NEOBuckeye

^I wondered about that too. I figured the building was going to be demoed eventually, but now that the new UA residence hall behind it is nearly done, it seems unfortunate that the demolition didn't occur sooner and that the residence hall wasn't built on its spot instead for the sake of filling out the density at that section of E. Exchange and extending the street wall. I would have to guess that there are plans being worked out to build some sort of mixed use multi-story building in its place with street level restaurants/retail and perhaps some small office space or studio apartments above it.

You could try to attract more businesses, but I think a better strategy would be to first work on creating more sources for foot traffic. Namely more downtown apartments and homes/condos. Better a bar than a vacant spot. But I do agree. Some diversity in businesses would certainly go a long way, maybe as part of a new development downtown, but again see my previous statement.

Much as I would also love to see something like this work in Downtown Akron, I am highly skeptical of its chances. For all of the progress made so far with downtown's rebirth, it still has nowhere near the foot traffic necessary on an average night to sustain most niche shops like this one. Perhaps that will change as UPA finally makes headway in redeveloping the south side of East Exchange to include more street level shops and retail, creating a steady flow into the Canal Park District downtown. Using a food cart for a trial run would be a better way to gauge the potential of this concept.

Agreed on the Innerbelt. The problem is that it will need major repairs again sooner or later like any highway, and then the question becomes one of whether or not to sink the additional money into bringing it up to code and kick the can down the road for another couple of decades, or else allocating the funds for a one-off demolition and conversion of the land to another use. I also wholeheartedly agree on the university commuter line and would love, love, love to see this happen. :-D I do find it very interesting that Tallmadge has taken up a serious interest in it and that they seem to recognize the potential benefits they could derive from it, since the corridor runs right through them. Definitely a positive development since not every suburb would be as perceptive and forward-looking. I am curious about their economic development plans associated with this interest and I have to assume that they realize Tallmadge as presently situated is looking at a demographically bleak future, given the fact that it is almost exclusively non-walkable suburban development or rural farmland. If their leaders do nothing now, in 20 years time Tallmadge will be a virtual ghost town as its aging population dies off and fewer new people move in. Maybe they are considering a stop with mixed used walkable development, apartments, etc. that will cater to Gen Y/Millennials attending school at UA and KSU and other young adults/professionals? As for the overall project, I don't think it will really take that much effort to get the other interests and stakeholders onboard. Downtown Akron, Downtown Kent, UA and KSU would all stand to benefit enormously from this. Not to mention that it could serve as a model for additional commuter rail expansion throughout the Akron-Canton area and eventually throughout much of urban NE Ohio. It's not much of a stretch at all beyond this to envision commuter lines from Downtown Akron/UA to the Valley, Akron-Canton Airport, Downtown Canton, the Riverfront in Cuyahoga Falls, Downtown Hudson, Downtown Medina, between Downtown Canton and Downtown Massilon, etc.

Commuters will survive a conversion to two-way streets. As I previously pointed out, it's not like there is anything remotely approaching a traffic jam in Downtown Akron these days. Converting them to two way will do much more to spur economic development, far more quickly than simply leaving them as is.

It was intended to be part of a downtown square for Akron, somewhat similar to Public Square in Cleveland, but obviously never quite turned out that way. Children's more or less absorbed it into its campus, but Perkins intended it to be the true downtown.

Actually, I missed that, but now I'm guessing that you meant the two-way street conversions. I can't actually say that I'm on board with that one. Downtown already has plenty of two-way streets. I'm much more a fan of keeping the four big commuter arterials (Cedar, Exchange, Broadway, High) as efficient one-way pipelines and leaving the rest of the area (which includes plenty of big commercial streets, e.g., Main, Market, State, Mill, etc.) as calmer two-way commercial and/or mixed-use streets. I just think that with the relative small size of DT Akron the commuter arterials are not only unnecessary, they're detrimental. Just as Leibrith (sp?) said in the article, people are re-thinking/remembering how a downtown is supposed to look and feel. With S. Broadway and S. High acting basically like freeways, it's time to reconsider a more balanced approach for DT to reach its fullest potential. I agree with surfohio's analysis. Downtown Akron is certainly not Downtown Columbus. Even during rush hour/peak traffic times, there doesn't appear to really be a need or benefit derived from the commuter arterials as presently situated. That's pretty much been true for the entire time (> 30+ years) that I have lived in Akron. They were created back when a far greater percentage of the jobs and major economic activity in the region were still located in or near the CBD, before the rise of Fairlawn/Montrose, Green/CAK/North Canton, Stow-Hudson, etc. as significant economic hubs. On a related note, Mayor Plusquellic has stated on several occasions that he would like to see the Interbelt/Rt. 59 come down. Given that it was never fully built out as originally intended, to span from Barberton to Kent, and likely will never be finished now, the case has probably never been stronger for its removal, as it is well underused and would free up land in Akron's heart for other, more productive uses. Personally, I think they could convert the stretch between Howard/Main and Exchange into an urban park, but that's just one possibility.

