The Repository | CantonRep.
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From Page M1
He was a power forward at
UC-Irvine, where he did his
undergrad work,from 1971 to
1975. He is still the schools
all-time rebound leader,
with 926, and averaged 8.6
rebounds per game over
his four-year career. Baker
remains third on the schools
career scoring list with 1,601
points, just shy of 15 a game.
Baker attended law school
at Pepperdine after playing
two years of professional
basketball in Europe, and
he later entered the world of
politics as mayor of Irvine,
Calif.
The big thing with David
is you have to be a believer,
said Steve Strawbridge, a
senior vice president at the
Hall and a member of Bak-
ers management team. He
got us to believe. Everything
he said would happen has
come to fruition. It has been
incredible. We sat around a
table his second day on the
job, and hes throwing all
these ideas at us and were
looking at each other like,
Are you serious? Everything
he said would happen in that
meeting has happened.
Believe me, there have
been bumps along the way.
You dont do a project like this
without bumps, but whenever
something has gone off the
scale, hes calm. He keeps
everybody focused.
A 4-pound dog
named Max
Those who know Baker well
say few things get under his
skin to the point he becomes
visibly upset. There are three
things that will get Baker
going, said Pete Fierle, the
Halls chief of staff and vice
president of communica-
tions. Fierle ticks off the list
quickly, as if hes reciting
commandments.
You dont take advantage
Proud to Support the Hall of Fame Village Project
of small animals, children or
his staff, Fierle said.
Prior to Baker moving to
Stark County, he and his wife
had a small Yorkshire terrier.
Baker took the 4-pound dog,
Max, for walks, a memory
that brings a smile and a laugh
to Strawbridge and others.
Its not entirely true that I
like small dogs. I liked a small
dog, Baker said. I didnt
want to love this dog. Ive
always been a golden retriever
guy. Then my wife brought
home this tiny dog. Yorkshires
are a small breed, but she got
the smallest puppy from the
litter. I was so embarrassed,
I was upset. People used to
honk their horns at me walk-
ing this dog on a leash.
The dog passed away just
before Baker was hired in
Canton.
Max loved me so much
I was compelled to love it
back, Baker said. I learned that transcends business.
a lot about life and a whole lot
about love from this dog. We
were exact opposites. I mean,
if I got up in the middle of the
night to go to the bathroom,
this dog could have lost its
life.
A photo of Max serves as
a screensaver on Bakers
cellphone.
When he died, I cried
more than when my dad
died, and I really loved my
dad, Baker said. I will never
have anyone that loves me as
much as that dog loved me.
Let me tell you, you have to
be a secure man to have a dog
like that.
Hes the most genuine
person I know, said Straw-
bridge, who worked in the
Philadelphia Eagles front
office before coming to
Canton. We talk about love
in our meetings. Nobody talks
about love in a work meeting.
He cares and has compassion
for everyone who works with
him. Ive never seen someone
who cares as much as David.
He doesnt give himself
nearly enough credit, and he
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Hall of Fame Village
has really embraced Canton. Were going for the whole
Ive been here longer than he thing, Lichter said, a wide
association with excellence.
I came into this thing not
theres nobody not buying it.
The reaction from everybody
has, and I guarantee you he smile crossing his face. knowing any great athletes. from major investors, to
knows 10 times more people Lichter seems to be invigo- I always thought of them as major sponsors, to the NFL,
than I do. rated by the challenge of Hall jocks. Then you get to meet youth sports and the Black
of Fame Village. He called it people and you find out College Football Hall of Fame
Lichter grows working the most complex project he theyre amazing individuals. has been positive. Every
with Baker has worked on. party weve touched with this
One of the first people Ive had to increase my Building a Village, project wants to jump aboard
Baker met when he arrived learning curve and raise my leaving a legacy the train.
