Below are the official lease documents and amendments that show how public land and funding were used to build Hall of Fame Village. Every document is publicly obtained and independently verified. Download and explore — this trust was built on proof.

If you want to know the truth, follow the money.

LEASE DOCUMENTS

1. Original Lease & PFHOF Contribution Agreement

Date: March 11, 2016
Download: Original Lease & PFHOF Contribution Agreement
Key Points:

  • Establishes leases for the Stadium, Parking, and Youth Fields

  • PFHOF agrees to contribute $28.8M with no expectation of repayment

  • Sets the foundation for control of school district land

  • Why It Matters: This document is the beginning of it all. It shows how public land was locked into private development with no repayment expected, funded through PFHOF.

2. First Lease Amendments

Date: June 1, 2017 (implied)
Download: First Lease Amendments
Key Points:

  • Updates initial lease terms for clarity

  • Reconfirms Port Authority’s role

  • Sets up for future omnibus amendments

  • Why It Matters: These changes quietly moved legal pieces into place to prepare for a more complex agreement structure in 2018 and beyond.

3. First Omnibus Amendment Agreement

Date: August 1, 2018
Download: First Omnibus Amendment Agreement
Key Points:

  • Updates multiple agreements in one sweeping amendment

  • Introduces the Tourism Development District (TDD) changes

  • CCSD tract removed from protection

  • Why It Matters: This is where things shift. School land gets removed from the TDD, opening the door for private redevelopment with fewer restrictions.

4. Second Omnibus Amendment & Rent Adjustment

Date: December 1, 2020
Download: Second Omnibus Amendment & Rent Adjustment
Key Points:

  • Adjusts rent payments and payment structure

  • Reaffirms all prior obligations

  • Lists all involved entities again (CCSD, Port, PFHOF, HOFV)

  • Why It Matters: It confirms everyone’s still in — and that school district leaders are reaffirming obligations on taxpayer-owned land.

5. Third Omnibus Amendment Agreement

Date: May 2022
Download: Third Omnibus Amendment Agreement
Key Points:

  • Rebundles all agreements again

  • Confirms continued corporate control over public land

  • States that Port Authority has no liability beyond project funding

  • Why It Matters: By 2022, everyone signs off on the full structure again — including the school board — despite ongoing financial issues and public frustration.

6. Assignment & Assumption Consent Agreement

Date: January 2024
Download: Assignment & Assumption Consent Agreement
Key Points:

  • Assigns rights and obligations to new parties

  • Reaffirms previous agreements and lease terms

  • Requires consent from all prior signers

  • Why It Matters: This is the final piece. It shows how the full lease structure has now been handed off or reassigned — likely to a third-party financial entity or investor.

RELEVANT CANTON CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES

June 21st, 2021

Download Minutes: June 21st, 2021

Key Motions:

  • Annexed parcels for HOF Village into city boundaries

  • Approved TIF (Tax Increment Financing) cooperation agreement with Stark Port Authority

  • Authorized bond issuance for infrastructure improvements

  • Passed multiple ordinances (including #20, #23, and #14) to secure public financing channels

Key Quote:

“Authorize cooperation and tax increment financing agreement with Port Authority and HOF Village entities.” — Council motion

Why It Matters:

This was the night the City made it official — giving Hall of Fame Village and Stark Port Authority the green light to use public dollars to finance private development. A series of unanimous votes created the financial engine behind the project, but most citizens never knew it happened.This is a frequently asked question?

July 12th, 2021

Download Minutes: July 12th, 2021

Key Motions:

  • Zoned new land into the HOFV District designation

  • Finalized annexation approvals from the prior session

  • Applied emergency measures to fast-track the approvals

  • Suspended rules to pass without full readings or delays

Key Quote:

“Assign territory … as Hall of Fame Village District (HOFV) …” — Council Motion

Why It Matters:

This created the “Hall of Fame Village District” — a zoning overlay designed specifically to serve the project’s developers. The emergency passage and rule suspension meant almost zero public pushback was possible. The city bent the rules to accelerate private control of public ground.

May 13th, 2024

Download Minutes: May 13th, 2024

Key Motions:

  • Approved Cooperative Assessment Agreement between City, Stark Port, and HOFV

  • Authorized the issuance of TIF Revenue Bonds

  • Created legal framework to divert property tax increases toward project-related expenses

  • Paved way for debt-based development backed by future taxes

Key Quote:

“Authorize the City of Canton to enter into a Cooperative Assessment Agreement … for the benefit of Hall of Fame Village.” — Council ordinance summary

Why It Matters:

In 2024, Canton doubled down. This vote lets them issue public bonds to support a private entertainment district — all backed by your future property tax revenue. That’s debt that doesn’t get voted on by residents, but it affects the services we all rely on.

PUBLIC FUNDING BREAKDOWN

Public Funding Breakdown for HOFV

View Full Document: HOFV Public Funding Breakdown (PDF)
Updated: July 2025
Compiled by: Stacey Horning

Public dollars were meant to create opportunity, support families, and build up Canton — not enrich executives or get funneled into private entities behind closed doors. When assets bought with our money are transferred away without transparency, the entire community loses.

EXECUTIVE PAY VS. FRONT LINE PAY

Executive Pay vs. Worker Pay: Priorities in Plain Numbers

In 2020–2022, Hall of Fame Resort & Entertainment Company reported CEO pay of $8.47M, $3.07M, and $1.90M respectively (SEC proxies). During the same period, public job listings for Hall of Fame Village show frontline roles in the $13–$14/hour range (some higher). That’s an illustrative gap of roughly 290–310:1 in 2020, 105–115:1 in 2021, and 65–70:1 in 2022… even larger when roles are part-time or capped on hours. These aren’t my estimates of ‘value’; they’re the company’s own filings and its advertised wages side-by-side.

CEO (Michael Crawford) — SEC-Reported Total Compensation

  • 2020: $8,466,542 (salary $776,154; stock awards $7.29M; bonus $375k; other $25k).

  • 2021: $3,066,172 (salary $850k; stock awards $1.77M; bonus $375k; other $69k).

  • 2022: $1,897,891 (salary $937,591; bonus $900k; other $60k).

    Context for 2023 going forward: his contracted base moved to $950k in 2023, later amended to $900k cash salary while still using $950k for bonus calculations (that’s… a choice).

Typical Front-Line Pay at HOFV/Hall of Fame Village (public postings)

Comparing CEO total comp to a typical $13–$14/hr frontline role:

  • 2020: $8.47M vs. ~$27–29k → ~290–310 to 1.

  • 2021: $3.07M vs. ~$27–29k → ~105–115 to 1.

  • 2022: $1.90M vs. ~$27–29k → ~65–70 to 1.

If we instead compare to a higher $21/hr role (~$43.7k), the 2022 gap is still ~43 to 1

HOFV qualifies as an Emerging Growth/Smaller Reporting Company, so it hasn’t been required to publish an official SEC CEO-to-median employee pay ratio yet; figures above are an illustrative comparison, not the formal ratio. This comparison covers only one executive. Multiple other members of senior leadership were compensated at levels equally disproportionate to the wages of the company’s front-line employees.