"To me, this is more than an amphitheater," Stow Councilman Cyle Feldman told cleveland.com this month. "It's an economic development opportunity for Stow."
The AMP at 1680 Norton Road is still a construction site. The city expects it to open in spring 2027, with the first concert expected in June 2027 and no lineup announced. Still, the parts that decide how the corner of Norton and Darrow will feel on a show night are being settled now, in the last weeks of October. That includes where you can carry a drink, which businesses get to take part, and what fills the empty storefronts. Tonight there's a council hearing, on Saturday there's a party in a vacant store, and a restaurant commitment runs on its own clock.
Why the city picked a half-empty plaza
The AMP is the centerpiece of an effort to bring new life to the Stow-Hudson Towne Center Plaza at Norton and Darrow roads. The city plans to own and run the venue. According to cleveland.com, the project is estimated at around $6 million, paid for with money from selling the city's cell tower lease revenue.
The plaza's vacancies were part of the reason for the site. So were an undeveloped parcel where the amphitheater now sits, the nearby Summit County Metro Parks hike-and-bike trail, and being close to Hudson. "It was an area that we felt needed a re-examining, a refresh," Stow Law Director Drew Reilly told cleveland.com. "There was a lot of vacancy in the plaza."
The finished site is designed to give people reasons to linger:
- A covered 70-by-30-foot main stage built for year-round shows, plus lawn seating
- A second, smaller stage
- A beer garden and concession area
- Fire pits and a garden with swings
- Accessible family restrooms with adult changing stations, and a sidewalk through the lawn to the front seating area
- About 500 parking spaces, with shuttles planned for larger events
The city is also planning a trail spur linking The AMP directly to the Metro Parks hike-and-bike trail, so nearby residents can walk or bike to shows. The city expects to host more than 100 events and performances a year there, including concerts, community events, family activities, arts programming, and local performances. That's a lot of evenings. The city's stated goal is for those crowds to eat, shop, and spend time in the surrounding area. That's why tonight's hearing matters more than any single concert date.
Tonight at City Hall: Stow's first DORA
Stow City Council will hold a public hearing today, Oct. 22, at 5 p.m. in Council Chambers at Stow City Hall, 3760 Darrow Road. The subject is measure 2026-156, which would create the "AMP Entertainment District Designated Outdoor Refreshment Area." Council gave the proposal its first reading Sept. 24. The Record-Courier reported that a presentation will be made tonight and that council could also vote during its regular meeting that evening.
A DORA lets visitors buy drinks in specially marked cups from participating liquor permit holders and carry them to participating shops and venues inside the boundaries. Here is what the proposal on the table includes, drawn from the Record-Courier report, the city's draft resolution, and the council packet:
| Proposed detail | What the city's documents say |
|---|---|
| Boundaries | Norton Road from Sowul Boulevard to Darrow Road, part of Fishcreek Road including Stow-Hudson Towne Center, the Shoppes of Stow plaza, and the businesses across the street from it |
| Hours | 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., every day, with limits or suspension possible for special events or safety reasons |
| Current qualifying permit holders | Giant Eagle at 1700 Norton Road and Spicy Sombreros Mexican Grill at 4976 Darrow Road |
| The AMP's own concession | Liquor permit pending |
The boundary crosses Route 91 for a practical reason. The city has to show two valid liquor licenses when it applies to the state for a DORA permit. Reilly told the Record-Courier that Giant Eagle and Spicy Sombreros are "the only liquor licenses currently contained," which is why the Shoppes of Stow side of Darrow Road is included. So for now, the corner's drink options depend on a grocery store and one restaurant, not on the amphitheater.
Crossing Darrow Road on foot came up at the Sept. 24 meeting. Ward 2 representative Kelly Coffey raised a concern about the city's liability. Reilly pointed to the Route 91 renovation and its improved crosswalks, and noted that the DORAs in Kent, Cuyahoga Falls, and Akron all cross major streets. Stow police Capt. Bryan Snavely said the department will keep a presence in the area.
Business owners in the Shoppes of Stow told the Record-Courier they're generally supportive. Tomas Martinez and Alex Figueroa run Spicy Sombreros, along with El Meson in Cuyahoga Falls and Sato Matador Street Tacos in Kent. Martinez said Sato Matador sits inside Kent's DORA and that it has worked well there. Matt Hoover, co-owner of Stow Jewelers, said he and his wife enjoy Kent's DORA. Adria Toshok, manager of Animal Jungle Pet Shop, said she hopes the venue and the DORA will be good for business, "especially if they have plans to open some restaurants over there."
