Posted June 26, 201113 yr Stumbled across this Cleveland Urban Design Collaborative development proposal for Summit Lake from last year. I'm sure Summit Lake would be the last neighborhood in the city that any major development would take place, but I thought the illustrations put an interesting spin on what is currently a rather drab location. It's also interesting to me that the neighborhoods with the most going for them are not necessarily the ones with the best natural or designed features, or vice versa. Cleveland Urban Design Collaborative - Academic Programs - Student Work - 2010 - Report
June 27, 201113 yr Author @KJP - Thanks, good to be here. Figured it was about time I stopped lurking and started contributing. @ua - It is a really under appreciated asset in the city. Not to say that motion couldn't be made, but I think it is far enough from downtown and other neighborhoods with momentum, fairly isolated, and in such terrible shape that I think the city would have to be in much better straights to have anything near what the proposal suggests happen. Its unfortunate but Summit Lake is cut off by the expressway to the north, industrial wasteland (mostly) to the east and part of the south, and by a large natural feature to the west (the steep grade going up to Kenmore/East Ave). There are largely no impressive architectural gems like Highland Square or Merriman, no middle class like Northwest Akron or Ellet, no neighborhood features like Firestone Park, and no commercial or governmental catalysts like University Park. It's a shame, but half the neighborhood is gone, most folks down there are broke, and one is hard pressed to even find a functioning gas station in that area of town. Anyway, my point was not to rip on Summit Lake but in response to something happening beyond a conceptual basis I just don't see it happening. University Park has only been kicking along in fits and starts and it has not one but two major entities contributing to the area (I'll leave my complaints about destroying the physical vibe of the neighborhood for another post), I just don't see how Summit Lake will have any sort of substantial development any time soon. Would be nice though. :|
July 1, 201113 yr The City did announce a $4 million grant recently to build a new Community Center building. See http://education.ohio.com/2011/05/amha-to-build-summit-lake-center/ Also, the missing link towpath trail is being constructed as we speak. Concrete has been laid behind the Spaghetti Warehouse the last few days. Look for the entire Bartges St. bridge and towpath to be complete by late August. Later this fall, the towpath south of Bartges St. will be reconstructed to current specs with lighting and fencing so the entire length through downtown will be done by the end of the year. Also going being constucted is the last link in Summit County through PPG property in Barberton so Summit County should be done.
September 28, 201212 yr Akron officials update project for Summit Lake neighborhood By Rick Armon Beacon Journal staff writer Akron leaders hope to break ground soon on the new Summit Lake Family Opportunity Center and have the educational facility open next fall. Officials from Akron Metropolitan Housing Authority, Akron Public Schools, the city of Akron and Summit County held a launch party Wednesday to update the community on the nearly $5 million project. http://www.ohio.com/news/local/akron-officials-update-project-for-summit-lake-neighborhood-1.337637
January 19, 20178 yr 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!
