JamesMatthew

zipsrifle.. yea.. there wont be a good view of downtown form infocision stadium.. The press boxes will be blocking the view.. but as stated before.. if the Akron football program grows and they change to a more sought after conference.. The stadium is expandable.. and yes I think the city will get behind UA and show up to games now..

Oh and other Downtown construction not mentioned are the Canal walkway bridge over the Akron innerbelt and also the addition to the superblock parking deck with tunnel for Dart Ave. So there is a tremedous amount of construction Downtown.. The construction behind the inventors hall is the math and science school.

I had to take a picture of Downtown from an interesting view .. the St. V/M football field.. thats right.. where Lebron played the other sport.. I love this viewpoint.. I find myself finding excuses to go downtown now. I'm excited for my hometown. too bad I'm moving back to the nati at the end of the year. I'm going to atleast go to one UA game each season.!. BTW.. a new downtown hotel should be announced this year. and I still keep hearing buzz about a basketball arena. Word is that the arena will be a joint venture between UA and the City. It appears that Akron is trying the lure a NBADL team. and no doubt it will have something to do with LeBron.

Personally, out of all the larger cities in Ohio I expect Akron to boom..and I'm not alone on this.. there has been many new building projects within 3 miles of the city center and many of them are geared toward the younger generation and professionals. Not to mention they opened up the canal to insert retail/eateries and with the Goodyear/Akron river walk project about to get underway more jobs/attractions will be developed. I've heard a number tossed around of over 250,000 residents by 2030. ( City counsel president Marco Summerville said that as well)

this would be good for the region. it really would not affect me personally because I only travel 2.3 miles one way to work. I was watching feagler and friends the other day and He had on someone from the Ohio rail commision. (ohio hub) He said that if the funds were in place as of now the 3 C train (Cleve -Cbus - Cinti) would start up within 2 years and run at prices around 40 dollars fora round trip from Cleve to Cinti. As well as frequent rider passes and so forth. It looks as if Ohio is going to be one of the first states with High speed mass commuting. Can't wait.

Well bargin shoppers will be delighted when the stores go out of business.. discount galore.. they should all go out a the same time.. you'd see mass people there for a change.. atleast for a day or two.

Plus this coming week they will be finishing the canal towpath bridge accross the innerbelt (rt59) which will create a direct walking/biking trail from Downtown Akron to Downtown Cleveland. these restaurants could become something quite interesting depending on how they sell it to the public.. could even be a new romantic date spot in the city

All-America Finals This Week 6/2/2008 11:24:32 AM | Tina Kaufmann Akron is competing for its third "Oscar." More than 60 Akron area residents - from government, business, non-profit, and neighborhood organizations will be in Tampa, Florida later this week, competing for the All America City Award, sponsored by the National Civic League. Akron is among 17 finalists in contention for the top national award and the only Ohio city selected for the final competition.

Waterfront living comes to Akron New restaurants and attractions planned to line canal in downtown Imagine a relaxing moonlit dinner, listening to the trickling sounds of moving water and basking in the buzz of city nightlife. If that sounds appealing, don't look any farther than downtown Akron. Deputy Mayor of Economic Development Robert Bowman reveals Akron's plan to transform downtown life into a waterfront atmosphere. He said construction has already begun on the development of new waterfront restaurants, entertainment areas, shops, offices and apartments on the canalway downtown. Stretching from the corner of Bowery Street and North Main Street, a strip of restaurants and new developments will soon be nestled. "Akron residents can expect some exciting times to take place in downtown," Bowman said. The restaurants will be located right on the canal shore and will be connected to the and outdoor venue Lock 3, under the overhanging brick wall of the theater. The desirable location will enable future customers to walk over to Lock 3 and catch a summer concert after dinner or drinks. The six building strip is being redeveloped and undergoing historic renovation to become the as new downtown attraction. Turning the battered Main Street storefronts and antique buildings next to the Civic Theater into new attractions will incorporate the nostalgic characteristics of the historic buildings with the contemporary design of new architecture. The plan is to build loft apartments above the restaurants and make commercial space available below. The specific type of restaurants, entertainment and time of completion has not been decided, but Bowman revealed that "it's going to be something unique." Bowman added that they are working on the idea of projecting films onto the outside wall of the Civic Theater, so patrons can watch movies while dining out on summer nights. The success of the Akron Aeros minor league baseball team at Canal Park, combined with the Lock 3 attractions, the Barley House and the opening of the Ohio Brewing Company and Damon's Grille in the historic O'Neil building have led the way to these new developments. Bowman explained that it is important to concentrate on downtown Akron. "The downtown of any city is the living room of the community," he said. Bowman adds that the centralization will attract more businesses, create a demand for more services and jobs and will help increase fire and police protection. The new developments in downtown will not only be something for residents to look forward to, but will eventually increase the progression on projects in surrounding communities. Bowman explains that increasing the flow of businesses and consumerism downtown will generate more tax dollars for the city, which will be distributed to surrounding neighborhoods. "A healthy downtown equals healthy neighborhoods," Bowman said. The excitement surrounding downtown will only add to the success of up and coming projects such as the Middlebury Marketplace, the first new retail shopping center to open in center-city Akron in the past 40 years, and aid in the developments of the available space in Highland Square. Bowman's vision for the future of downtown is to concentrate on a number of significant medical developments such as the Biomed Corridor, the Orthopedic institute, an Academic Health Center, Northeast Ohio University Colleges of Medicine and Pharmacy and the expansion of Akron's three hospitals. Plus, the Goodyear project will continue to advance and progress into the years ahead. Credit: Sarah Haas; The Buchtelite

