Actually, the area east of Rt. 8 including East Exchange has been included in UAPark's feasibility studies and is also clearly included in the UA Park district according to the maps on UA Park's website, one of which I have attached below.

 

Also, if you drive by Dave's Supermarket and the Middlebury Plaza, there are UP banners hanging from the poles adjacent to the plaza. UP is claiming this area as part of its redevelopment district. How soon they get around to doing anything serious with it is another matter, however. I do agree that it will be a couple of decades down the road before they do a whole lot with it.

 

My guess is they will eventually split off the area east of Rt. 8 and relaunch it with/as part of the old Middlebury District. It's not difficult to see this happening eventually, particularly once the Goodyear HQ/"Riverwalk" project is maxed out. Middlebury will be a lynchpin in connecting Riverwalk, UP, and Downtown. But again, this will all play out over decades rather than within a few years.

APS, UA working on Central-Hower site trade for scholarships

12/13/2012 - West Side Leader

By Becky Tompkins

 

DOWNTOWN AKRON — With its enrollment decreasing, the Akron Public School (APS) District has closed some schools and combined some others. The University of Akron (UA) has long been interested in the Central-Hower High School building, which sits flush up against the UA campus.

The two education entities have worked out a way for the APS to transfer ownership of the building to UA in exchange for scholarships for deserving APS students.

 

www.http://akron.com/akron-ohio-community-news.asp?aID=17982

Saw they took down the 277 S Broadway building.  Anybody know what is going on with that?  Wasn't an interesting building but wasn't bad.  And you could drive under it!

Saw they took down the 277 S Broadway building.  Anybody know what is going on with that?  Wasn't an interesting building but wasn't bad.  And you could drive under it!

 

I don't know what they have planned for the lot, but they relocated the departments in there a little while back to the Admin. Services Building. There was actually a study done and rendering, probably at least 5 years ago, to put an addition onto the CBA building which is next to it.

http://www3.uakron.edu/nmc/plan/building-cba.html

APS board OKs sale of Central-Hower to UA

 

12/27/2012 - West Side Leader

By Becky Tompkins

 

DOWNTOWN AKRON — The Akron Public Schools (APS) Board of Education voted 6-1 during a special meeting Dec. 21 to proceed with the sale of the Central-Hower High School building to The University of Akron (UA).

 

In a deal sanctioned by special Ohio General Assembly legislation, UA will provide $13.5 million in four-year scholarships for deserving APS students in return. According to APS officials, the property, located at 123 S. Forge St., was valued at $13.5 million — the amount that will now fund the Akron Public Schools Innovation Generation Scholarship.

 

The building now houses the APS’ new STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) high school. Under the proposed offer, the district may lease part of the building for the STEM school for five years, with another five possible.

 

http://akron.com/akron-ohio-community-news.asp?aID=18119

University of Akron sells Rubber Bowl to marketing group eyeing USFL team

 

By Carol Biliczky

Beacon Journal staff writer

Published: January 30, 2013 - 12:01 PM

 

The University of Akron agreed Wednesday morning to sell the Rubber Bowl to a Canton-based marketing group that seeks to place a United States Football League team in the facility.

 

The Team1 Marketing Group will pay $38,000 for the 6.8-acre bowl and one foot around the perimeter.

 

The proposed team would be called the Akron Fire.

 

The Rubber Bowl was the vision of community leaders bent on bolstering the city of Akron after the Great Depression.

 

http://www.ohio.com/news/break-news/university-of-akron-sells-rubber-bowl-to-marketing-group-eyeing-usfl-team-1.369149

The USFL? Again?

The USFL? Again?

I guess it's more of a minor league for the NFL than an alternative to it.

Still, I can't imagine getting more than 5k a game and that's if they're winning.

More solar panels to move University of Akron closer to energy sustainability

 

By Carol Biliczky

Beacon Journal staff writer

 

The University of Akron is taking a bigger step into sustainable energy with what is believed to be the largest project of its kind in the state.

