The Pro Football Hall of Fame Village

 

The History

 

As the founder of GAX Capital, Don Hart began representing the Stark County Port Authority in 2005 and has spent the past 18 consecutive years participating in a wide variety of economic development project financings within the Stark County footprint. He has structured several municipal finance transactions including providing public finance and support services for debt placement, underwriting, private placements, structuring and arranging incentive program funding, as well as participated in marketing, project management and coordination activities for Port Authority projects.

 

In recent years, GAX incentive program activities have included TIF and TDD transactions, Port Authority Capital Leases and C-PACE assessment financings. We have arranged financing for large corporate clients such as Timken Corporation, Shearer’s Foods, and the 2011 expansion and renovation of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. 

 

The HOFV Project

 

Over the past 9 years, since 2014, we have represented the Stark Port Authority in their large scale multi-phase transformational vision project now known as the Hall of Fame Village (HOFV). The HOFV project began with a $135MM reconstruction of the Canton Fawcett Stadium, now known as the Tom Benson HOF Stadium, and has grown to include office buildings, event centers, athletic fields and facilities, hotels, restaurants, retail buildings, a Top Golf Swing Suites, and an Indoor Waterpark to complete Phase II of the HOFV project. In total, the current high-impact development project financing has exceeded $900MM with more exciting development plans in the future. GAX continues to be a proud partner of the HOFV development team and we are excited to continue to help make the HOFV dream a reality!