yanni_gogolak

Akron’s 2017 construction plan slashes spending by more than $75 million By Doug Livingston Beacon Journal staff writer Big ticket purchases include $533,000 to equip police with body cameras by summer, a $3 million resurfacing of Tallmadge Avenue (funded mostly by the Ohio Department of Transportation) and a new $21.5 million Akron Municipal Courthouse between the Akron STEM Middle School and East Bowery Street. http://www.ohio.com/news/local/akron-s-2017-construction-plan-slashes-spending-by-more-than-75-million-1.742631

New trust a restaurant where you can't eat at the bar.

Longtime Akron City Center hotel closes By Katie Byard and Jim Mackinnon Published: January 19, 2017 - 07:23 PM | Updated: January 20, 2017 - 08:50 AM The struggling Akron City Center Hotel, one of the taller buildings on Akron’s downtown skyline, has closed. It is unclear when the 19-floor hotel at Cascade Plaza off South Main Street shut down. The owner, Jack Saheid, a Texas businessman who took over the aging 243-room property in 2011, hoping to turn it around, could not be reached for comment. http://www.ohio.com/business/longtime-akron-city-center-hotel-closes-1.741456 Sikich LLP opens new Akron office January 19, 2017 Updated 17 hours ago By Jeremy Nobile Sikich LLP officially opened its new location in Akron's White Pond Office Park — a 34,500-square-foot building that saw a groundbreaking last spring by Akron accounting and technology firm Brockman, Coats, Gedelian & Co. BCG was acquired by Naperville, Ill.-based Sikich last June. http://www.crainscleveland.com/article/20170119/NEWS/170119778/sikich-llp-opens-new-akron-office

NEFCO approves $110,460 for Summit Lake environmental assessment By Rick Armon Published: January 18, 2017 - 02:50 PM | Updated: January 19, 2017 - 09:09 AM ... The Northeast Ohio Four County Regional Planning & Development Organization (NEFCO) approved $110,460 toward the project Wednesday through its Summit County Brownfields Revitalization Program. ... The foundation, which asked the Trust for Public Land to manage the assessment, earmarked $195,300 for the overall project. ... $300k study, pretty exciting news for the area!

Amphitheater Advances with $800K Design Contract By George Nelson | January 18, 2017 YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – Finance Director David Bozanich said he expects to finalize a contract with MKSK, the Columbus firm the city selected for the amphitheater and riverfront park by the Covelli Centre, within 30 days. Tonight City Council will consider legislation authorizing the Board of Control to enter into a professional services contract with MKSK for final design and construction management services for the project. http://businessjournaldaily.com/finance-director-anticipates-action-on-amphitheater-project/

Ha, yes, I agree with both comments. Sherman Cahal[/member]: An integrated landscape with a large gazebo, splash pad, fountains, playground and countless other ideas, replicated in other cities to great success, could work better. Right, and they had exactly that with the first design that was only $1mil. I think it's more functional as well.

I think you might be getting your buildings confused. This is the College of Business: U of A - College of Business

New rendering:

Sitework has started for the Stark State College Akron Campus.

Market Square plans taken to new heights The new plans for the square - including the sculpture, a covered stage, a video screen, restaurant and restrooms - would cost about $9.4 million. By Kelly Byer 
Repository staff writer CANTON Plans to transform Market Square into an "iconic" attraction have grown considerably - along with the price tag. Canton City Council were presented Monday with revamped designs from architects for the one-acre green space in the downtown area. To see designs, click here. http://www.cantonrep.com/news/20170109/market-square-plans-taken-to-new-heights WOW, this project went from about $1mil. to $9mil. + Check out the images from the link in the article. Pretty ugly, IMO. LINK

Developer plans senior apartments for Mull Avenue January 08, 2017 Updated 13 hours ago By Dan Shingler If you Google "senior living investments," you'll get back a whopping 7.21 million results, perhaps more by the time this article goes to print. There's a reason for that: Americans are aging and retiring at a record rate. And a Pittsburgh development firm is following that reason right into Northeast Ohio and, if the city approves, probably Akron. http://www.crainscleveland.com/article/20170108/NEWS/170109867/developer-plans-senior-apartments-for-mull-avenue#utm_medium=email&utm_source=ccl-akronmorning&utm_campaign=ccl-akronmorning-20170109&email_realestate

Bringing Johnson Controls' smart-city concept to HOF Village By Alison Matas ©Repository staff writer Posted Dec 27, 2016 at 6:48 AM Editors' note: Johnson Controls and the Hall of Fame Village have forged a partnership that will bring innovative technology to the Hall's campus in Canton. Johnson Controls also bought naming rights to Hall of Fame Village. The Canton Repository's Alison Matas went to Johnson Controls' U.S. headquarters in Milwaukee to find out what that means and what the Village will look like. This is the first of a two-day series on Johnson Controls. MILWAUKEE A room begins preheating 10 minutes in advance of a scheduled meeting. Motion sensors control lights. Cameras display entrances and exits of buildings as the pictures of the employees coming and going pop up on another screen. Temperatures of individual offices can be viewed from a tablet screen. http://www.cantonrep.com/news/20161227/bringing-johnson-controls-smart-city-concept-to-hof-village

I guess I don't get the issue with the name? I mean, as long as a restaurant isn't called Garbage: A trashcan eatery, I don't really consider the name of it at all. Chef: Oscar the Grouch.