 

UA is contracting with Carbon Vision of Shaker Heights to install solar panels on the roof of the Louis and Freda Stile Athletic Field House and part of the roof of the Recreation and Wellness Center.

 

http://www.ohio.com/news/local/more-solar-panels-to-move-university-of-akron-closer-to-energy-sustainability-1.371520

University of Akron seeks donors for WWII memorial on campus

 

By Jim Carney

Beacon Journal staff writer

 

Published: November 10, 2013 - 11:58 PM | Updated: November 11, 2013 - 07:42 AM

 

Donors are wanted for the re-creation of one of the most dramatic war memorials in the Akron area.

 

The University of Akron estimates it will cost $75,000 to erect a World War II memorial on the site where those killed in Vietnam, Korea and World War I already are memorialized in a grassy area east of Bierce Library on campus. So far, no money has been raised for the project.

 

http://www.ohio.com/news/university-of-akron-seeks-donors-for-wwii-memorial-on-campus-1.443845

Does anyone have any information on this?

Student Housing Master Plan:

 

http://www.designcollective.com/portfolio/project/university-of-akron--student-housing-master-plan/

/\/\/\/\

That's their "pie in the sky" goal. It would take a lot right now to ever get to that level.

Interesting how they ignored the need for parking in that plan.

Well, one new residence hall and parking garage, but a good step: http://goo.gl/maps/8DV67

Well, one new residence hall and parking garage, but a good step: http://goo.gl/maps/8DV67

 

This was done years ago though. They had a new Master Plan done last year, so I'm sure this was revised. Also, I highly doubt this "vision" takes into consideration the new residence hall that is next to the McDonald's on Exchange.

/\/\/\/\

That's their "pie in the sky" goal. It would take a lot right now to ever get to that level.

Interesting how they ignored the need for parking in that plan.

Looks phenomenal, but I agree. The rate of enrollment growth doesn't support it right now, and long term trends aren't optimistic. Also UA isn't OSU, and people really aren't flocking to this part of the country.

Also UA isn't OSU, and people really aren't flocking to this part of the country.

 

Do you mean Akron or Northeast Ohio? Because enrollment is up at CSU and CWRU, with a major housing shortage at both campuses. And if Kent can't rebuild its downtown and expand the KSU campus to downtown Kent, Akron should be able to do at least as much.

Anecdotely, I'm noticing more people on campus from "shale oil" counties than previously.  Or it could be i recognize the county names more readily than before. So it could be nothing.

It could also mean that counties with newfound oil money in southeastern Ohio have potential university students going to KSU,UA, and OU. 

Also UA isn't OSU, and people really aren't flocking to this part of the country.

 

Do you mean Akron or Northeast Ohio? Because enrollment is up at CSU and CWRU, with a major housing shortage at both campuses. And if Kent can't rebuild its downtown and expand the KSU campus to downtown Kent, Akron should be able to do at least as much.

 

UA didn't come out of nowhere like CSU tho, whereas CWRU used urban design to boost its enrollment. Smallest freshman class ever pre-Uptown, largest ever post-Uptown, so those results speak for themselves (although no app fee helps those stats). CWRU competes nationally and saw a need to recreate an urban atmosphere more typical of Chicago or Philly just to compete with Nova, UPenn, Temple, Swarthmore, UChicago, Northwestern, etc etc.

 

There's a synergy along Euclid Avenue that has been very good for the knowledge sector. I won't say it doesn't exist elsewhere in Ohio, but future growth prospects are different bc the potential is still so untapped. Akron will have to "suffer" from its stability.

Also UA isn't OSU, and people really aren't flocking to this part of the country.

 

Do you mean Akron or Northeast Ohio? Because enrollment is up at CSU and CWRU, with a major housing shortage at both campuses. And if Kent can't rebuild its downtown and expand the KSU campus to downtown Kent, Akron should be able to do at least as much.