June 28, 20186 yr Summit Lake is as clean as other urban lakes and getting cleaner, environmental assessment reports (photos) Updated Jun 27, 7:06 PM; Posted Jun 27, 6:05 PM By Jennifer Conn, Akron reporter, cleveland.com AKRON, Ohio - Summit Lake is just as clean as any other urban lake in Ohio, and its health continues to improve, according to a new environmental report. "Contact with the water does not pose a health concern and the lake is clean enough for a number of recreational activities, including canoeing, kayaking, fishing and bird-watching," said Ohio & Erie Canalway Coalition President and CEO Dan Rice. https://www.cleveland.com/akron/index.ssf/2018/06/summit_lake_is_as_clean_as_oth.html
October 29, 20186 yr Summit Lake area looks to a fresh future BETH THOMAS HERTZ [email protected] With a report released this summer showing that the water quality in Akron's Summit Lake is better than previously thought, plans that were already underway to work closely with residents to rejuvenate the area have been given new life and new leverage. The Summit Lake Vision Plan — being developed through the Akron Civic Commons, the city of Akron, Summit Metro Parks and the Ohio & Erie Canalway Coalition — proposes many improvements that would encourage people to come to the area that has been underutilized in recent decades. Ideas include a lighted fountain in the lake and an amphitheater area. Also proposed are a marble-themed artistic display/play area, boat ramps, kayak/canoe rentals, a splash pad, a boardwalk and road improvements. https://www.crainscleveland.com/akron-news/summit-lake-area-looks-fresh-future
October 31, 20186 yr On 10/29/2018 at 9:14 PM, jeremyck01 said: ^I visited Akron a couple weeks ago and I visited the boardwalk on Summit Lake for the first time. I was very impressed and Summit Lake is an amenity that should be used by the whole community. That said, the neighborhoods around the lake could certainly use a bit of investment and freshening up. If an investor wanted to offer a good price for people's houses, that area could be fantastically redeveloped. There is even a hill on the west side of the lake that would offer fantastic views of the lake and downtown Akron to the north. I think everyone that can see the vision of Akron agrees that Summit Lake should be further exploited. The housing around the area however is the lowest in Akron. There is barely any reason to build new in the middle and upper class areas of Akron. So, unfortunately looking at today's standing, there is next to no chance that anybody would take on building new in the Summit Lake area. What you hope is that revitalization in Kenmore will start to spill into Summit Lake. It will be a slow process, but the City government and other groups are pushing forward with small improvements.
December 28, 20186 yr Nature center planned for former Summit Lake Pump House By Emily Mills Beacon Journal/Ohio.com Posted Dec 27, 2018 at 5:41 PM Updated at 1:19 PM After hosting an overwhelmingly successful pop-up nature center at Akron’s Summit Lake, Summit Metro Parks plans to establish a more permanent presence in the neighborhood. Summit Metro Parks will create a community-based nature center in the former Summit Lake Pump House at 411 Ira Ave. after the city formally transferred the facility to the park district this month. https://www.ohio.com/news/20181227/nature-center-planned-for-former-summit-lake-pump-house
April 9, 20196 yr April 07, 2019 04:00 AM Neighborhood Watch: A wave of optimism at Akron's Summit Lake Dan Shingler Summit Lake is one of Akron's most blighted neighborhoods. It's where the city owns more lots than in any other part of town and where break-ins are too common at the homes that remain. https://www.crainscleveland.com/akron-news/neighborhood-watch-wave-optimism-akrons-summit-lake
February 10, 20205 yr Akron city leaders pledge $3 million to revitalize Summit Lake By Doug Livingston Beacon Journal Posted Jan 27, 2020 at 8:17 PM Akron City Council has endorsed a more than $10 million plan to equitably redevelop one of the city’s most scenic and disinvested assets — Summit Lake. With no opposition or need to hold a second reading next week, the same-day approval of the Summit Lake Vision Plan on Monday sent a clear message to private funders and government grant programs that the city is enthusiastically behind the redevelopment plan curated by local community advocates and residents. https://www.beaconjournal.com/news/20200127/akron-city-leaders-pledge-3-million-to-revitalize-summit-lake
