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.
“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 $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.
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.”
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.