 

UA didn't come out of nowhere like CSU tho, whereas CWRU used urban design to boost its enrollment. Smallest freshman class ever pre-Uptown, largest ever post-Uptown, so those results speak for themselves (although no app fee helps those stats). CWRU competes nationally and saw a need to recreate an urban atmosphere more typical of Chicago or Philly just to compete with Nova, UPenn, Temple, Swarthmore, UChicago, Northwestern, etc etc.

 

There's a synergy along Euclid Avenue that has been very good for the knowledge sector. I won't say it doesn't exist elsewhere in Ohio, but future growth prospects are different bc the potential is still so untapped. Akron will have to "suffer" from its stability.

 

There are 600 new student units scheduled to come online in August this year near The University of Akron.

University of Akron psychology museum to expand with $3.5 million donation

 

By Carol Biliczky

Beacon Journal staff writer

Published: September 5, 2014 - 09:43 PM

 

Just four years ago, the University of Akron moved its psychology archives from a humble basement in a campus building to the new Center for the History of Psychology.

 

Now UA is expanding the museum almost sixfold thanks to a $3.5 million gift from psychologist Nicholas A. Cummings, 90, and his wife, Dorothy M., of Reno, Nev.

 

http://www.ohio.com/news/local/university-of-akron-psychology-museum-to-expand-with-3-5-million-donation-1.520097

This is interesting. The University has put out a call for proposals from developers for the Martin Center. The Martin Center was a multi-function facility housing the Development Offices, a restaurant and banquet space. The Development Offices have moved out and they don't use the facility for functions anymore. I would assume they are trying to utilize the Student Center now. The University has proposed a boutique hotel use for the building. The developers will have to figure out if this would be at all feasible or they could come in with some other use. The University is looking to lease the building.

 

http://www.uakron.edu/dotAsset/7de1f794-3d96-4048-8a05-8c75cca8e486.pdf

This is interesting. The University has put out a call for proposals from developers for the Martin Center. The Martin Center was a multi-function facility housing the Development Offices, a restaurant and banquet space. The Development Offices have moved out and they don't use the facility for functions anymore. I would assume they are trying to utilize the Student Center now. The University has proposed a boutique hotel use for the building. The developers will have to figure out if this would be at all feasible or they could come in with some other use. The University is looking to lease the building.

 

http://www.uakron.edu/dotAsset/7de1f794-3d96-4048-8a05-8c75cca8e486.pdf

 

Great news. There was talk that this beautiful building was a goner.

This is interesting. The University has put out a call for proposals from developers for the Martin Center. The Martin Center was a multi-function facility housing the Development Offices, a restaurant and banquet space. The Development Offices have moved out and they don't use the facility for functions anymore. I would assume they are trying to utilize the Student Center now. The University has proposed a boutique hotel use for the building. The developers will have to figure out if this would be at all feasible or they could come in with some other use. The University is looking to lease the building.

 

http://www.uakron.edu/dotAsset/7de1f794-3d96-4048-8a05-8c75cca8e486.pdf

 

Great news. There was talk that this beautiful building was a goner.

I heard that, too, which would be a shame. It's a nice building for banquets and balls, with a character of formality that you just don't have and really can't create in the Student Center.

 

I always thought that the area surrounding it could become something like a "Faculty Village" with townhomes taking up some of the empty lots, and the Martin Center and Hower House serving as cultural anchors. It would be something of a "pocket" neighborhood, but it would breathe life into what has long been a neglected part of campus. Probably little more than a pipe dream at this point, given the collapse of the University Park foundation initiative.

This is interesting. The University has put out a call for proposals from developers for the Martin Center. The Martin Center was a multi-function facility housing the Development Offices, a restaurant and banquet space. The Development Offices have moved out and they don't use the facility for functions anymore. I would assume they are trying to utilize the Student Center now. The University has proposed a boutique hotel use for the building. The developers will have to figure out if this would be at all feasible or they could come in with some other use. The University is looking to lease the building.

