NEOBuckeye

I'm curious to see how the Downtown Promenade investment turns out, plus the roundabout that they are talking about as well, something that seems rather unusual and unexpected for Downtown Akron. The funny thing is, I could see it working though, and that it will probably wind up becoming the first of dozens of additional others to be installed around town at key places in various communities. Who knew that Tallmadge Circle would ever become a sort of model to be duplicated, even if on a smaller scale? Between this and the Better Block demos--Middlebury this weekend (East Market & South Arlington)--it does seem like Akron is trying to jump start its redevelopment, even if it is a painstakingly slow process. But we are starting to see the outward flow of ideas and also the seeding of new potential within the city under Horrigan's administration, processes that were really stagnant for years during Plusquellic's administration. Perhaps by the end of the decade, we will be able to see something in the way of genuine fruit growing out from these renewal efforts.

I think I'd take all of this one step further and dissolve all of the existing townships and counties within the state. Then I'd create "super metropolitan counties" that would be synonymous with each general metropolitan region in the state, based more or less on CSAs, and that would also function as urban growth boundaries. The new county lines/UGBs would extend far enough out that they wouldn't "cut through" any existing municipality, eliminating for example parts of Columbus city spilling over into Delaware and Fairfield counties, and would also establish an ample "land buffer" for potential future growth and development, but not to the extreme. The unincorporated areas between metropolitan counties could be placed under another a nominal designation, like a new township-county hybrid of sorts, but not one that would permit future incorporation and development unless people specifically sought it, and in which case there would be a democratic process to go through for it.

After the apparent success of the Republican National Convention there, I'd say Cleveland has a pretty sizable amount of political capital to go big on a funding request to the Feds on a cap for the Shoreway, if not more besides. The time is ripe for them to be even more aggressive on projects that really build on all that they were able to showcase of the city that enabled them to draw and host the RNC. Pittsburgh's I-579 cap looks like it's going to be nice, something that really contributes to the overall aesthetic of their downtown as the core of the city, making it an even more attractive place to visit and spend time in. Nice to see another Rust Belt city on the comeback trail.

I remember back in the late 90s when APS was supposedly trying to figure out where the performing arts high school program should be located. There were three options on the table: convert Miller South into a 4-12 school (it had grades 4-8 from the get-go), establish it at Kenmore High, or establish it at Firestone High. The Kenmore community actually put together a decent case for it, and they had a fairly strong music program at the high school at the time. But Firestone had something like 5 of the 7 members on the Akron School Board living in the cluster then, while Kenmore had none. Obviously, the board members living in the Firestone cluster all voted in favor of giving it to Firestone. Cake eaters, indeed. I do think Kenmore--both the school and the community itself--would have benefitted greatly over the years from having the performing arts program located there, and it likely would have supported their enrollment and academic performance considerably, at least at the high school. But of course we know how the story actually played out. Sometimes, I think Akron still has six other high schools just so they can bask in the glory that is "Firestone High School Campus for International Baccalaureate and Visual & Performing Arts," and yes that has actually been the formal title of the school since the early 00s. After all, what good is having privilege if there is no one else around you without it to look down upon?

There seems to be an emerging consensus that Proenza did some good for UA, particularly in terms of expanding campus and boosting enrollment while elevating UA's status beyond that of an overglorified commuter college. However, his shortcomings, particularly the construction and associated costs of InfoCision stadium without a viable means of paying them off, among other debts incurred, now cast a rather dark shadow over his achievements and legacy as UA President. Maybe Scarborough was hired to address these issues, but if he was actually brought in to be the hatchet man, he clearly couldn't even do the job like one. As he takes his golden parachute into a faculty position in CBA (because he is now so radioactive that no other university in its right mind wants anything to do with him), UA's money issues still remain unaddressed. Plus, he has so managed to damage UA's image and brand that its competitors have dramatically stepped up their efforts to fill the gaps that its decline have created. In particular, Stark State's creation of an Akron campus is very telling in terms of just how far UA has fallen in its ability to appeal to and serve the needs of area students under Scarborough's watch. Have no doubt that Kent is also closely watching and waiting to make its own big move as well. There could even come a time when the University of Akron has to surrender its independence and identity, and relegate itself to merely being a branch campus of KSU. I'd hate to see things happen that way, but it's increasingly possible now if UA is unable to recover.

