CANTON, Ohio — The City of Canton wants to transform the intersection of Fulton Road, 25th Street, and Harrison Avenue into a peanut-shaped roundabout.
This will be the second roundabout with this unusual shape to be constructed in Northeast Ohio. North Ridgeville opened its peanut-shaped roundabout in December 2024 at the intersection of Stoney Ridge Road, Mills Road and Avalon Drive.
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City of Canton Engineer Nick Loukas said the intersection in Canton has been inaccessible to pedestrians for 20 years. The railroad tracks that run through the road have been the problem. This unique shape gets around them.
"It's kinda having a decent solution, but not knowing if it's doable is what's held us off for a long time," he said.
This configuration will result in two homes being removed along West 25th Street.
It will also remove JHD Automotive Sales and Service, which sits on Fulton Road.
After five years of success, owner Johnathan Diorio is unhappy with the roundabout.
"This is my whole life," he said.
Diorio isn't the only one to be affected by the roundabout.
His landlord, James Hixon, said whatever the city offers to purchase his land won't compare to what he is making now in rent.
"I'm probably going to lose my $1,000 a month income from rent each month," he said.
When orange barrels and closures start in three years, it will affect the tenants in Joseph Cusma's shopping plaza.
"The city should've talked to us before this whole thing started," he said.
All three men believe a simple twist could prevent all of this. They believe flipping the roundabout into a nearby City of Canton parking lot would solve all their problems.
So, News 5's Caitlin Hunt asked Loukas if that was possible.
"I guess anything is possible with how you shift or where the impacts go," Loukas said. "It was definitely looked at. We looked at the best way to avoid things in there, and it's just a domino effect. You might be able to save this parcel, but it affects these five other parcels significantly."
As the city continues with this almost $10 million project, Cusma and Hixon are bracing for the financial impacts. Diorio is on the hunt for a new location for JHD Automotive Repairs and Sales.
"I might end up back at the car dealership if I don't find a place to move," he said. "Being a tech at a car dealership, you don't make a whole lot."
Work on the roundabout could start in late 2028, with completion sometime in 2030.
The city is still accepting public comments on the project. Comments can be submitted through an online form. Click here for the form and to learn more about the project.