 

http://www.uakron.edu/dotAsset/7de1f794-3d96-4048-8a05-8c75cca8e486.pdf

 

Great news. There was talk that this beautiful building was a goner.

I heard that, too, which would be a shame. It's a nice building for banquets and balls, with a character of formality that you just don't have and really can't create in the Student Center.

 

I always thought that the area surrounding it could become something like a "Faculty Village" with townhomes taking up some of the empty lots, and the Martin Center and Hower House serving as cultural anchors. It would be something of a "pocket" neighborhood, but it would breathe life into what has long been a neglected part of campus. Probably little more than a pipe dream at this point, given the collapse of the University Park foundation initiative.

 

That's a great idea. I wish the University had the foresight to steal your idea 10 years ago.

 

The unfinished, half shiny, half bombed out state of campus area is depressing to me. Especially when compared to the largescale changes going on over in Kent. 

The unfinished, half shiny, half bombed out state of campus area is depressing to me. Especially when compared to the largescale changes going on over in Kent.

 

It would have been nice for them to have recognized a slowdown in campus development before they turned half of the Exchange strip into parking lots that likely will remain parking lots for the foreseeable future.

The unfinished, half shiny, half bombed out state of campus area is depressing to me. Especially when compared to the largescale changes going on over in Kent.

 

It would have been nice for them to have recognized a slowdown in campus development before they turned half of the Exchange strip into parking lots that likely will remain parking lots for the foreseeable future.

 

What areas are "bombed out". I know Kent and Akron are both close in proximity but the cities themselves are very different and not comparable in this manner. That's like saying Ohio University and Cleveland State should learn from each other.

 

It's my understanding this has always been planned. They had a Master Plan done years ago and had it updated again last year by one of the leaders in Master Planning in the country.

The unfinished, half shiny, half bombed out state of campus area is depressing to me. Especially when compared to the largescale changes going on over in Kent.

 

It would have been nice for them to have recognized a slowdown in campus development before they turned half of the Exchange strip into parking lots that likely will remain parking lots for the foreseeable future.

 

What areas are "bombed out". I know Kent and Akron are both close in proximity but the cities themselves are very different and not comparable in this manner. That's like saying Ohio University and Cleveland State should learn from each other.

 

It's my understanding this has always been planned. They had a Master Plan done years ago and had it updated again last year by one of the leaders in Master Planning in the country.

 

All of the teardowns and new vacant lots have sucked alot of energy away from this area. Entire blocks of houses are gone. The neighborhood reminds me of the poorer areas of Appalachia in some ways. My comparison of then vs. now is based on my attendance at Akron during 1990's. Even without the nice, new buildings or football stadium, there were more businesses around, and it was livelier and more interesting back then.

The unfinished, half shiny, half bombed out state of campus area is depressing to me. Especially when compared to the largescale changes going on over in Kent.

 

It would have been nice for them to have recognized a slowdown in campus development before they turned half of the Exchange strip into parking lots that likely will remain parking lots for the foreseeable future.

 

What areas are "bombed out". I know Kent and Akron are both close in proximity but the cities themselves are very different and not comparable in this manner. That's like saying Ohio University and Cleveland State should learn from each other.

 

It's my understanding this has always been planned. They had a Master Plan done years ago and had it updated again last year by one of the leaders in Master Planning in the country.

 

All of the teardowns and new vacant lots have sucked alot of energy away from this area. Entire blocks of houses are gone. The neighborhood reminds me of the poorer areas of Appalachia in some ways. My comparison of then vs. now is based on my attendance at Akron during 1990's. Even without the nice, new buildings or football stadium, there were more businesses around, and it was livelier and more interesting back then.

 

Again, what area are you referring to?