West Chester is getting to commercialized...

really nice.. coming along just fine.. I never get a chance to drive over and take a look... I'm going to have to do that soon..

http://www.akronnewsnow.com/community/itemdetail.asp?ID=20381 UA's InfoCision Stadium Going As Planned 5/23/2008 2:54:36 PM | Craig Simpson The University of Akron's new on-campus athletics complex, InfoCision Stadium/Summa Field, is progressing well. In fact, the project is currently ahead of schedule. While the first game at InfoCision Stadium is not until Sept. 19, 2009 (versus Indiana), the first football game for 2008 - the 66th and final year in The Rubber Bowl - is Sept. 13 versus Ball State, just over three short months away. Season tickets

I was wondering if anyone has heard anything on where/when this building will be built? I know the museum is operating out of "temporary" offices in Downtown Akron and would like to have its own museum space.. Last thing I heard was the end of 2006 that it was planned for the building that summa just put offices in now by the new acute care facility on E market..

yes its that high.. mind you its a full service station.. The first station in the area to actually put unleaded over 4/gallon. I drove right on passed it and went to the Giant Eagle and used my 40 cent off/gallon and payed 3.55/gallon.. and that sounded cheap.. I use to use the kroger gas discount when I lived in the Nati last year.. its nothing at all like Giant Eagle's gas discount.. Kroger should take a lesson from GE!!!

Contractor prepares for store's handoff to Bass Pro owners BY LARRY P. VELLEQUETTE BLADE BUSINESS WRITER Published: 5/9/2008 Dozens of construction workers yesterday buzzed around the new 150,000-square-foot Bass Pro Shops store under construction in Rossford, planting trees, hanging signs, and cleaning up what local officials hope soon will be a huge tourist draw for the Toledo area. Inside a construction management trailer across the parking lot from Bass Pro's huge wood-frame and glass building, project managers with Rudolph-Libbe Inc. were busy coordinating the final touches on the $50 million project. They planned to work through the weekend - as they have most previous weekends - to finish the multistory, outdoor-themed "retail destination" in time for a planned handoff to Bass Pro Wednesday morning, a Rudolph-Libbe official on site said. But the continued toil of construction workers is just a part of the complicated ballet of coordinated tasks that must be completed before Bass Pro Shops opens to the public, now expected to take place right before the July 4 holiday. MORE: http://www.toledoblade.com/local/2008/05/09/Contractor-prepares-for-store-s-handoff-to-Bass-Pro-owners.html

I do know that Akron was in talks about having an aquarium built .. The region wont be able to handle 2 within close proximity... so I guess it goes to whichever city can get the deal done first.!.

I seen him at rookwood commons in October doing some shopping all by himself so he doesnt always have his "bouncer" with him .. I think its only when he is doing city business or when he goes into price hill or over the rine.

The university is trying to attract more students. They want to get the enrollment numbers close to and above the 30,000 range. That is why around the new football stadium there will be student housing. and a new Greek area for frats as well. Lebron is a major pull for a new arena. He is on campus at UA alot doing functions with youth at the JAR. UA's basketball program is getting better and attracting better talent and if a young high school kid sees a Shiney new arena .. its an awestruck type of feeling.. Plus with a bigger Arena They would possibly get better opponents (a major school in a away-home-away away deal kinda like what the football program had with Kentucky for the new stadium)

You obviously are not paying 4.19 a gallon...

Well there are already talks of Bass Pro moving to West Chester off of I-75 within the next 2-3 years. (nothing offical yet) Personally.. I'd like to see Khols move into the Colerain area.. like the shopping center with Dicks.. I think they'd get good business there.

To be honest.. Akron will eventaully start seeing a boom in Population.. With all the improvements to the downtown as wel as the school system and neighboorhoods... People will eventually take notice and move to the area.

My Friend told me that Berean moved on the other side of 275 where the walmart is which makes alot better sense for that store.. and now with biggs being gone.. that corridor wont have much of anything and eventually Jonny Rockets will leave. Bass Pro wont be far behind..

I still cant get over that he has a city payed Body guard.!.

I have some inside information.. A minister from the Church I attended in Cincinnati is on the Development board for Hyatt. He has been doing "business" meetings in Akron. Word is that Haytt is trying to work out a deal with the City of Akron, The Knight Center, the Akron Art Museum, and the Public Library on plans to build a Hyatt Regency Hotel accross the street from the Art Museum with a bridge connecting the the Art museum and the Convention center to the hotel as well as a bridge connecting the High/Market parking deck to the Convention center as well. They also would like the city to add on to the parking deck atleast 150 more spaces.

The Osborn design has room for a multi-level mall.. and its not like chapel hill or summit.. it would be similar to whats on the Ohio river in Newport, KY. Something with a multiplex cinema and a dave/busters type enterainment to create a sports/entertainment district in Downtown.