Canton Repository – Where the notorious Canton Inn once stood, a new chapter for local families is about to begin.
The Newton Family Apartments complex is nearing completion, signaling a milestone in the city’s Shorb neighborhood revitalization efforts. The complex at 1016 2nd St. NW will consist of 52 units of affordable family housing.
The project took shape under the vision of Don Ackerman, executive director of Canton For All People and lead pastor of Crossroads United Methodist Church.
“It wasn’t sufficient to just tear down the Canton Inn,” Ackerman said. “We had to replace it with the thing we always hoped was there.”
Now, just over three years since the Canton Inn was demolished, construction on the apartments is set to be completed by the end of February. Leasing will begin in the spring.
What will the new apartments offer?
The property includes large windows, kitchens equipped with appliances, ceiling fans and spacious living areas.
Newton Family Apartments will offer 28 three-bedroom units, 20 two-bedroom units and four one-bedroom units for people with lower incomes. Ackerman said a majority of the units have two or three bedrooms, designed with families in mind.
The first floor will house the new Canton For All People office, a community room and fitness center. A playground can be found outside the building.
The apartments will be range from $350 to $1,050 a month.
Project Funding and Timeline
The Canton Inn, long regarded as a neighborhood nuisance and crime hot spot, was demolished to make way for redevelopment. In July 2022, the Canton Community Improvement Corp. purchased the property for $629,000, along with an adjacent parcel for $170,000.
The city invested an additional $59,000 for asbestos abatement and $72,000 for demolition before transferring the site to Canton For All People, according to Canton Communications Director Christian Turner.
Canton For All People partnered with Woda Cooper Companies, a Columbus-based development and construction company with a specialization in low-income housing.
Construction began about a year ago and the building’s total cost was $21 million. Ackerman said the complex’s foundation, elevators and heated corridors significantly increased expenses when compared to standard walk-up apartment designs.
The project was funded from 4% low-income housing tax credits and additional private/public loans and grants, said Jon McKay, Woda Cooper Companies vice president of development.
The city of Canton contributed $2.1 million, with $840,000 of that coming from HOME funds, a federal grant program to create affordable housing for low-income families, and $1.26 million from American Rescue Plan funds.
“The city of Canton is majorly invested in this, as well as Canton For All People, and it’s going to take all of us working together to move the city forward,” Mayor William V. Sherer II said.
Final steps include finishing painting, carpentry, electrical and climate control in preparation for residents moving in.
Canton for All People continues Shorb-area revitalization
The Newton Family Apartments is just one piece of a larger effort to revitalize the Shorb Neighborhood — which is defined as Tuscarawas Street W to 12th Street NW and McKinley Avenue NW to the railroad on the west.
In 2021, Canton for All People did an independent study of the Shorb Neighborhood, resulting in the creation of a comprehensive 10-year plan. Since then, the organization reports it has completed 16 rehabs, 20 new houses and the nearly complete 52-unit apartment building.
In late 2022, Canton for All People purchased the former Marshall Maytag Building and transformed it into the Shorb Market and Connection Center at 603 Shorb Ave. NW, which has become a hub for community resources and fresh food. The Gibbs Avenue Center, formerly the Canton Calvary Mission, is being renovated to include an early learning center, daycare, youth programs, hot meals and community events, and will open in June.
The organization has plans to build 38 apartment units at the site of the Canton Preservation Society resale store at 1223 and 1227 Tuscarawas St. W. Canton For All People also has plans for duplexes on nearby Brown Avenue and to continue building new homes in the area, with a goal of 28 single-family residences by next year. Canton For All People offers homes for both rental and ownership opportunities as units become available.
Gino Haynes, deputy director of Canton For All People, said the most exciting part of building affordable housing is hearing the stories along the way.
“Ultimately, we figure out the logistics, we figure out the strategy, we figure out how to put houses on the ground,” Hayes said. “At the end of the day, it’s for people.”