Again, what area are you referring to?

 

Primarily the areas adjacent to Exchange Street. Between Grant and Route 8.

Again, what area are you referring to?

 

Primarily the areas adjacent to Exchange Street. Between Grant and Route 8.

 

Like the Stadium parking lot on Exchange where Joe's Sun Bar was? big loss, yikes. Maybe Greek Village? Nothing lost there. It is empty now so I see somewhat of a point there. Everywhere else is pretty developed. That's why I am confused as to what you are referring to.

Again, what area are you referring to?

 

Primarily the areas adjacent to Exchange Street. Between Grant and Route 8.

 

Like the Stadium parking lot on Exchange where Joe's Sun Bar was? big loss, yikes. Maybe Greek Village? Nothing lost there. It is empty now so I see somewhat of a point there. Everywhere else is pretty developed. That's why I am confused as to what you are referring to.

 

I'm not here to say Joe's Sun Bar was spectacular. But the lost businesses that lined Exchange at least added a vibrancy, and the sense of a walkable business district. Infocision, as great as it is a venue, is a dead zone 95 percent of the time. Also, it appears to have inspired no spin off development whatsoever. Unless you want to count the ample parking that now exists.

 

 

 

 

 

Again, what area are you referring to?

 

Primarily the areas adjacent to Exchange Street. Between Grant and Route 8.

 

Like the Stadium parking lot on Exchange where Joe's Sun Bar was? big loss, yikes. Maybe Greek Village? Nothing lost there. It is empty now so I see somewhat of a point there. Everywhere else is pretty developed. That's why I am confused as to what you are referring to.

 

I'm not here to say Joe's Sun Bar was spectacular. But the lost businesses that lined Exchange at least added a vibrancy, and the sense of a walkable business district. Infocision, as great as it is a venue, is a dead zone 95 percent of the time. Also, it appears to have inspired no spin off development whatsoever. Unless you want to count the ample parking that now exists.

 

If agree they would have added some retail in the bottom of that parking garage it would have been a lot better. And there was a nice corridor created when there was retail on the stadium side. The Master Plan however would put more dorms in that parking lot next to the stadium.

If agree they would have added some retail in the bottom of that parking garage it would have been a lot better. And there was a nice corridor created when there was retail on the stadium side. The Master Plan however would put more dorms in that parking lot next to the stadium.

 

Oh - glad you brought up the master plan. Do you have any insight on the likelihood of it being realized? I ask because I've heard that the University is scaling back a lot of their ambitious building plans. And with University Park going south, It's concerning that the undeveloped areas could remain so for a long time.

Given the financial condition of the University overall, and of University Park Alliance in particular, it is reasonable to assume that a certain scaling back of plans is inevitable unless a major outside source of capital gets involved.

It is a classic case of demo before being ready to implement the rest of the plan.  The University has removed what otherwise could have been potentially rehab-able buildings and given us a strip of parking lots and weed filled lots.

 

On top of that, instead of building on existing open space, the private student housing went up taking out existing buildings instead.  Great.

 

And now the heady days of the college building boom are over and we have a college neighborhood without the commercial district that characterizes most major university areas.  The Zip Strip is about on par with what surrounds of the College of Wooster (which is about 9x smaller).  And since there are no affordable older buildings to inhabit anymore, we have to wait for someone with millions to invest in putting up new structures, which is unlikely.

It is a classic case of demo before being ready to implement the rest of the plan.  The University has removed what otherwise could have been potentially rehab-able buildings and given us a strip of parking lots and weed filled lots.

 

On top of that, instead of building on existing open space, the private student housing went up taking out existing buildings instead.  Great.

 

And now the heady days of the college building boom are over and we have a college neighborhood without the commercial district that characterizes most major university areas.  The Zip Strip is about on par with what surrounds of the College of Wooster (which is about 9x smaller).  And since there are no affordable older buildings to inhabit anymore, we have to wait for someone with millions to invest in putting up new structures, which is unlikely.

