Each month, we feature on our a different Ohio city as part of our #GOPCThread Series, #OHCommunitySpotlight. This month, like every professional football player hopes to do someday, we travel to the Hall of Fame City of Canton!

We bet you know @TheCityofCanton is home of the Football Hall of Fame @ProFootballHOF. 🏈 But did you know that it’s named after Canton, China? Follow this #GOPCThread to learn more about this cool spot. Mural by @GreetingsTours. @VisitCanton

@TheCityofCanton has 70K residents & was founded as a village in 1822. The name was chosen by the original surveyor most likely in honor of the Irish merchant who named his estate Canton & was the first person to transport goods from Baltimore to Canton, China.

@TheCityofCanton was the long-time home of William McKinley, the 25th President, and current home to the @McKinleyMuseum Presidential Library, Museum, Memorial and Planetarium. @VisitCanton

Want more US history? Visit the @NatlFirstLadies Library & Museum in downtown at the former home of Ida & William McKinley.  There you can learn about these influential women & see artifacts from their lives.  @NatlParkService

From the Ladies, explore #CantonArtsDistrict and #TheEleven art installations celebrating great moments in #football.   @ArtsinStark

Other downtown stops include #CantonClassicCarMuseum & @CantonPalaceThr, a gorgeous atmospheric theatre on the @HHPreservItNPS that might make you think you’re in Spain. @VisitCanton

Even more visual art, dance, music, and theater 🎵🎬 can be found at #CantonCulturalCenter which houses the Canton Art Museum @CantonMuseum, @cantonballet, @SingStark, and @ArtsinStark

D’town’s new @Canton100Plaza (a former brownfield site @OHBrownfields) provides community space for movies & events like #picklefest. Locally-made @beldenbrickco were used in the design. Enjoy d’town with a drink in your hand thanks to @CantonDORA!

The evolution of the former Kresge site from blighted brownfield to Canton Centennial Plaza.

Next door, another former brownfield #RenkertBuilding is being redeveloped into a 92-room @Marriott hotel with help from @downtowncantonpartnership who initially acquired the property for renovation in 2018. The project is receiving Brownfield Remediation Funds @OHBrownfields.

@SARTAonline is a leader in Hydrogen Fuel Cell use & strives to be the largest HFC fleet east of CA.  In 2020 they received a Blue Sky Award from @CALSTART for being a pioneer in public transit.

@TheCityofCanton has a long history of manufacturing which continues today. Steel bearings made by #TimkenSteel, now #Metallus, were used in US Jeeps in WWII.  Watches were also made in Canton by #Dueber-Hampden Watch Company.

Today manufacturing is still important to Canton’s economy.  Saws, power tools, processed meats, bricks, plastics, steel products like clean tubing, bar, coil, and wiring are made in #Canton. 🏭⚙️

Congrats @StarkCountyEDB the only OH finalist for @US_EDA Recompete Funds! They won grant funds and are eligible for more funding for #ReconnectingCanton to catalyze inclusive job growth particularly in SE Canton

#ReconnectingCanton is built on partnerships 2 max equitable job access & facilitate wealth creation @StarkMHA #GreaterStarkCountyUrbanLeague #SCCAA #CantonforAllPeople @NaacpStark #StarkCountyMinorityBusinessAssociation

To promote small biz run by disadvantaged and minority owners @CAKairport partnered with @WRCFofDFA to provide retail space at the airport for significantly reduced rent for a trial period.

To boost housing and stabilize n’hoods @TheCityofCanton granted ARPA funds 2 #HabitatforHumanityofEastCentralOhio & #CantonforAllPeople to deliver aff’d housing projects, like new homes, renos, demos, and greenspace improvements through the city.

The former Lehman school first built in 1920 was recently renovated making way for 62 units of senior housing called Oxford Place. The project was developed by a.m. Rodriguez Associates Inc. & @EANDC330 @CmsHousing manages the property.

How’d they do that? The $19M renovation used state and fed historic tax credits, LIHTC @OhioHousing, funding from @ClevelandFed, loans & tax abatements from @TheCityofCanton, and a TIF agreement approved by council and @CCS_District.

There’s even more to explore in @TheCityofCanton. To dig in further check out @VisitCanton, and get ready to explore another cool Ohio community with #GOPCThread in July!

Cover Image Source: Wikimedia via Weaponizing Architecture