Started to post this on the discussion thread on the Blade's story page, but I thought it might be better appreciated here: As someone who spends a lot of time in and around Midwestern cities, one of Toledo's biggest drawbacks that I see is the fact that it has few key assets downtown, while those that it does have are vastly underused. The Marina/riverfront for example. Also, as others have pointed out, the Art Museum and Zoo are nice, but they are randomly placed elsewhere in the city and don't really have a chance to create synergy with other institutions and points of interest. Even the new casino was placed seemingly on its own island, separate from anything else it might have worked with to generate greater energy and interest, such as the Mudhens' stadium downtown. Plus, most mid-sized cities also have these establishments in some form or another, so the benefit that Toledo derives from promoting these as its key attractions is marginal at best. It also doesn't help much that the University of Toledo is about as far removed from the core of the city as it can possibly be and still remain within the city limits. I often compare Toledo with Akron and Dayton in terms of size and similarity of economic predicament, but one area in which the latter two cities are far better off in than Toledo is proximity of institutions of higher education to their central business districts. Akron has the University of Akron, and Dayton has both the University of Dayton and Sinclair College connected to their downtowns. Akron's downtown in particular has benefited from a spillover economic effect from its university. Several new apartment complexes for students and young professionals have been built on Akron's Main Street downtown. Maybe Toledo's leadership could convince UT or Bowling Green to set up a branch campus downtown? It could at least be a starting point. More than anything, the above article is indicative of the fact that Toledo lacks a coherent sense of its identity and an appropriate economic development strategy to match it. During the Industrial Age, being the "Glass City" was all that mattered, but those days and the jobs and factories that were their hallmark, are gone. Toledo remains in many aspects the key satellite city of Detroit, another long troubled city that is also still trying to find itself in a new era and century. That relationship could suggest a starting point for Toledo's rebirth.

^I can certainly see that argument.

I have read up on a lot of Cleveland's history, but I can't believe I missed this bit on the subway. Very fascinating, thanks!

^ This is what makes me concerned. Nashville is not holding their cards close at all. They are laying them out there and letting the world know what they've got. Cleveland/MMPI in contrast, by not revealing their tenants, appears to be trying to create suspense and intrigue about something that may or may not even exist. I wish Nashville all the best and I do like their strategy, but I would much rather feel more confident about the long term results of what Cleveland is doing. I can't say that I do right now.

^ Kasich fortunately won't be governor forever. As soon as 2014, just over 2 years from now, he could be ousted from power and a new governor could put rail back on the fast track, no pun intended. This isn't really a political thread, and I don't want to make it one, but I don't think Ohio is truly all that conservative. We have more urban/metropolitan areas than any other midwestern state and the bulk of our population lies in metros. Part of the problem is gerrymandered districts that allow conservative Republicans to maintain a virtual lock on power in the state legislature, particularly in the Senate. Also, the Democratic party which is traditionally involved in governing most cities and addressing their issues is unusually weak at the state level of government here in Ohio and has been that way since the early 1990s when the term limits referendum was passed. One thing I really wish would happen that I thought was going to become a more permanent fixture a few years ago is a coalition of the Big 6 or Big 8 cities' mayors. I remember around 2005 or so the mayors of Cleveland, Cincinnati, Columbus, Toledo, Akron and Dayton all met up and talked about the common issues their cities were experiencing while trying to put together a pro-cities agenda. Something like this becoming more permanent and non-partisan, allowing for independent mayors and the increasingly rare moderate, Voinovich-style of Republican mayor would be a very positive development for this state. If a new mayors' coalition formed around a platform of creating intra and inter-city rail, among other issues, drawing from the cities as their political base, they could shift the political dialogue and focus in this state.

^ I honestly don't care which party does it, but I do think the practice makes for bad governance and is quite arguably anti-democratic. As I questioned before, what good does it serve Cleveland to have a representative based in Toledo? Or likewise if the situation were reversed?

