Canton Repository (1/31/25) The rebirth of the former Canton Inn site has grabbed the attention of federal housing officials and lawmakers who believe the work to improve some of Canton’s poorest neighborhoods could serve as a model for communities nationwide.
Scott Turner, secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, on July 31 toured with county, state and federal elected officials the under-construction 52-unit family apartment complex being built on the former Canton Inn site at 1031 Tuscarawas St. W, which had been a haven for prostitution and drug use before it was demolished in 2022.
“As we stand here this morning, my heart is so encouraged, and I’m so proud because this is action,” said Turner, a former professional football player who is also in town for Hall of Fame enshrinement activities. “This is results, not just words.”
Newton Family Apartments, which is being built by Canton For All People and Woda Cooper Co., is expected to open next year. The $21.1 million project, which consists of mostly three-bedroom and two-bedroom units, a playground, community space and fitness area, is being funded by a mix of public and private entities, including housing tax credits.
The project is part of a larger revitalization effort by Canton For All People, a nonprofit development corporation formed by Crossroads United Methodist Church and the Lemmon and DeHoff family foundations, that began in 2021. It opened the Shorb Neighborhood Market and Connection Center in 2023, is building roughly 60 new single-family homes in the neighborhoods within the next few years and plans to provide free child care and day care to 74 children whose families live in one of their apartments or homes.
“This was the anchor,” said Don Ackerman, executive director of Canton For All People and lead pastor of Crossroads United Methodist Church. “We knew anything that we put into this neighborhood, any rehab, every house that this had to be the first thing that dropped because any new house that I put would still be in the shadow of what used to be here.”
Turner pledged to share Canton For All People’s efforts with other communities. He said if HUD can be involved in projects such as Newton Family Apartments, it will find ways to do so. Canton dedicated $2.1 million of its federal housing allocation to the apartment project.
“I wish all of America could see what’s going on around here, and we aim to tell this story because in our country, this is a model that I believe will be a great blessing for generations to come,” Turner said.
State Sen. Jane Timken, R-Jackson Township, believes these types of partnerships can also help address the statewide housing shortage.
“This is the way we can transform our communities,” she said. “We have such a need in Ohio and across this country for more housing for our people. Just here alone in Stark County, we need 13,000 new doors and this is the way we are going to get it done.”