Firestone High School has always been something of the "cake-eater" school in Akron Public Schools. They always seem to get the very best of everything (swimming pool, planetarium, performing arts, etc.) because so many of the city's elite--politicians, corporate execs, even school board members--live in the Firestone Cluster and send their kids there. They have privilege and use it. To some extent, I guess can't blame them, but at the same time, the whole "spoils system" approach to running the district doesn't do much at all to serve the rest of the city. Not when the district is struggling to come up with the funds to rebuild its remaining high schools. Also, none of the other high schools rebuilt or renovated so far have gotten new gyms--the old ones were maintained and renovated. East CLC in particular got the shaft on this deal since its original "competition" gym was tiny to begin with, and has even less seating now since they had to put in a divider for practices. Put another way, many suburban high schools have more room for seating and accommodations in their practice gyms.

Good riddance to him, and his olive jar too. Let's hope that UA can find a new president willing and able to work through and help fix the damage Scarborough caused, including the task of repairing all of the frayed relationships between UA's administration and the Greater Akron community.

The Fairlawn Target actually doesn't have a dedicated grocery section like most of the other Target stores around the area do now (e.g. Cuyahoga Falls, Stow, Medina, Wadsworth, Green, etc.). Unlike the other Targets, Fairlawn hasn't been updated much at all since it first opened in 1997. Supposedly it has never performed even close to the company's expectations for the location. My guess is they've held off on updating it while hoping to eventually cut a deal to build a newer store out in Montrose.

Sounds like a key part of the (re-)development strategy for East End. Two brand new concert venues (hopefully) draw in people, who in turn attract more entertainment venues--bars, restaurants, etc., which then draw in more people, and so on. Probably doesn't hurt either that the Hilton Garden Inn provides the district with a legitimate nearby hotel and place for concertgoers to crash. I do wonder as well though, how much these will compete with and take away business from the Civic Theater, which has been barely staying afloat for years while competing with EJ Thomas for events, at least up until recently. Unfortunately, Akron just doesn't seem to be the sort of place these days that can support multiple large concert venues, particularly with Cleveland being so relatively close. Not that East End itself is a bad concept overall, but the city doesn't so much need two more indoor stages for touring performers as much as it could benefit from simply having a few more vibrant "go-to" districts in addition to Downtown and Highland Square, places with a more or less organic mix of restaurants, shops, and outdoor public space, as well as unique attractions. Honestly, they'd probably be better off renting out the old Goodyear Hall Gymnasium to Akron Public Schools and surrounding school districts for high school basketball games. East High/CLC in particular could desperately use a bigger main gym that seats more than 500 people for games and other events. Several area suburban high schools have practice facilities that are less cramped. Meanwhile, maybe they could use the Goodyear Theater for screening movies.

^Problem is also now a significant loss of professional jobs that would give people the means and perhaps greater interest in living in Downtown Akron within an office tower converted into condos and apartments or similar new housing. FirstMerit going away will have a ripple effect in other professional sectors too (e.g. legal, etc.) throughout the Akron area. Some of them will also likely layoff staff, relocate, merge, or simply close shop. Not good news any way you cut it for a smaller city that seems to be seeing even more of its anchor institutions disappear that were supposed to be the backbone of its rebirth and renaissance. Akron General also lost its independence and identity to the Cleveland Clinic. Even Summa isn't wholly independent anymore, either. What's next? The University of Akron going under? That might have been inconceivable just 2 years ago. But given its current shoddy management, anything seems possible now. Maybe the FirstMerit merger underscores just how important it is for UA to get its act together, as it may very well truly be Akron's last best hope now.

I actually have no problem with the name. It's definitely a bit on the quirky side, but that's a quality Akron could certainly use in greater quantities. How Troppe is going about this and his revitalization efforts of the Main-Market district in general seems very original and unique to Akron, rather than an imposition of what another, "highly-favored" city like say Austin or Portland has done. I hope he succeeds and continues to invest in Akron.

^It really isn't. Between East End now and Dave's, the Middlebury area seems to have two solid anchors to support additional redevelopment within this particular part of Akron. Granted, it would be helpful if the two were a little closer together for starters, but I could still very easily see the city targeting this particular corridor for redevelopment and reinvestment.

I guess Akron has to start somewhere. It would probably help a great deal if East End leads to efforts to redevelop a larger part of the East Market corridor back towards Downtown Akron, particularly through the woefully neglected "Middlebury Triangle" crossings of Arlington, East Exchange and East Market. That area during Akron's Rubber Industry heyday had department stores and functioned as a "Second Downtown" of sorts. Decades of disinvestment and blight have rendered it an afterthought, but East End seems to have the potential to lead to its resurrection.