I was in Toledo just this past week. I could definitely pick up on a different energy in and around Downtown than what I observed the last time I was there about a year ago. The Mud Hens were getting ready to play at Fifth Third Field and plenty of people were walking towards the stadium. There appeared to be more restaurants around the stadium than before, and from what I could tell they looked fairly busy, even for a weekday. It also appears that some additional housing/apartments/lofts have become available. What before seemed like a city downtown ready to roll up the sidewalks at 5 pm now looks like a city downtown on the verge of a revival, at least in some parts. Elsewhere, particularly around Adams Street, I noticed a few more businesses open than during my last trip. Several attractive yet vacant/underused buildings in that area hold quite a bit of potential for redevelopment. It's too bad the University of Toledo exists on the city's outskirts, as the presence of a major university in or near downtown would serve as a catalyst for further investment and redevelopment, much as the University of Akron, Youngstown State and Cleveland State have done for their respective cities. Even locating branch of UT or Bowling Green downtown could make a meaningful difference. I'm admittedly not a huge fan of casinos as a form of economic development, but I can't help but wonder what effect Toledo's casino might have had on its downtown, had it been located there instead of further away, given what's currently happening in Cleveland. Granted though, Cleveland already has a lot to see and do around its downtown, so a casino there seems like icing on an already quite tasty cake. Toledo definitely looks like it has some promising projects in the works and potential for the expansion of existing ones, but I also can't help but feel like it is still missing some key pieces and a more detailed economic development strategy that will carry it forward long-term. Unless I have overlooked something?

Having a Congressional Representative based in Toledo to also cover Cleveland/NE Ohio is certainly one of the more asinine developments coming out of our political system as of late. I'm sure stranger things have happened, but that doesn't justify this one.

Really? I hope that never happens. I second that. Cleveland isn't Las Vegas, and doesn't need to try and look as if it were. Besides, people obviously have had no problem finding the casino. :-)

Ah yes... Ellet. I actually consider Cuyahoga Falls to be Akron's equivalent of Parma, which it is in terms of size--both are second in size only to their respective county seat cities--as well as in terms of diversity, or the lack thereof in both places. Ellet is similar in that it is one of Akron's whitest communities. It is a working middle class suburb that was voluntarily annexed into Akron just before the Great Depression but has largely managed to maintain a strong sense of its own identity separate from that of the city. What constitutes "Downtown Ellet" runs the length of Canton Road between Wedgewood Dr and Triplett Blvd. It is quite walkable on a very basic level, but other than the Ellet Meat Market and a single bar, there isn't actually much to see or do here, and so you don't see anyone walking around much at all. You won't find a vibrant community culture in Ellet. What you may find is a quiet if uneventful place to live.

Definitely agree. I have watched the Canal Park/South Main district go from being a couple of loosely associated bars and clubs constituting a desperate downtown nightlife scene during the 90s and early 00s, to a fairly vibrant community with energy, life and activity throughout the day and night thanks to Canal Park and events at Lock 3. UA student housing, of course, has also been no small contributor here. I'd love to eventually see more housing options for non-students as well as perhaps small grocery and hardware stores once the downtown population is large enough to support them. Maybe Testa or some other developer can do something about those empty parcels used for parking directly across Main from Canal Park? The other downtown district I'm watching is the "Main-Market" arts district. It seems ripe for new development and/or the conversion of existing underused buildings over to residential and additional creative use space. The vibe here is definitely an artsy-creative one, whereas South Main is college and young professional. I would love to see some sort of tunnel connecting Main-Market with Northside under MLK Jr. Blvd.

A little late (coming from me) but thanks for the welcome! :-)

I'm really not much of a fan of the casinos-as-big-ticket-item-economic-development-strategy approach either. But Ohio does seem to be ready go to full speed ahead with it, and Cleveland does seem to have a very good friend in Dan Gilbert these days, with this, his ownership of the Cavs, Monsters, etc., Bisdom U, and so on. So it has become part of our reality for better or worse. Maybe the benefits will offset the negatives, but casinos themselves generally aren't a good entertainment option for revitalizing a district. Their main objective is to pull people inside the door and then keep them there for as long as possible, with food, drinks, and yes, always one more spin. As such, nearby restaurants and other businesses hoping to capitalize on its presence may not see quite the increase in foot traffic that they are hoping for. If anything, they might even see a loss in traffic and/or revenue. Certainly, I hope otherwise, but this isn't one of the more usual forms of entertainment we are talking about, like a game or a concert, in which people go to for a time, spend a set amount of money (on tickets, food, etc.) and then leave, perhaps for food and additional entertainment elsewhere.

