SOURCE: WWW.WKYC.COM
CANTON, Ohio — The NFL's 32 owners have approved a funding package for the Pro Football Hall of Fame to help the Canton museum with its ongoing multimillion-dollar expansion and modernization project.
The owners approved the funding during their Wednesday meeting in Atlanta, with Browns representative J.W. Johnson being among those who took up the measure on the league's Hall of Fame Committee. Full details of the financial commitment have not been disclosed, but the Hall of Fame estimates the total expansion will cost around $102 million, including $33 million for the upcoming Phase 3.
"We are extremely grateful to Commissioner Roger Goodell and the owners of the National Football League for sharing our vision for the Pro Football Hall of Fame and its future," Hall of Fame President and CEO Jim Porter said in a statement. "With each expansion of the museum across its rich 63-year history, Hall of Fame leadership has been able to count on support from the league."
The hall has referred to its "Evolve 2030" modernization plan as "the most significant investment in the Hall's history and its biggest 'makeover' since opening in 1963. Phase 1 of the project involved upgrades to the Nash Family Event and Conference Center, while the ongoing Phase 2 will see the construction of the 18,000-square-foot KeyBank Center — "the largest event center in the area of its kind."
Phase 3 will focus on the Hall of Fame itself, with officials saying 8,000 square feet of space will be added to the museum. This will include the creation of a grand lobby and the Coach John Madden Broadcast Studio, along with new interactive exhibits focusing on the NFL's first 100 years.
The hall has sought funding from various private and public sources to help complete its expansion. According to officials, grants and naming-rights deals have helped keep the hall out of any debt as work continues.
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