Unfortunately, I wasn't able to catch what, if any, other tenants had been announced for the location, but the Crimson Cup logo was unmistakable. At a glance, it looks like the building could house anywhere between about 4 and 5, maybe 6 tenants total. It is definitely a suburban-style strip mall. I'm sure there could have been a better design used, but then Tallmadge Circle and the city of Tallmadge itself have never been remotely models of good urban design in terms of walkablility and density. I'm not sure they're even close to grasping yet what that is and how much would benefit quality of life in the community.

So I was driving around Tallmadge Circle yesterday and noticed something pretty cool on the fence banner at the construction site where the old Big Boy's used to be: A coffee shop will be coming to the site. And not just any site... Crimson Cup of Columbus. :-) It's really surprising news, considering that the company has only opened two shops during the past 25 years, the second one just opening in the Columbus suburb of Upper Arlington in 2015. I might have guessed that the second opening was a prelude to more expansion within Central Ohio, and maybe also into Dayton or Cincinnati, but I would never have guessed Akron! In any case, this is extraordinary news for the Akron east side area in general that has had few if any real coffee shop options until recently. It seems Crimson Cup in Tallmadge will soon join Artisan Coffee in Ellet in changing that.

Definitely seems like a sound proposal to me. It really could be the pivotal point for the sort of large scale signature project that, if executed properly, could truly transform the character of the city center, and really go a long way towards changing how people feel about Akron. Maybe we can submit this to Mayor-Elect Horrigan?

My thoughts exactly. There are also still many warehouses in the Middlebury area, too. East End is the first real attempt at doing anything new and constructive on a meaningful scale in one the key Rubber Capital Era shop districts, but then even that is actually more aimed at repurposing old corporate office space, rather than outright converting Goodyear's old factory space into lofts. The redevelopment potential of East Market and South Main is staggering. Kenmore and Barberton as well, for that matter. Maybe it's just location? If Akron were on the lake and a shorter distance from Cleveland than what it is now, Ohio City and Tremont wouldn't have anything on us. We'd be overflowing with investment and NY Times writeups. But for all that we have for where we are, we could definitely be doing more with what we've got.

surfohio[/member] I wish we could take the corner of Downtown with Musica, the Art Museum, etc., connect it better with Northside and expand it all into a full-blown arts district with a mix of the old and new--renovated buildings along with mixed-use complexes with ground floor retail, residential and office units. This is the sort of grand-scale, bigger picture development that Akron has sorely been lacking.

The food truck restrictions in Akron are just downright small-minded and asinine. Even suburbs like Fairlawn and bass-akwards Norton of all places can see and grasp their benefit, and they are typically the places most resistant to such trends. Plusquellic hit a lot of nails squarely on the head, but he was way off the mark on this one. Maybe Horrigan will have a different take on them? It's receptivity and an anti-red tape to creative, entrepreneurial trends hitting cities now like Food Trucks that really go a long way towards supporting vibrancy and a stronger social fabric through engagement.

It's too convenient to get anywhere by car and nobody has taken any big chances downtown like MRN or The Bingham project, unless you count the Northside Lofts which were planned and built during the market crash. After growing up and spending so much of my life in Akron, and then traveling to and living in other cities, I came to the conclusion that Akron, for whatever reason, just never quite developed--or at least was never able to sustain--the cultural depth and resiliency in its neighborhoods that we see in larger cities like Cleveland and Pittsburgh. I suspect it much it has to do with the fact that Akron is a "satellite city" to Cleveland within the region, something that is becoming increasingly evident with consolidations like the board of realtors, and the purchase/takeover of Akron General by the Cleveland Clinic, with a strong bias towards consolidation of operations in Cleveland. Cleveland is where the vast majority of the action takes place these days in NE Ohio. It would probably be fairer to compare Akron with Toledo and Dayton, cities that are of similar population size and outlook, and that also increasingly function as satellites of the principal cities within their respective regions (Toledo < Detroit; Dayton < Cincinnati). Dayton and Toledo aren't exactly known for having lively, vibrant communities/entertainment districts either. Liveliness may be an attribute most often found in the principal regional hub, something that can easily be said for Cincy, and even Detroit. Much less so for satellites like Dayton and Toledo. We've got Downtown, Highland Square, and I guess the Merriman Valley somewhat. If Akron were thriving, maybe there would be a few more places, like East End on East Market and Middlebury (East Market/East Exchange/Arlington) that would be seeing investment to make them lively spots as well. For now, I think the city's key focus should be on attracting more residential development to Downtown and the neighborhoods immediately surrounding it. Start with strengthening the core, making it strong and vibrant, and then work your way out of it again.

