Jim Porter, publisher of The Canton Repository, will chair Centennial Celebration Host Committee.
CANTON Planning for an NFL centennial celebration in Canton has begun.
Jim Porter, publisher and CEO of The Canton Repository, will chair the Centennial Celebration Host Committee that will discuss the city's role in the league's 100th birthday.
Pro Football Hall of Fame President David Baker presented ideas for the centennial last month during the NFL owners meeting in Orlando.
"I am deeply humbled to be chosen to lead this committee of individuals who share a strong belief for the vision of our community," Porter said. "The Centennial Celebration is a once-in-a-lifetime event that will have a huge impact on Stark County. We look forward to celebrating the rich history of the NFL and helping to kick off the next century of the game from the city where it all began."
In addition to the centennial, Canton, in partnership with Cleveland, is a finalist to host either the 2019 or 2020 NFL Draft. Representatives from the NFL visited the two cities last month to view potential draft facilities. A decision is expected to be announced during the NFL's spring owners meetings in mid-May.
The 2019 season will be the NFL's 100th, and the league's centennial, which commemorates its founding in an automobile showroom in downtown Canton, is Sept. 17, 2020.
"Jim Porter’s leadership is invaluable to ensuring that Canton hosts a great celebration befitting the NFL’s Centennial," Hall of Fame President and CEO David Baker said. "This will be Ohio’s ‘Super Bowl.’ Jim is a man of great integrity, strong character and immense community pride. He is the perfect choice to serve as chairman of this effort on behalf of our community."
Baker has said he would like to see Canton and Cleveland host the 2019 draft, as activities already are slated for Canton in 2020 because of the centennial.
"Our city is proud to be the birthplace of the National Football League, and we treasure that distinction," Canton Mayor Thomas Bernabei said. "Canton is not only the home to Hall of Famers, but also to every player who has stepped onto an NFL field.
"A strong team of our community leaders, led by Jim Porter, has been put together to create a special celebration like none other."
More of the planned Johnson Controls Hall of Fame Village is expected to be built by 2020. Developers recently obtained an up-to-$100-million bridge loan that in part was used to pay contractors who built Benson Stadium and is expected to enable construction to resume.
A New York-based advisory firm, M. Klein and Company, has signed on to provide strategic and financial advice to developers as they move forward with the 10-part Village.
Reach Alison at 330-580-8312 or alison.matas@cantonrep.com.
On Twitter: @amatasREP