The news about
the Pro Football Hall of Fame and their Hall of Fame Village project just keeps
getting bigger, better and more impressive, and promises to deliver a
tremendous economic boost to Stark County and the entire region.
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| As published in ShaleMart magazine |
We at the StarkCounty Oil & Gas Partnership are especially excited, because it represents
continued diversity to the development of the region. We are already actively
involved in the biggest economic windfall to affect the United States in this
young century—the expansion and growth of the oil and gas industry. While that
is having a positive effect nationwide, the expansion of the Pro Football Hall
of Fame will have a significant impact close to home, and is clearly deserving
of our support.
David Baker,
president and CEO of the Hall, began sharing the potential for the project more
than a year ago in speeches and presentations to chambers of commerce and other
business groups in Stark County. When he and others involved in the Hall of
Fame Village announced the details at a press conference in May, the full scope
of the $476 million project became known. It will be exciting to watch the
village become a reality in the months and years ahead.
One of the
reasons we’re so excited is that the Hall of Fame has a track record of using
local contractors and local Building Trades craftsmen, and our area Building
Trades are actively involved with the oil and gas industry. Dave Kirven,
chairman of the Stark County Oil & Gas Partnership, is also president of
the East Central Ohio Building & Construction Trades Council.
“We’ve been in
discussions with Dave Baker and others at the Hall of Fame with the goal of
securing a commitment to the hiring of local Building Trades craftsmen for the
Village project,” Kirven said.
Kirven attended
the press conference at which the Hall of Fame Village details were announced,
and drew applause from the audience when he assured Baker that the project
would “be ready for you when you bring the NFL Draft here in 2019.”
Stuart Lichter,
president of the company that is developing the village, assured those in
attendance that they would utilize local labor as much as possible.
That’s good
news for Stark County. The Partnership applauds the Pro Football Hall of Fame
for its commitment to our region, and to the local workers who are helping to
build it.
This article was originally submitted for publication in ShaleMart's print and online editions.