Restored historic building is new home for WhiteSpace Creative By Betty Lin-Fisher Published: December 26, 2016 - 09:09 PM | Updated: December 27, 2016 - 08:11 AM Three years ago, there were mushrooms growing from decaying floorboards in a cavernous building on Furnace Street near downtown Akron. Some of those reclaimed floorboards are now timbers on the front deck of a newly renovated 55,000-square-foot office and warehouse building. The office building at 243 Furnace St. this week will become the new headquarters for Akron marketing and advertising firm WhiteSpace Creative. An attached warehouse houses some small-business tenants and is still undergoing work. http://www.ohio.com/writers/betty-lin-fisher/restored-historic-building-is-new-home-for-whitespace-creative-1.736129#

Not much of a review on the food.

Two things: 1. The former Mayor, while did do a lot for starting to turn Downtown, also liked to play developer and scratch backs. 2. The buildings were originally sold in Jan. of 2008. I think we know what happened to the market around that time. It took the new Mayor to finally push some legal decisions on the property owners.

What's the definition of "cheap construction"? It sounds like many of the things being brought up are because of inexperienced labor. Yes, lumber quality is not great in some cases, but everyone is using the same products. The same with drywall. You are going to have a lot of cost just getting to your finishes. There you can skimp on cabinet quality and low cost flooring.

Stoney Pointe discourse spurs broader conversation about homeless, disabled By Doug Livingston Published: December 14, 2016 - 01:03 AM | Updated: December 14, 2016 - 09:18 AM Mark Foertch of Ingersoll Drive in West Akron figures the public looks down on him for fighting the construction of a 68-unit, four-story apartment building for the homeless and disabled. When he began protesting the $11.3 million Stoney Pointe Commons, a government subsidized housing complex, he spoke before Akron City Council of the damage that would be done to his property values should hundreds of chronically homeless, many with mental illness, be lumped together under one roof. http://www.ohio.com/news/local/stoney-pointe-discourse-spurs-broader-conversation-about-homeless-disabled-1.733565#

The promotional photo is clearly of a 27 Coltman unit. Yes, this project is not built yet.

Frederick, Maryland's Carroll Creek Park is a nice model for Akron to look at - minimal budget, maximal impact. They took a flood-prone industrial "sewer" and made it an attraction. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/going-out-guide/wp/2015/04/17/street-smart-carroll-creek-park-frederick-md/?utm_term=.b1413cc3eb1d The infrastructure is already there and looks great. I don't see how retail would work though as there is not near enough foot traffic to support it and it's sunken down from street level. It's a pretty picture, but I would be willing to put a few bucks on it that it will amount to more than that. Here's some coverage of the recent improvements which was adding lighting, movable furniture and they will hold more events in the space. They are looking at adding some containers with food retailers as well. http://www.cleveland.com/akron/index.ssf/2016/11/akrons_lock_4_park_transformed.html http://www.cleveland.com/akron/index.ssf/2016/11/harvest_fest_to_kick_off_publi.html

Sounds like some interesting projects. Wish they had some renderings.

Ohio & Erie Canalway Association awards grants totaling $363,000 for improvement projects December 06, 2016 Updated 19 hours ago Projects receiving funding include a new power car for the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad; plans for a new visitor center in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park; trail enhancements in Cleveland and the Village of Bolivar; and interpretive exhibits in the Cleveland History Center, Mustill Store and Zoar Village. The grants range from $3,000 to $40,000. A full list of grant recipients is available here. http://www.crainscleveland.com/article/20161206/NEWS/161209862/ohio-erie-canalway-association-awards-grants-totaling-363000-for

Sounds great.

City settles two big development deals By Doug Livingston Published: December 5, 2016 - 08:30 PM The second development before the council Monday involved the selling of six downtown properties to the Bowery Development Group, which includes two developers and an array of consultants and investors. Leading the planning are Geis Cos. of Streetsboro and the DeHoff Development Co. of North Canton. http://www.ohio.com/news/local/city-settles-two-big-development-deals-1.731687#