PROMISES MADE,
PROMISES NOT KEPT!
PROMISES NOT KEPT!
Here is a video that SCPR took of Baker appearing before Canton City Council at the HOF itself on or about April 10, 2016 making quite specific statements about the imminence of the Hotel construction (to begin September, 2016) according to him) and assuring council members that the financing for all the elements of the complex was falling into place on a piece-by-piece basis.
By January, 2018 it was obvious to one and all that financing was not falling into place with the revelation that quite a number of contractors for the project had not been paid and had filed liens.
And, other than some site preparation work, the promised hotel was and remains nowhere to be seen.
Even as late as June, 2018 (less than one year ago) black contractors working on the parking site next to the stadium complex had not been paid. So far as this blogger knows, The Canton Repository was way behind the SCPR in covering the matter, if at all and The Report likes to think that this blog's coverage of the non-payment resulted in the minority contractors eventually got paid as did the January, 2018 lien filers.
Top Photo - Parking Lot at Beginning of Construction
Bottom Photo - Parking Lot as a Finished Construction
Undoubtedly, Baker had the best of intentions and it is likely he has not intended to deceive participants from the public sector (Canton, Stark County and Ohio taxpayers) as to the viability of the Hall of Fame Village Project (HOF-VP) in the sense of taxpayers getting a substantial "return on investment" for putting taxpayer money into the project.
But it appears that he and his fellows, the managers the HOF-VP, have made quite a few statements in public and in more private settings (i.e.involving one-on-ones with various Stark County political subdivision elected/appointed officials) that have proved to be inaccurate.
In a familiar "football" phrase, the effect of the shifting sand of HOF-VP development is that "the goal posts" keep moving.
Accordingly, from The Stark County Political Report's perspective, Stark Countians need to be skeptical of new promises or projections made by Baker (see December quotes made by Baker to a Cleveland publication below)
NOTE: Let the SCPR pause to repeat what this blogger has consistently said: As a private enterprise project, The Report hopes the HOF-VP succeeds. To the degree that private sector investors shoulder the risk, it is their business to keep PFHOF officials accountable.It should be comforting to the private sector that former Disney executive Mike Crawford has been brought into the PFHOF mix as Village CEO in an endeavor to make the HOF-VP a Disney-esque entertainment complex.
The public should continue to be skeptical from the perspective of ever getting an accounting for the "return of investment" no matter how the project ultimately ends up.
Of course, it isn't only The Rep's (i.e. Porter) failure to delve deep on behalf of the taxpaying public but also public officials who are in remiss on this score.
If the HOF-VP falls far short of its ambitious goals, then it will be a time for naming names among public officialdom who failed to protect the taxpayer investment.
Only the Stark County commissioners and North Canton mayor David Held (who has first-hand experience with Lichter as the contractor for rehabbing the former Hoover complex) have conducted themselves in a scrutinizing manner that we citizens should demand of our elected/appointed officials.
There is some thought that David Held will face stiff opposition for re-election as mayor this fall because of his face-off with HOF officials in January 2018.
"I am very excited that we have a tremendously talented and enormously experienced executive like Mike Crawford to quarterback the Johnson Controls Hall of Fame Village team," said Pro Football Hall of Fame president and CEO David Baker in a news release. "He brings demonstrated leadership through his experience at the Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts Company, in addition to the development and operation of Disney theme parks, hotels, and retail, dining and entertainment districts around the world. Mike Crawford will make Johnson Controls Hall of Fame Village a world-class and state-of-the-art destination center."
(emphasis added; quote from Crain's Cleveland Business, December 13, 2018)
more power to him!
However, Canton, Ohio is not Shanghai, China nor Orlando, Florida nor Anaheim, California.
Time will tell, but it appears just from the language of Sunday's Repository piece he understands getting the private sector funding to complete the project as most recently envisioned is a major, major, major undertaking.
more power to him!
However, Canton, Ohio is not Shanghai, China nor Orlando, Florida nor Anaheim, California.
Time will tell, but it appears just from the language of Sunday's Repository piece he understands getting the private sector funding to complete the project as most recently envisioned is a major, major, major undertaking.
The Report believes that nearly everything that has and continues to come out of Baker's mouth and, perhaps his successor, with respect to the Professional Football Hall of Fame (PFHOF, HOF-VP) is "pure 'spin,'" in terms of avoiding to forthrightly answering chapter and verse about the failure of promise, after promise, after promise he and his compatriots at the PFHOF have made regarding the completion of the nearly $1 billion HOF-VP being kept.