Seems like a such a waste to demo the building only to put a McDonalds (of all things) in its place. :roll: There are several examples elsewhere of church buildings that have been recycled into other non-religious uses.

I know these things take time, and that Akron doesn't have the economic muscle and momentum of Columbus or even Cleveland to set a whole lot in motion at once. Nonetheless, it will be nice to eventually drive or walk down a revitalized East Market that has developed into a thriving district with a pulse after 5 pm and on weekends.

Considering that it was essentially the downtown district of Goodyear Heights for Goodyear employees for decades, I'd say that's a spot on assessment. :-) For my part, I'd love to eventually see Lichter fill in many of the underused parking lots around the buildings with additional development since the city is going to add plenty of on-street parking. It's easy to imagine the district building out with an assortment of mixed-use 3 to 5 story buildings with apartments, office space and ground floor retail, as well as some townhomes. If the city ever redevelops Middlebury, Akron will then have a full on east side renaissance.

I'll duck the 365 day no-post warning and whatever other bullets that might be directed my way to chime in on this one, for what it's worth. I was born and raised in Akron, and spent most of my life in town before moving elsewhere, though I am still in close contact with family, friends and the area in general. The sense of "Akron" I have extends north to about Hudson, east to Ravenna, west to Medina (city proper), and south to Canton. Northern Summit County, or specifically the Hudson-Twinsburg-Macedonia area seems to be about the point at which Akron's identity overlaps with and dissolves into Cleveland's influence. Hudson specifically seems to be the place in which this happens. Many people in Hudson associate themselves in some way or another with Cleveland, but perhaps an equal number number look south to Akron as their primary point of reference, particularly when it comes to the politics of Akron/Summit County. Twinsburg, on the other hand, is more solidly Cleveland than Akron, whereas Stow, south of Hudson, is more solidly Akron than Cleveland. Similar can be said for Medina. In the late 1990s and early 2000s Medina became a genuine bedroom community for Cleveland/Cuyahoga County thanks to I-71 and sprawl, but there are also a significant number of people there who moved in from Akron, commute to and from Akron and consider themselves Akronites instead of Clevelanders. Cleveland has claimed Medina County as part of its MSA, but I think Brunswick may be the only true Cleveland suburb in the county, with few if any immediate economic, social or political associations with Akron. Wadsworth, on the other hand might as well be in Summit County as it is definitely an Akron suburb and has few if any immediate economic, social, or political associations with Cleveland. Again, as I suggested above, the city of Medina seems to be the specific overlap/transition point for Akron and Cleveland's influences/identities. In general, Akron and Canton are politically and socially/culturally more identical to each other than either of them are with Cleveland. I would definitely agree as others have said that Cleveland is much more of an ethnic, culturally aware and diverse, "East Coast" city, whereas Akron and Canton each have more of an Appalachian vibe that resembles Pittsburgh's. The primary shared ties between Akron-Canton and Cleveland are sports--Browns, Cavs, Indians--broadcast media, and proximity. Within the past decade, this has also grown to include hospitals--namely the Cleveland Clinic, University Hospitals, Akron General and Summa--as well as colleges, such as Kent State, Cleveland State and the University of Akron. Akron and Canton have their own newspapers and a few significant radio stations but no major affiliate TV stations. Cleveland, on the other hand, hosts all major affiliate TV stations and a number of radio stations that seek to represent the region. I often have wondered if Akron and Canton's lack of significant broadcast stations is one reason why the cities are so often overlooked statewide and nationally, despite the size of their combined metro populations. As far as how the cities see each other, Cleveland to Akron for a long time has been like a larger, older sibling that receives all of the attention, one way or another, and overshadows his younger sibling. Sometimes, the younger and smaller sibling becomes a little jealous of the attention, or at least is put off by having to reside in the older sibling's long shadow. Sometimes, the younger and smaller sibling just goes into "quiet storm" mode and works hard to find his own area in which to shine. Sooner or later he eventually succeeds in doing so, to the bewilderment of his older sibling. The older sibling sometimes tries to "mother" the younger sibling, and sometimes is so self-absorbed that he barely even notices that the younger sibling is there. This is the Cleveland-Akron relationship in a nutshell.