UA bought and demoed those buildings on Exchange as if new development on those lots was imminent. And for all we knew then, it was. I honestly don't think anyone a decade ago really anticipated that the engine would run out of steam, or that the UA Park initiative would completely fall apart, wheels and all.

 

Now UA is trying to circle the wagons and assess its financial outlook, hence why they picked an uninspired--and uninspiring--bean counter from the University of Toledo for their current President. Meanwhile, Akron City leaders seem to be behaving as if the collapse of UA Park is no matter of urgency as far as the city's future is concerned. Downtown is gradually improving, and that is all that really seems to matter to them, as it has for years during the Plusquellic Era. I get that and all, but it's too bad we can't say the same about the rest of the city, except for maybe Highland Square. As in other places, our malls are dying. But unlike in other places, we're not replacing them with new walkable commercial-residential-entertainment districts in communities like Firestone Park, Kenmore, Ellet, Goodyear Heights, etc.

 

Akron City officials have also undermined UA and UA Park by allowing student housing developers Downtown, siphoning attention and investment away from UA. Their priority instead should have been to develop Exchange along UA southern campus border into its full potential first and create a revitalized "Main Street" for University Park.

 

Given the trend towards and desire for urban living, Downtown likely would've attracted development on its own merit at some point. It may have even been less student-focused, the lack of such a consideration being one of the key grievances of post-college adults looking to live in the city center.

 

The new student housing complexes along South Main, High and Broadway could have just as easily been built on the vacant lots east of the stadium towards Rt. 8. There's no acceptable reason why Exchange shouldn't have become for UA what other main drags have become for their universities, given the proper attentiveness and coordination between their officials, developers, and local government officials. Akron dropped the ball on this one, and it doesn't look like it will be easy to recover from it.

On the flip side, Downtown still has more than enough underdeveloped land; those student complexes are in no way crowding out more opportune opportunities.  The Depot is right by the freight rail tracks and wouldn't be quite as desirable for residential development as well.  We still have numerous eminently expendable surface parking lots, and in the longer term, downtown will have literally thousands of acres of new developable space when the OH-59 innerbelt is demolished; if you haven't actually looked at it on Google Maps, you can miss just how much land that thing takes up (it's literally enough space for an entire new neighborhood).

 

I agree that we really need more walkable neighborhoods beyond Highland Square.  No argument there.  But aside from the campus area itself, the university would never have more than a minimal and indirect impact on any of those other neighborhoods you mentioned.  If we're talking about Exchange, Market, Mill, Forge, Grant, etc., then yes, we need to talk about the university; bringing Firestone Park, Kenmore, Ellet, and Goodyear Heights into the conversation is going too far and asking too much.

Been here most of my life, Gramarye. I knew the layout of this town and its approach to land use long before Google was even a word.

 

Private investment is one thing, but development focus and policy is at least partially a matter of city admin priorities. The outcome of Downtown Akron's recent wave of re-development could have indeed been different if such had been the concern of city leaders. They decided instead to ride the crest of the student housing development wave and milk it for all that it was worth. It worked out for them, but it didn't leave as much for UA to benefit from, hence the recent topic of discussion in this thread.

 

With the moratorium they imposed on new developments, Akron city leaders were essentially signaling to UA and other developers looking to build even more student housing further up Exchange that they did not want to over-saturate the market. Read properly, don't threaten what we've built up that we also take credit for in the immediate vicinity of South Main Street and Exchange.

 

As for those outlying communities, there are ways of supporting them that don't necessarily require the type of focus that Downtown Akron has received during Plusquellic's tenure. Akron could certainly do more to promote community development in a similar manner that Cleveland has through community development organizations run by the very communities they serve. Ohio City and Tremont have clearly been two of the more successful CDCs up there, but others are in motion, and the city is seeing its fortunes improve in places well beyond Public Square and Euclid/E 4th.