Sunday's piece in The Repository (the official newspaper of PFHOF) seems to be a confirmation of The Report's belief.
In a pretty much "nothing is new" article published this past Sunday
In a pretty much "nothing is new" article published this past Sunday
- undoubtedly a HOF sweetheart and Repository Publisher James Porter directed update report:
- "golly, gee; its been a very long time with nothing happening" and we (The Rep) need to update the Stark County public on the "nothing is new"
- except perhaps a new name in place of "the to deliver" Baker, et al
The lack of Repository pressing on meaningfully critical questioning of HOF officials on the lack of progress and obtaining concrete information is appalling in light of:
Baker and his sidekick. developer Stuart Lichter, (IRG and HOF Village, LLC and a host of other particular HOF project connected corporate-esque entities) seem to have (with Baker being the "mouthpiece) been on a pathway to discredit the viability of the HOF-VP ever being completed as visioned by Baker at the outset of the planning process in 2014; the first year of Baker being on the scene as the PFHOF public relations visage.
- The Rep billing itself as "the official newspaper of the Professional Football Hall of Fame,"
- Publisher Porter being a member of the PFHOF Board of Directors and thereby undoubtedly has inside information of the viability of this project but by virtue of being more or less in a fiduciary relationship with the managers of the project and thereby as the publisher of Stark County's only countywide newspaper (duty to inform its readers) seemingly has conflicting responsibilities,
- Moreover, Porter is chairman of the Canton Regional Chamber of Commerce which a number of observers think is in a collusion-esque relationship with The Repository and the PFHOF to:
- obscure accountability to the taxaying Ohio/Stark County public for taxpayer dollars in cash and in-kind government services, and
- keep the taxpaying public informed as to whether or not public investment in the HOF-VP will pay off in terms of the project producing living wage "permanent" jobs.
The SCPR thinks that Publisher Porter is dragging The Rep's credibility on all things PFHOF to the absolute bottom.
Even before The Rep became "the official newspaper of the PFHOF," the union representing Rep employees sent a letter to the management of The Rep questioning whether or not the paper becoming "the official newspaper of the PFHOF" would constitute a "conflict in interest" and thereby cause the reading public to question the credibility of PFHOF reportage going forward.
The Rep may do a fine job on everything else, but articles on the HOF-VP appear to be James Porter directed public relations-esque work.
Note that the SCPR does not point the finger at any particular reporter but rather at James Porter, the publisher as the "controller-in-chief" of HOF-VP newspaper coverage.
The Stark County Political Report is the ONLY journalistic outlet that is not directed by anyone as to what topics to write on and does so in a thorough and penetrating manner.
Sunday's Repository article appears to be Porter's attempt to make excuses for the PFHOF folks and may be an indicator that the HOF-VP will never, ever realize the concept as graphically and rhetorically presented in its original form and how it has been expanded upon since 2014 into being projected as being a $1 billion project.
This development is a curious one in that last October Executive Editor Rich Desrosiers at the end of the Neighborhood Association's Candidates Forum pointed out to this blogger (a paraphrase) "Martin, here it is October and nothing is happening with the hotel."
This statement after he took issue with the SCPR's oft repeated blogging to the effect that the hierarchy of The Rep is way too entangled with HOF-VP officialdom and the Canton Regional Chamber of Commerce (i.e. Denny Saunier, who The Report views as the cheerleader-in-chief for the HOF-VP) for the Stark County reading public to have any confidence of the ability of The Rep to do investigative, incisive and delving into the financial troubles that have plagued the HOF-VP going clear back to 2014, which of course, has been 5 years in duration.
Reading between the lines, even with the Klein brothers and Crawford involved, obtaining finances is still a struggle.
Baker's forte is his personal magnetism; not as a manager of the day-in, day-out work of actually putting a physical complex together.
So here is the question about the future of the project:
Sunday's Repository article appears to be Porter's attempt to make excuses for the PFHOF folks and may be an indicator that the HOF-VP will never, ever realize the concept as graphically and rhetorically presented in its original form and how it has been expanded upon since 2014 into being projected as being a $1 billion project.
This development is a curious one in that last October Executive Editor Rich Desrosiers at the end of the Neighborhood Association's Candidates Forum pointed out to this blogger (a paraphrase) "Martin, here it is October and nothing is happening with the hotel."
