Canton to improve Sixth Street NW to prepare for Palace Theatre expansion

• Canton City Council approved improvements to Sixth Street NW to help with the Canton Palace Theatre’s planned multimillion-dollar expansion.
• A storm sewer and waterline along Sixth Street NW will be relocated and the design work of a streetscape improvement project along Sixth Street and Court Avenue NW will begin.

CANTON – Canton City will improve Sixth Street NW to help with the Canton Palace Theatre’s planned multimillion-dollar expansion.

City Council on Monday approved setting aside $650,000 to relocate a storm sewer and waterline along Sixth Street NW and to start the design work of a streetscape improvement project along Sixth Street and Court Avenue NW. Streetscape improvements seek to improve the aesthetics of a road, often with updated sidewalks, trees and lighting.

Service Director John Highman Jr. said the relocation project will help the Palace’s more than $16 million expansion and renovation project move forward this fall. The Palace plans to enlarge its stage, add a second lobby, construct a truck loading area, add seating, add restrooms and improve accessibility.

Highman said the city has similarly relocated utilities for other large projects in Canton, such as Aultman’s Timken Family Cancer Center and the Canton City School District’s Bulldog Activity Center. The relocation cost is estimated at $350,000 and will be paid with money generated by the 0.5% income tax increase that city voters approved in 2018.

More on Canton Palace Theatre's project:See the architect renderings for the Canton Palace Theatre's expansion and renovation project.

Highman said the streetscape project won’t begin until late 2025 or early 2026 after the Palace has finished its construction. The areas to be improved include along Sixth Street NW from Cleveland Avenue NW to Market Avenue N and along Court Avenue NW from Fifth Street to Sixth Street NW.

The project is expected to cost roughly $950,000 but only the $235,000 for the design is expected to be spent this year, Highman said.

The city also plans to design streetscape improvements for all of Court Avenue, from Fourth Street SW to Sixth Street NW, to tie into the city’s plans to make Court Avenue a pedestrian-friendly corridor that connects downtown attractions.

Highman said completing the design along Court Avenue now will ensure the current project ties into future development and will give the city the plans it needs to seek grants.

Reach Canton Repository writer Kelli Weir at 330-580-8339 or kelli.weir@cantonrep.com.