 

Back in Akron, the West Hill/Highland Square community didn't wait on direct help from the city to get its act together. They have their own community development organization. Fairlawn Heights on the border with Fairlawn also seems to be setting something in motion as of late. Maybe a small push in this direction is what is needed in Goodyear Heights, Ellet, Firestone Park and Kenmore? I don't see how it could come to the detriment of the downtown focus if done properly, involving and empowering residents. It could go a long way towards improving the quality of life throughout Akron--not only in a few designated areas of interest.

Been here most of my life, Gramarye. I knew the layout of this town and its approach to land use long before Google was even a word.

 

Private investment is one thing, but development focus and policy is at least partially a matter of city admin priorities. The outcome of Downtown Akron's recent wave of re-development could have indeed been different if such had been the concern of city leaders. They decided instead to ride the crest of the student housing development wave and milk it for all that it was worth. It worked out for them, but it didn't leave as much for UA to benefit from, hence the recent topic of discussion in this thread.

 

With the moratorium they imposed on new developments, Akron city leaders were essentially signaling to UA and other developers looking to build even more student housing further up Exchange that they did not want to over-saturate the market. Read properly, don't threaten what we've built up that we also take credit for in the immediate vicinity of South Main Street and Exchange.

 

As for those outlying communities, there are ways of supporting them that don't necessarily require the type of focus that Downtown Akron has received during Plusquellic's tenure. Akron could certainly do more to promote community development in a similar manner that Cleveland has through community development organizations run by the very communities they serve. Ohio City and Tremont have clearly been two of the more successful CDCs up there, but others are in motion, and the city is seeing its fortunes improve in places well beyond Public Square and Euclid/E 4th.

 

Back in Akron, the West Hill/Highland Square community didn't wait on direct help from the city to get its act together. They have their own community development organization. Fairlawn Heights on the border with Fairlawn also seems to be setting something in motion as of late. Maybe a small push in this direction is what is needed in Goodyear Heights, Ellet, Firestone Park and Kenmore? I don't see how it could come to the detriment of the downtown focus if done properly, involving and empowering residents. It could go a long way towards improving the quality of life throughout Akron--not only in a few designated areas of interest.

 

I don't think it is even a matter of stealing the thunder from developments the city supported, however that is to be interpreted.  The number of students hasn't changed so all it is is a continued increase of supply.  I think any more developments and one or more of them would fail.  As it stands we now have those large developments on top of the existing developments on top of actual University housing on top of the traditional student slum housing, all without an increase in students.  At best they get more students to stay on/near campus instead of commuting to increase the tenancy that way, but I am very concerned that the south end of the neighborhood is going to rot significantly (more) with this increase in housing supply.

 

And then on top of all of that it is all fueled by easy access to student loans, of which people seem to be backing away from a bit.

 

So we shall see but I think that is the reason for no continued building.  In fact, I'm not so sure they have had any interest, really.

I think any more developments and one or more of them would fail.  As it stands we now have those large developments on top of the existing developments on top of actual University housing on top of the traditional student slum housing, all without an increase in students.  At best they get more students to stay on/near campus instead of commuting to increase the tenancy that way, but I am very concerned that the south end of the neighborhood is going to rot significantly (more) with this increase in housing supply.

This is exactly why the policy focus should have been on building new student housing along or adjacent to the East Exchange/Brown St. corridor, to update the housing stock there, strengthen the infrastructure of that neighborhood, and prevent or at least slow the general rot in housing stock from occurring, rather than building completely new housing for students where students did not previously reside. All the shiny new student housing construction Downtown has really accomplished is to pull students away from the traditional student housing neighborhood, accelerating the rot and decay of properties there. I'm not in any way arguing against downtown housing options for people in general, but the focus certainly should not have been exclusively directed towards students.