This statement after he took issue with the SCPR's oft repeated blogging to the effect that the hierarchy of The Rep is way too entangled with HOF-VP officialdom and the Canton Regional Chamber of Commerce (i.e. Denny Saunier, who The Report views as the cheerleader-in-chief for the HOF-VP) for the Stark County reading public to have any confidence of the ability of The Rep to do investigative, incisive and delving into the financial troubles that have plagued the HOF-VP going clear back to 2014, which of course, has been 5 years in duration.
Reading between the lines, even with the Klein brothers and Crawford involved, obtaining finances is still a struggle.
Baker's forte is his personal magnetism; not as a manager of the day-in, day-out work of actually putting a physical complex together.
So here is the question about the future of the project:
Is Sunday's article a preparing tof he Stark County taxpaying public for learning that the projected "nearly $1 billion" (The Rep's words) HOF-VP in never, ever going to materialize and now what is going on is a salvage operation of a greatly sized-down project?
The SCPR has heard repeatedly from multiple Stark Countians in various public/private roles that they think Lichter has been the problem and that anything that comes out of 2121 George Halas Drive is to be looked at skeptically because of the "promises, promises, promises but "undelivered" history of the past regime at the PFHOF.
Some comments on the Sunday piece received by the SCPR:
First:
I really don't know that there was really anything new or exciting in the article, other than someone new (recently appointed Village CEO, Michael Crawford), giving the same lines we've been hearing for the past almost 2 years.
Some comments on the Sunday piece received by the SCPR:
First:
I really don't know that there was really anything new or exciting in the article, other than someone new (recently appointed Village CEO, Michael Crawford), giving the same lines we've been hearing for the past almost 2 years.
The article contains expectations that construction will resume "in the near future". Well, "in the near future" or "soon" has been the assurance given on a pretty regular basis, ever since the "groundbreaking" for the hotel in 2017, the construction of which stalled shortly thereafter and has yet to resume. At this point, it's hard to think that most people, other than their "official newsletter" or the others who are serving or drinking the Kool-Aid have much confidence in those assurances. At some point, to be taken seriously and rebuild some level of confidence in the statements that are being made, those statements or estimated dates actually need to be met or backed up with action.
The optimist in me says that maybe they are getting closer to finally getting something off the ground, because if I was Mr. Crawford, I wouldn't be moving to Canton, OH, unless I had some reasonable assurances that the project was about to get moving.
As previously stated, I hope the HOF Village turns out to be everything they have promised, or even 2/3's of what they've promised. But, as of right now, the project certainly has a credibility issue, that hopefully this new leadership can and will change.
Second:
... New CEO is experienced in completing destination projects which has been contemplated and expected.
Time will tell...
Bricks and mortar will be the physical proof for all to see. ...
Third:
I will reiterate one thing I previously said. It’s been over a year, when are they going to resume construction?
The Stark County Political Report is the ONLY journalistic endeavor to put the light on the deficient ways (re: accounting to the taxpaying) of the HOF-VP folks.
And, of course, none of HOF-VP officials will talk with The Report.
The SCPR is "the official guardian of the public interest."
The Repository, it seems, through the director of its publisher, is proving that it has no interest in making a delving examination of HOF-VP achievements or lack thereof, obviously, because Porter has so enmeshed himself in the structure of the project that for many of us, The Rep has no credibility whatsoever when it comes to coverage of the project.
The optimist in me says that maybe they are getting closer to finally getting something off the ground, because if I was Mr. Crawford, I wouldn't be moving to Canton, OH, unless I had some reasonable assurances that the project was about to get moving.
As previously stated, I hope the HOF Village turns out to be everything they have promised, or even 2/3's of what they've promised. But, as of right now, the project certainly has a credibility issue, that hopefully this new leadership can and will change.
Second:
... New CEO is experienced in completing destination projects which has been contemplated and expected.
Time will tell...
Bricks and mortar will be the physical proof for all to see. ...
Third:
I will reiterate one thing I previously said. It’s been over a year, when are they going to resume construction?
The Stark County Political Report is the ONLY journalistic endeavor to put the light on the deficient ways (re: accounting to the taxpaying) of the HOF-VP folks.
And, of course, none of HOF-VP officials will talk with The Report.
The SCPR is "the official guardian of the public interest."
The Repository, it seems, through the director of its publisher, is proving that it has no interest in making a delving examination of HOF-VP achievements or lack thereof, obviously, because Porter has so enmeshed himself in the structure of the project that for many of us, The Rep has no credibility whatsoever when it comes to coverage of the project.
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