NEOBuckeye

Polsky's should have been sold off years ago. I recall President Marion Reubel considering it, but when Proenza became President, he saw Polsky's as essential for UA's growth and expansion. 20 years later, things have come full circle, except that UA is financially worse off now than before, with even lower enrollment, and grim prospects for easily reversing either of these trends in the foreseeable future. Proenza's "moon shot" ended up missing the mark with InfoCision stadium representing the pinnacle of overreach and misinvestment, to put it mildly. Also, some properties never should have been bought in the first place, Quaker Square among them. It's unfortunate for the university, and for the city of Akron itself, that UA didn't turn out to be the sustainable juggernaut that the area needed to power its growth. For a lot of reasons, UA isn't Ohio State, and never will be.

Seems like there's a more thoughtful use for this particular plot besides a single-use building for another car-dependent drive through restaurant. It's not like there aren't enough in Clintonville already. I understand the political concerns about Chic-fil-a, but even if it were a Swensons or something else more politically neutral and perhaps more widely desired by Columbusians in general, I'd still rather see it be something that really brings character to the area and isn't just a cut and paste job from Polaris, Sawmill, or Hilliard-Rome roads.

I felt like Strickland was on the verge of it with the 3Cs rail proposal and policies that spotlighted economic development in the state’s cities, a relative rarity in this state. Then he lost to Kasich, and we know how that story played out. It’s a broken record at this point. I don’t ever care about the partisan view of it. Just get the practical sh*t done here, and stop pandering to hot button issue fringe extremists with axes to grind. If DeWine can move through the General Assembly the proposals he announced today to make Ohio a truly more progressive state and attract more people here, more power to him. And if he wants more younger people to take a look at Ohio as a place to live, make it easier for them to get around cities and the state itself without being car owners. Building out passenger rail ought to be a cornerstone in any such plans.

I recall that METRO RTA, Akron City Council, the Mayor of Tallmadge, and other local government leaders in Summit County were starting to look at commuter rail proposals back when Obama's high speed rail plan and the 3Cs' rail line here in Ohio was itself proposed. The collective vision then was shaping up as commuter network of Akron-area spokes that would ultimately connect into the 3C hub in Cleveland via Downtown Akron and perhaps a northern suburban station in Cuyahoga Falls, since there wasn't a practical way to directly include Akron on the 3Cs line. Of course, train-killer Kasich beating Strickland in 2010 snuffed out those efforts and any hope for state funding, but there were concepts and studies completed. Perhaps it's time to dust these off and update them? An extension to CAK and further into Canton didn't seem like a high priority back then, and Canton/Stark County itself didn't seem too interested in much that Akron/Summit was doing 10 years ago. However, a new generation of leaders today in both cities & counties seems to see the benefit of regional collaboration. I could see Akron and Canton working together to build a commuter rail system that would also include Akron-Canton Airport, the HoF/Village, and Downtown Canton. Think tourism and travel.

Seems like there might be genuine hope for this, though I would have to pinch myself if I ever boarded such a line here in Ohio. Biden is a well-known train rider and advocate. DeWine has expressed in the past that he would be open to considering rail service. Kasich is long gone. I see a 40-60% legit chance of this happening for real. The biggest obstacle will be the batsh*t right wing kook faction of the Republicans in the General Assembly who believe a passenger rail line is some kind of antifa conspiracy to turn fetuses into peanut butter sandwiches for Bill Gates.

I am curious to see how these conversions ultimately affect demand for residential living in Downtown Akron. There have been a few other residential projects already underway, and additional projects proposed. Will there be a glut of housing options that put some of these projects on ice due to market saturation and reduced demand? Or is demand for urban living so high now that even these won't be enough to meet it? The latter would be very good news for Downtown Akron's continued growth and redevelopment.

Wonder if the reconstruction of Grandview's schools will account for all of the new people that Grandview Yard and Grandview Crossing will be drawing into the district? It would be ironic if these buildings are completed, only to need trailers 6 months to a year later to accommodate an unanticipated influx of new students.