Note: I didn't find a general "University of Akron News & Discussion" thread.  I know this "Developments" thread is within the Projects & Construction category, but it was the closest I could find.  Also, I have a feeling the links I'm about to post actually do have to deal with projects and construction there--specifically, the debt service overhang and operating expenses from some of them.

 

The University of Akron has announced significant layoffs and other cost-cutting measures to try to close a $40 million budget gap.

http://www.cleveland.com/metro/index.ssf/2015/07/university_of_akron_to_lay_off.html

 

Akron's new local indie outlet, The Devil Strip, has been posting about it frequently on its Facebook page as a kind of semi-liveblog.

See, e.g.,

 

Major on-campus facilities and programs affected include the EJ Thomas performing arts facility, the Multicultural Center, the University of Akron Press, and the baseball team (completely axed), though the campus library and others are getting cut as well.

 

The Multicultural Center itself will now be managed by the "Office of Inclusion and Equity," as announced by the "Vice President for Advancement," two things which apparently still exist notwithstanding the cuts ...

http://www.uakron.edu/im/news/statement-about-the-future-of-the-ua-press-and-the-multicultural-center/

 

It could be a rough next few years for UA.  InfoCision Stadium seems likely to be an albatross, though I haven't seen anyone from UA itself admit that that's the expense driver here.  UA spent aggressively to try to expand both its campus and its profile (breaking away from the commuter-school perception) under the Proenza administration; it seems the expenses have caught up with them and the anticipated returns have yet to materialize.  At the very least, I think that this spells the medium-term end of UA as a major driver of downtown Akron and off-campus real estate developments, and if other Ohio mid-tier universities are on similar footing, then it may signal a general trend of exhaustion of the "eds and meds" model of downtown redevelopment.

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.

So just how dire are things? I've always found it odd that two large regional universities were located so closely to one another. There may be an argument that the two schools need to either outright merge or at least coordinate to prevent significant duplications.

I hate to see this happen to U Akron and I feel for the employees that are being let go (especially as a fellow state university employee myself). But I have little sympathy for Scarborough after his remarks at the City Club a few months ago. He alluded to his belief that CSU, KSU, YSU, etc wouldn't be around in 50 years. Ironic that it's his institution that is actually in the worst financial shape of them all.

So just how dire are things? I've always found it odd that two large regional universities were located so closely to one another. There may be an argument that the two schools need to either outright merge or at least coordinate to prevent significant duplications.

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.

FWIW (and I don't really know because it's really just a number to me), but The University of Akron has an endowment of $206 million, which is more than Cleveland State and Kent State combined.

Additionally, I'm not sure if he'd be interested now, but I wonder how much of an impact a guy like Jim Tressel could have if he came in and took over.

I'm actually more forgiving of Scarborough than most.  You can always critique the PR strategy whenever someone has to break bad news, but there are simply limits to how much you can soften the blow of 220+ lost jobs and slashed programs in arts, publishing, and internationalism.  Though perhaps I benefit by simply having low expectations set early: I saw him speak at the Akron Roundtable very shortly after he took the job, and again at InfoCision Stadium not long after, and it was pretty clear that he was a numbers guy brought in to make the numbers align, not a people person or a visionary brought in to give us Proenza Round 2.

 

I of course have my criticisms of Scarborough and the system, but some of those are perhaps beyond even the power of a university president to influence.  I note that the Vice President for Advancement announced that the multicultural center would now be part of the Office for Inclusive Excellence, and my first thought was "OK, what exactly does a Vice President for Advancement do, what does the Office for Inclusive Excellence do, and why were they more worth preserving than EJ Thomas programming?"  (That office is led by the Chief Diversity Officer, and I similarly question how that became a C-suite position, even though I know that Title IX and other federal education regulations and regulators obviously push schools in the direction of such administrative bloat.)

^ A VP for Advancement is typically in charge of fundraising, so a pretty important position still.

Ah, I see.  At OSU, that was "Development."