to the lead the Hall in Janu- game to do something like Lichter owns a lot of prop- Both behind the scenes,
ary 2014 was Lichter. this, he said. Im like a erty. Over the years, IRGs and in public, there have been
During a meeting with kid in school again, testing holdings have soared from problems. Cost over-runs,
Fonda Williams, who was myself on things Ive never 20 million square feet to zoning issues, even which
deputy mayor for Canton at learned before. 50 million square feet and school district or locality
the time, Lichter mentioned There have been prob- now more than 100 million is involved in some of the
that if he ever did anything lems behind the scenes in square feet. property purchases, repre-
regarding development in the first year of the Hall of When Gov. John Kasich sent issues that have needed
Canton, it would be around Fame Village project. Baker met Lichter a few years ago, to be worked through.
the Hall of Fame. Lichters and Lichter both acknowl- he said, I hear you own more This is an extremely dif-
IRG was already doing work edged issues, such as costs property in Ohio than I do. ficult project to execute,
on the Goodyear headquarters and zoning, that need to be I dont know if thats Lichter said. Were creat-
in Akron. worked through. true, Lichter replied. ing an entirely new organism,
By the end of Bakers first And there will be more Just in the last year, plans and part of this new organism
week on the job, he met problems, Baker said. for the Hall of Fame have doesnt make money. There
Lichter. The two men have Everybody is attempt- grown. The initial cost of the are financing challenges and
formed a friendship and bond ing to do more than we ever development was set at $476 cost over-run issues. There
dreamed of doing, but its million. are all sorts of things people
C a r o l S m i t h , a v i c e the people who solve those Lichter said a final cost dont see because were just
president with IRG Realty problems, not the quality of is tough to pin down at this dealing with it and were
Advisors, has worked for the project. point, but it will exceed going to continue to do it.
Lichter for 10 years. She Lichter said he has ques- $500 million. Projects like this dont
calls him a visionary who tioned the prices of some This is getting bigger and happen without hiccups. The
comes with a lot of grand things, but then he saw bigger, Lichter said. We difference is your capacity to
ideas. the programming behind had a pretty big dream when deal with those hiccups and
He is one of the most t h e b r i c k - a n d - m o r t a r we started, and its bigger fix them.
humble, funny people youd parts of the project, and he than even we conceived. When the project is mostly
ever meet, Smith said. understood. Financing, through a mix completed, in 2019, just in
People have this miscon- Stu Lichter is unlike any of traditional, philanthropic time for the NFLs 100th
ception of this billion-dollar developer Ive ever been and public funding sources, season, Lichter and Baker
developer, that hes unap- around, Baker said. If you to this point has not been an know more than the land-
proachable ... people have lined up 10 billionaires, hed issue. As Lichter and Baker scape at the Hall of Fame will
this stereotypical image be the last one youd pick have presented the project have changed.
thats conjured up. Then out of a lineup. Hes a very to groups and investors, the One of the reasons Lich-
you meet him, and hes an inclusive developer. Most reception has been positive. ter is so involved here is he
everyday guy. He comes to developers, when they get a Lichter likened it to having believes Hall of Fame Village
town and rents an unassum- hold of something, want it the opportunity to choose will change the community,
ing economical car. Hes not for themselves. His vision which kind of financing to more so than any project hes
showy. Stu loves hamburgers exceeded my own. complete the project. The completed.
and Dairy Queen. Lichter has completed issue isnt, Can we get the I want to see the changes,
Hall of Fame Village is a many projects around the capital? Lichter said. Its and I want to see the people
large project. The initial price country. He also opened and Can we get the capital at a coming here, Lichter said.
of the development, which owns more than a half-dozen cost that makes sense? This will change many lives
includes eight pieces and sev- charter schools, mostly to When you start out with an here. Ive done a lot, but I dont
eral phases, was about $500 serve disadvantaged youth. idea, you try to do as much of a think Ive ever done anything
million. Lichter said he had Hall of Fame Village is, Lich- reality check as you can, but at that will have this kind of an
two choices on a hotel design: ter said, his favorite project this point last year we hadnt impact. This is a legacy.
a futuristic-looking building by a long shot. taken the car out on the road,
with all the bells and whistles First, its football, he Lichter said. Now, weve Reach Todd at 330-580-8340
or a scaled-down version that said. Second, there are the taken the car out there on ortodd.porter@cantonrep.com.
would keep costs lower. people you meet, and the the road, and let me tell you, On Twitter: @toddporter
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