Canton is welcoming hundreds of history lovers this week in some of its most historic buildings downtown.
The brings together developers, business owners and historians to share takeaways on reviving downtowns through preserving historic buildings, said Matt Wiederhold, the nonprofit鈥檚 executive director.
鈥淭his is a great opportunity for them to come to the conference and learn about potential funding opportunities, to learn how to list their building on the National Register and to get insights on how to preserve and restore those buildings for a new use,鈥� Wiederhold said.
It鈥檚 also a chance for Canton to show off its downtown revitalization efforts, he said.
Canton is considered one of Ohio鈥檚 legacy cities, like Youngstown and Mansfield, that are building back and thriving after losing major industries, he said.
鈥淐anton is a wonderful story of a city on a comeback,鈥� Wiederhold said. 鈥淭hrough the use of historic preservation tax credits, many of their key downtown structures have been saved and put into new use.鈥�
Structures like the historic Onesto Event Center, a 1930鈥檚-era hotel that had fallen into such disrepair, it was once slated for demolition, Wiederhold said.
A 鈥渃atalytic鈥� restoration project in 2008 repurposed the hotel into a state-of-the-art venue for weddings and events, he said.
Conference sessions will be held there, as well as the historic Canton Palace Theatre and Doubletree Hotel - formerly the McKinley Grand Hotel. Discussions will focus on state historic tax credits and programs like Main Street grants, including a keynote presentation from Erin Barnes, CEO of the Main Street America program.
Canton is a prime example of how restoring old buildings can spark economic development and help preserve a city鈥檚 heritage, Wiederhold added.
鈥淭hese historic structures are more than just old buildings. They are the identity of the history of that community,鈥� Wiederhold said. 鈥淭hey were built by people who perhaps founded or invested in that community, and they stand as landmarks to the past.鈥�
They鈥檒l also honor the late Ohio Sen. Kirk Schuring, a Canton native who helped create the state鈥檚 historic tax credit program, Wiederhold said. Schuring died last November.
鈥淗e worked so hard across the state to help downtown revitalization, so this is a way for us to kind of honor his legacy after his passing last year, and to kind of lift up Canton as a great example of a city on a comeback,鈥� Wiederhold said.
The conference runs Tuesday through Thursday. Wiederhold expects about 350 to 400 attendees, he said.