My big problem with Scarborough is the wholesale damage he is doing to the operational fabric of UA by how he is handling the situation. People aren't just number signs on some big Excel budget sheet you can indescriminately delete to get out of the red parenthesis. I mean, I guess they are to some folks like him, but then there is a reason why you don't allow people like that anywhere near the levers of power. In any case, the people being summarily fired and dismissed now are the ones with all of the knowledge of how to run the damned place. Some of these jobs aren't just things you can toss to freshman student aides and expect that they will be done properly, if at all. Scarborough is just hacking off pieces of UA on the operating table as if he can sew the whole thing up and set it back on its feet. In the end, they'll say of his operation that it was a "success" but the patient died.

You're too kind, Gramarye. While I blame the Board of Trustees for hiring Scarborough in the first place, his past history warranted far more scrutiny by the search committee than what it seems he actually received while being vetted for the job, even if his role was to "right the ship" so to speak. On top of this, he had never served as president of a public university before. It shows, and then some. Stinks to high heaven, even.

I can't imagine that Kent at this point will want to go anywhere near such a conversation. Scarborough has already alienated them with his condescending talk and behavior towards them, which he has also directed towards CSU and Youngstown State. If he's in some kind of personal contest to see how many people he can piss off, he's got to be feeling mighty good about himself right now. Ironically, there was once fairly serious talk of a consolidated "Northeast Ohio University" (or perhaps "UNEO") that would have included Akron, Kent, Cleveland State and Youngstown State. That was back during Gov. Strickland's administration, not long after Eric Fingerhut was appointed the first Chancellor of the "University of Ohio" system. I recall Proenza and the presidents of CSU and YSU being rather interested in the idea, but Kent's president and administration at the time balked at the idea, feeling that they were a cut above the other three universities. Then Strickland lost to Kasich in 2010, and the wheels on such talks pretty much came grinding to a halt. Kent's current president, Beverly Warren, at least seemed somewhat warmer to the idea of some consolidation taking place between the universities than her predecessor was, although that was before Scarborough launched himself into full-on jackass mode. At this point, things look pretty grim for UA. Even if Scarborough and the whole board of trustees were run out of town on a rail tomorrow, there has already been a great deal of damage done to the social and cultural fabric of the university that could not be fixed overnight, if ever. Also, the UA brand that we saw in so many Super Bowl commercials narrated by Proenza has also been severely damaged at this point. Stuff like this takes years to build up, but as we can clearly see now, it can all be ruined in short order by a truly awful choice for a chief executive. Students are already fleeing and enrolling in other universities for the fall, and good luck convincing next year's would-be prospective freshmen to enroll when they see all over social media how badly this mess is playing out. UA may very well see its enrollment crash to well under 20,000 before this fiasco is brought to heel.

I also agree on all of the above. The land should be set aside in the Arena District until such time arrives when a stadium for the Crew can be built, but I honestly don't see a new stadium being built for the Crew or anyone in Columbus for at least another 10 years.

UA apparently over-projected their enrollment growth. They should have spent more modestly on renovating and expanding the campus than what they actually did under Proenza. The trustees and Proenza also made a massive gamble on building the new football stadium, believing that it would lead to a profitable varsity football program, and one that could service the university's debt incurred through Proenza's "Landscape for Learning" initiative through increased attendance and alumni support. None of that came about since InfoCision stadium opened in 2009. The Zips have had three football coaches in the past six years, and went 6-42 during their first four seasons at InfoCision stadium, posting 1-11 records during three of those seasons. Current coach Terry Bowden has posted a 5-7 record during his past two seasons. Attendance at Zips Football games was recently noted as being the lowest in the nation. Akron people just don't have much to be excited about when it comes to college football here. But honestly, all of the Mid-American Conference teams struggle with their attendance. Kent isn't any better off. Scarborough is the hatchet man the trustees have brought in to clean up the mess they made of UA. The problem there is that he's making an even bigger mess with the hack job he is doing to jobs and departments on campus. So many of the people he just laid off intimately knew their roles and departments, and the people left behind are clueless about how to run them in the aftermath, if they themselves aren't looking to get out before the ax falls on their positions. I would not want to be a student at UA this year, for sure. The big problem this all potentially poses for the City of Akron and the metropolitan region as a whole, is the fact that UA was a key partner in the Biomedical Corridor. With the cuts that are happening, the entire Biomedical Corridor initiative appears to be in jeopardy. Three hospitals by themselves certainly won't be enough to prop it up.