Category: Press Coverage

Ideastream Public Media (4/2/26) Canton’s mayor is willing to welcome data centers, but on the city's terms. That was one of the topics discussed in Mayor Bill Sherer's first State of the City speech at Umstattd Performing Arts Hall Thursday. Sherer, a long-time labor union leader and Canton City Council member, was elected mayor in 2023 and is seeking re-election next year, he said. Canton's mayor has not delivered a State of the City speech in about 12 years, he said. “If you would’ve asked me back then if I’d be the guy bringing it back, I would’ve told you,…

Canton Repository (3/31/26) A small grassy lot in Alliance, anchored by a towering backhoe, was ready for new construction. To a group of people gathered March 31 for a groundbreaking at 727 Milner St., it was no ordinary event. It symbolized hope and renewal in the city's Ward 2. The area is blighted. "This is wonderful," said Mayor Andy Grove. "This is just another step in what's been our plan for the last 2½ years to get affordable housing in Alliance." Build Ohio Neighborhoods Inc., a North Canton nonprofit, plans to build 10 high-quality homes for families in 2026 in…

Canton Repository (3/20/26) The former Athens Restaurant property has a new owner. The building sold at auction on March 20, ending an era for one of Canton’s longtime dining establishments. The auction began at 12:30 p.m. at the former restaurant at 816 Harrison Ave. SW with a mix of in-person and online bidders. The final bid topped out at $165,000 from Don Ackerman and Bill Lemmon, both representing Canton for All People. That makes the final sale price $181,000 with the 10% buyer's premium. The organization hopes to keep it as a restaurant and find an operator, Ackerman said. "We specialize in…

Canton Repository (2/4/26) City Council on Feb. 2 approved measures to revitalize Ward 2, paving the way for new homes in the low-income area. The action allows Build Ohio to construct 10 new, single-family homes in an area that includes Liberty, Seneca and Freedom streets. Build Ohio is a joint venture between Canton For All People and the Youngstown Neighborhood Development Corporation. Both specialize in neighborhood revitalization. Their successes include the Shorb project in Canton. The project in Alliance also involves the Greater Alliance Foundation, Alliance Area Development, Alliance City Council and Mayor Andy Grove's office. The Lemmon and DeHoff…

Canton Repository (1/27/26) The people behind the Shorb revitalization in Canton have similar intentions for the Carnation City. Build Ohio plans to build 10 new, single-family houses in the Liberty Heights area in 2026 on Alliance's north side. The homes will be built on reclaimed lots owned by the city. The infill project aims to create affordable houses that the city severely lacks, multiple officials said. The effort will target low-income neighborhoods in Ward 2. The average price will be $200,000, but organizers will be securing $50,000 to $60,000 in subsidies as a down payment to give families equity. Ground…

Canton Repository (1/12/26) 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…

Ideastream Public Media (10/7/25) This story is part of Ideastream Public Media’s “Sound of Us” series covering housing and advocacy in Canton, produced in partnership with Canton for All People. Learn more at ideastream.org/soundofus. Hundreds of people are about to gather in a large wood-paneled ballroom in a Cleveland suburb on a sunny Saturday morning. They’re arriving from across the state to learn about the legal obstacles that keep formerly incarcerated people from succeeding when re-entering society. Shauntae Metcalf of Canton is one of the speakers. She was formerly incarcerated herself for a kidnapping and abduction charge back in 2015. When she…

Ideastream Public Media (9/30/25) This story is part of Ideastream Public Media’s “Sound of Us” series covering housing and advocacy in Canton, produced in partnership with Canton for All People. It's hard to miss Tania Fowler's house in Canton's Greater Shorb neighborhood. Guests arriving this fall will be greeted by an enormous purple blow-up spider on the front porch. “One girl said, ‘I love driving by your house on the holidays. You just decorate it so nice.’ I’m like, ‘yeah, it’s coming!’” Fowler said, laughing. Inside, there’s even more ghastly garnishes — an array of skulls, skeletons and candles in the kitchen and…

Ideastream Public Media (9/17/25)  http://youtube.com/watch?v=5IPqUYlneNo Affordable housing is an issue in Ohio and nationwide. As property values and home prices rise, families and first-time buyers are being priced out of home ownership. Rental prices are also rising. According to a recent report from the Coalition on Homelessness and Housing in Ohio, the gap between what renters make and what they need to make to afford a basic two-bedroom apartment is widening. The subject of housing is the focus of our new "Sound of Us" community storytelling project. Our Engaged Journalism team worked with the organization Canton For All People to connect with people in Canton…

Ideastream Public Media (9/16/25) This story is part of Ideastream Public Media’s “Sound of Us” series covering housing and advocacy in Canton, produced in partnership with Canton for All People. Learn more at ideastream.org/soundofus. Inside her ranch-style house near the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Darnella Jenkins said she still can’t believe her custom-built home belongs to her. “I always used to say that I wanted to own my home by the time I’m 40,” she said. “It’s just perfect. Dreams do come true, and I’m just incredibly grateful.” Jenkins turned 40 this year, within months of closing on the home. For…

Canton Repository (6/8/25) A tear slid down Octavia Shipp’s cheek as she watched volunteers on Saturday dig into her yard along Sherrick Road SE. The volunteers were widening and fixing her concrete walkway so Shipp could more easily push her daughter’s wheelchair up and down the ramp and avoid pushing it through the grass. “Nobody ever helps here,” said Shipp, a mother of seven children and grandmother to three grandchildren who moved to Sherrick Road SE eight years ago. “We’re the lost cause of the city. … It’s a beautiful feeling to have people see us.” Volunteers also fixed the…

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…