainment destination.

"The proof's in the pudding," she said, referring to parts of the Village development already completed. "... We do what we say we're going to do. It's not easy ... and even now, it continues to be quite challenging."

But "we continue to make it happen for the betterment of the region."

Crawford echoed those sentiments.

"Our team continues to create one-of-a-kind content and experiences, at the highest level, to wow and inspire our guests to become loyal fans for everything we do," he said in the letter to shareholders. "They have overcome adversity in the face of a difficult macro-economic environment, a global health pandemic and have produced results that we will build upon in the coming years."

Reach Ed at ebalint@gannett.com and on X (formerly Twitter) @ebalintREP

This article originally appeared on The Repository: Football-themed water park to open at Hall of Fame Village in 2024