I figured that this was ultimately going to happen. Developers went on a student housing building binge Downtown in anticipation of UA's continued growth and expansion, but the opposite in fact has happened, and now they are scrambling to fill vacancies with working adults, rather than nonexistent students since UA's enrollment has plummeted so dramatically. Ironically, UA's vision was to have much of this development take place along Exchange St. closer to the university, rather than Downtown, as part of the erstwhile University Park initiative. Maybe it's just as well that Downtown ended up drawing most of this investment, given UA's deep financial and managerial troubles. Even if the university eventually recovers, It's difficult to see anyone pulling plans off the shelf for more student housing complexes along Exchange St. anytime soon, if ever.

I can totally see 5th being redeveloped like this all the way up to Grandview Ave over the next 10 years. Imagine 5th Ave from Olentangy to Grandview as a walkable district in its own right? I'm still kinda surprised that the old Big Bear/Giant Eagle on Grandview & 5th was merely leased out to Big Lots and Grandview Mercantile and not redeveloped itself into mixed use. That parcel seems ripe for something that would really round out the Grandview Ave district while also serving as a gateway into 5xNW from Marble Cliff and UA.

FWIW, Greater Columbus/Central Ohio has now adopted calling itself "Columbus" (sans the "comma-Ohio" part of its name). https://columbusregion.com/ Notably, there also seems to be a concerted effort to incorporate a standard font type across logos for the city of Columbus, local and regional agencies, in advertising, etc. Whether this has been intentional or not, it does communicate a sense of commonality and unity. Note the City of Columbus' logo and compare it with what you see on the Columbus Region website -->https://www.columbus.gov/ Also, the Columbus Partnership --> https://columbuspartnership.com/ As well as the Chamber of Commerce --> https://columbus.org/ I know a lot of Clevelanders will bristle at the notion that Columbus does anything well. I say swallow your pride, folks. Admitting that the ship is well off course is the first step to turning it around.

I very much agree that use of NEO, Northeast Ohio, Northeastern Ohio, etc.. does dilute the brand of Cleveland. It's time to plant the flag and just own it already. I mean, it's not like Cleveland doesn't have a lot to actually feel good about these days to offset all the old negatives. Even the branding has come along way: https://www.thisiscleveland.com/ Why doesn't the City of Cleveland adopt a similar logo? And a less stodgy URL & website to boot? http://city.cleveland.oh.us/

Ideally, yes. Or is this just more shuffling people around from old to new housing, as has been the case in NE Ohio for years now? Not necessarily being critical for its own sake. And the reality is, Akron and NEO's population remains mostly stagnant. Would love to see that change, and shiny new housing alone, much less in a relatively isolated corner of town, won't be the fix for that challenge.

I've been following it, particularly the gradual revitalization of Downtown Barberton and Kenmore Boulevard, but there hasn't been anything quite on this scale of economic development + job creation happening within the broader area in memory. Amazon represents a major shot in the arm there.

Probably one of the biggest economic/employment news items to take place in Akron in well over a decade, and in one of the most depressed corners of the metropolitan area at that--Barberton, Kenmore, and lower West Akron. To be certain, Amazon opening up a single warehouse there isn't a panacea, but there will be some economic "spillover" effect throughout these areas and within the Romig Road corridor. I imagine there will also likely be an influx of new residents and interest in creating new housing/apartment options in these places. I suspect Akron Public Schools' plans to close Kenmore High School and its general neglect of this part of the city during the Superintendency of David James will prove to have been shortsighted.

Stopped in to check out Starbucks and Handel's a couple of days ago. The Starbucks was surprisingly lacking in seating despite its spaciousness. It definitely gave the impression of being one of the locations where people should stop in to order latte on their way to the office, but not let the dust collect on their shoes or set up for more than a working meeting at the conference table and chairs in the back. For a store that I presume is supposed to serve as something of a neighborhood hub for East End, it communicates a much different message, and seems incongruent with its decidedly suburban exterior. For what it's worth, there does seem to be ample room to add more tables and seating along the wall opposite the counter. The Handel's for its part had a few teenage girls standing at the counter, much like you would expect for a neighborhood walk-up ice cream stand. The two stores are nice additions to an area that has been sorely lacking in retail. On the whole, however, the strip center seems like a missed opportunity for East End to extend the streetwall anchored by the former Goodyear HQ buildings and foster a genuine sense of walkability and vibrancy in the new district. What is really served by having the setback from E. Market with a row of parking in the front?