Whether council votes tonight or later, the decision is coming well before the first show. The city's hearing notice links to the meeting details.
Saturday: a party in the old Tuesday Morning
Two days after the hearing, the city is putting one of the plaza's empty spaces to use. The Brew & Boo Party runs Saturday, Oct. 24, from 6 to 10 p.m. at 1614 Norton Road, in the former Tuesday Morning storefront. It isn't at the amphitheater construction site down the road.
- Who: Ages 21 and older, with a costume contest
- Cost: $50 tickets that include two beers and one food truck voucher; extra vouchers are sold through Eventbrite
- Fine print: Cashless event, nonrefundable tickets
- Beneficiary: The Helping Hand Program, a nonprofit providing resources to people with disabilities
The AMP-branded events have followed this pattern since spring. The city's "Building the Beat" pop-up schedule listed seven dates in the plaza parking lot, starting with the April 12 "Dig Into The AMP" event and running through Oct. 7. That April 12 event was the groundbreaking celebration. Brew & Boo moves that idea indoors, into a storefront that was part of the vacancy problem the venue was meant to solve.
The restaurant clock runs to 2029
The commitment most likely to change the plaza long term has the longest deadline. Stow Hudson Investment Corp. has agreed to bring at least three restaurants to the plaza by the end of 2029, and none has been announced yet, cleveland.com reported. The Record-Courier described the plaza's owners as renovating, and Reilly said a DORA could give them a boost.
The drinking district could be decided this fall. The amphitheater opens next spring. The plaza restaurants that would give a DORA cup somewhere to go have a deadline about two and a half years after that.
Meanwhile, new places are opening elsewhere in Stow. The Akron Beacon Journal counted two Stow restaurants among its August openings in the Akron area. Its photo gallery names them as Taste Asia, which serves Filipino, Chinese, and Japanese food, and El Taco Express Taqueria.
Where the rest of Stow's season happens
For now, the city's late-fall calendar still mostly happens away from Norton Road, at City Center, Adell Durbin Park, and in the streets. Here's what's on the city's schedule between now and early December:
| Date | Event | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Through Oct. 31, 7:30–10 p.m. | Halloween Decoration Tour, a self-guided drive past displays; the city asks visitors not to enter private property | Around Stow |
| Oct. 24, 6–10 p.m. | Brew & Boo Party, 21+ | 1614 Norton Road |
| Oct. 29, 6:30–7:30 p.m. | "It's Scary to Waste Food!" | Don Coughlin Community Room, Stow Safety Building |
| Oct. 31, 5:30–7:30 p.m. | City Wide Trick-or-Treat | Citywide |
| Nov. 3 and Dec. 1, 5–6 p.m. | Connect with Nature: Read and Recharge Silent Book Club | Stow Community & Senior Center |
| Nov. 7, starting 10 a.m. | Connect with Nature: Forest Meditation Walk and Tea, free and open to all ages | Adell Durbin Park, 3300 Darrow Road |
| Nov. 13, 6:30–8:30 p.m. | Wine & Design: Sweeten the Season!, 21+ | CSC Grand Hall, 5344 Fishcreek Road |
| Nov. 21, 8 a.m.–3 p.m. | 12th Annual Stuff the Truck for Veterans | Acker-Moore Memorial Post |
| Dec. 5, 5:30–8:30 p.m. | Glow with Stow Holiday Lighting Event | Stow City Center Complex, 3870 Darrow Road |
Glow with Stow is free and family-oriented, with food trucks, a lighting ceremony at 5:55 p.m., and Santa arriving at 6 p.m. New this year are a fire-and-ice sculpture and a 28-foot ice slide. The listings for the Forest Meditation Walk give different end times. The city says 11 a.m. and the Stow-Munroe Falls Public Library says 11:30, so check with organizers before planning around it.
If The AMP works the way the city hopes, a calendar like this one will start to shift toward Norton Road when the venue's 100-plus annual events begin. The groundwork for that is being laid this month, starting at 5 p.m. tonight at City Hall.
If you own near the Norton and Darrow corner and want to talk through what a new venue, a possible DORA, and future plaza restaurants could mean for your street, Shelly Booth is glad to walk you through recent nearby sales and what buyers are asking about. Start with a quick read on your home's value. Get Your Instant Home Valuation.