True. I'm guessing the main market for these apartments will be young-ish professional singles and couples w/o children, and empty nesters who will appreciate having easy access to Rt. 8 & Akron/Cleveland, as well as the amenities along Front St/the Riverfront, as well as access to the Natatorium, Portage Crossing and what remains of Chapel Hill nearby. The "return to downtown" trend seems to be filtering out to Akron's suburbs, at least those with a downtown to work with.

^I agree, 370 units going in over the parking decks would be a definite game-changer for downtown CF, not to mention adding to its skyline. This is definitely a positive development, if CF allows it to proceed.

Nice! I figured they would step in and purchase it. Seems like the entire Middlebury/East Market corridor is increasingly poised for renewal and growth. It's both timely and long overdue.

South Main and the Main/Market Arts District? The benefits don't yet seem obvious in either one, but then, all of the recent construction hasn't done much to help either.

Huntington tower has been the tallest in the city since it was erected in the early 1930s and was originally known as the First Central Trust building. PNC tower is a close second--sometimes it looks taller depending upon your perspective in relation to the two. Huntington tower has the prestige factor going for it as Akron's tallest building and its most historically significant and recognizable skyscraper, much like the LaVeque tower in Columbus. That appeal for some might outweigh the structural drawbacks of residential units.

Wow. I never imagined that building would be repurposed at all, much less as an apartment complex. Very interesting. Looks like East End is gradually breathing new life and energy into the Middlebury/E. Market corridor, a little faster than I anticipated. It's nice to see a long-neglected neighborhood being reborn, even if it still has a ways to go yet.

Looks like APS is offloading 10 buildings that weren't remodeled. This could obviously lead to more redevelopment opportunities around the city. Personally, I'm curious to see what becomes of Goodyear, with East End taking off. https://www.ohio.com/news/20181008/lebron-james-family-foundation-donates-more-to-i-promise-school-district-to-let-go-of-10-old-buildings

Wadsworth in Medina County is unmistakably an Akron suburb, even though all of Medina County gets lumped into the Cleveland MSA.

A unified regional strategy could happen in NE Ohio, but it would likely take leadership from Cleveland that could win buy-in from the major economic centers throughout the region (e.g. Akron, Canton, Youngstown, Lorain-Elyria, etc.), something that Cleveland has an acute lack of these days. It's certainly not going to come from Mayor Frank Jackson, who is about as anti-regional and as a Cleveland mayor has been during the post-WWII era. NE Ohio needs someone far more visionary, charismatic, and probably younger in their perspective, someone a bit more focused out like Pittsburgh's mayor Bill Peduto or Columbus's former mayor Mike Coleman. In the absence of that, Akron likely will continue to pursue its own agenda and eke out its own niche in the grand scheme of things, in spite of Cleveland's gravitational pull. Personally, to this end, I'd love to see Akron look south and build stronger ties with Canton. Working together, the two cities could pool their assets and form a substantially stronger alternative pole to Cleveland in NE Ohio.

If there even must be a separation between Akron and Cleveland, Wadsworth belongs in the Akron MSA without a doubt. It is in every respect a suburb of Akron from its culture, to schools, architecture and infrastructure. I'd certainly argue that the county lines should be redrawn to include it in Summit County as opposed to Medina County. I would also argue for similar reasons that Twinsburg is much more of a Cleveland suburb than an Akron one. It's culture, schools, architecture and infrastructure are much more similar to what you find in Cleveland's suburbs than in Akron's suburbs. The northern tip of Summit County could easily be reallocated to Cuyahoga County without it seeming out of context. It feels quite incidental to Summit County and Akron. Hudson is about 50/50 Akron/Cleveland from my experience. More people in Hudson may work in Cleveland than Akron, but there is a surprising amount of interest there in what goes on in Akron and in Summit County in general. They work in the north, but tend to look south towards Akron.