February 17, 20205 yr Akron community gardeners plant idea to open kitchen in Summit Lake A nonprofit operator of community gardens in Akron is exploring the concept of opening its own kitchen near Summit Lake to feed the neighborhood and meet increased demand for production. https://www.beaconjournal.com/news/20200216/akron-community-gardeners-plant-idea-to-open-kitchen-in-summit-lake?utm_source=SFMC&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Akron Beacon Journal daily 2020-02-17&utm_content=GTOH_ABJ&utm_term=021720
July 2, 20213 yr 'The importance of community': New nature center latest enhancement to Akron's Summit Lake Emily Mills Akron Beacon Journal When Veronica Sims was growing up in the Summit Lake neighborhood of Akron, she and her friends would peer through the chain-link fence and cattails surrounding the lake’s former pump house and imagine a ghost on the second floor. Now, the building has been transformed into Summit Metro Parks’ Summit Lake Nature Center. https://www.beaconjournal.com/story/news/local/2021/07/02/summit-metro-parks-summit-lake-nature-center-akron-ohio-grand-opening-reimagining-civic-commons/7797761002/ July 01, 2021 02:09 PM updated 16 hours ago Planning process for Merriman Valley set to begin CRAIN'S AKRON BUSINESS Residents of Akron and Cuyahoga Falls who have been clamoring for a master plan to govern development in the scenic Merriman Valley are about to get their wish. Akron and Cuyahoga Falls announced Thursday, July 1, that they're kicking off the joint planning process to develop a plan for the valley and some surrounding property with a virtual public meeting that will be held Thursday, July 15. https://www.crainscleveland.com/real-estate/planning-process-merriman-valley-set-begin Meeting link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/merriman-valley-master-plan-public-workshop-1-building-blocks-tickets-161500553503
September 22, 20213 yr Choice Neighborhoods Summit Lake We had the privilege to sit down with Christina Hodgkinson, local community leader and Director of Resident Service of Akron Metropolitan Housing Authority (AMHA), and Vice President/Secretary of Building for Tomorrow to talk and celebrate Akron receiving the national Choice Neighborhoods grant. The Choice Neighborhoods grant supports programs that work towards neighborhood transformation by revitalizing housing and public spaces—and for Akron, the grant focused on the AMHA housing along Summit Lake’s shore. https://www.akronciviccommons.org/stories/choice-neighborhoods
November 18, 20213 yr 'It's even better than we imagined': Akron investing another $2 million in Summit Lake Doug Livingston Akron Beacon Journal 'It's even better than we imagined': Akron investing another $2 million in Summit Lake Doug Livingston Akron Beacon Journal No one came knocking on Sandra Saulsberry's door for approval six years ago when “a guy from California” wanted to paint a mural and make Summit Lake more friendly to a mostly younger crowd. Saulsberry and her neighbors balked at the plan after a long history of well-intentioned visionaries swooping into their Akron neighborhood talking about what’s best for them. But in the six years since, the 30-year resident of Summit Lake has been on a journey with the Civic Commons, a Knight Foundation-funded collaborative that engages residents on reimagining public spaces and fostering community. https://www.beaconjournal.com/story/news/2021/11/18/mayor-dan-horrigan-pledges-2-million-more-summit-lake-vision-plan/8649135002/
November 18, 20213 yr The importance of community': New nature center latest enhancement to Akron's Summit Lake Emily Mills Akron Beacon Journal When Veronica Sims was growing up in the Summit Lake neighborhood of Akron, she and her friends would peer through the chain-link fence and cattails surrounding the lake’s former pump house and imagine a ghost on the second floor. Now, the building has been transformed into Summit Metro Parks’ Summit Lake Nature Center. https://www.beaconjournal.com/story/news/local/2021/07/02/summit-metro-parks-summit-lake-nature-center-akron-ohio-grand-opening-reimagining-civic-commons/7797761002/
July 27, 20231 yr Summit Lake revival: How AMHA, others want to transform a long-neglected Akron neighborhood Anthony Thompson -Summit Lake has more vacant lots and abandoned properties than any other Akron neighborhood. -Akron Metropolitan Housing Authority has a $170 million-plus plan to rebuild Summit Lake Apartments and add housing units to many of those vacant lots. -Resident input has been key to the planning process. Longtime Summit Lake resident Grace Hudson remembers back in the 1970s when her neighborhood was a thriving community. "There were banks, there were grocery stores, cleaners, barber shops — anything you could think of," said Hudson, 69. https://www.beaconjournal.com/story/news/local/2023/07/27/amha-hopes-to-revive-summit-lake-neighborhood-in-akron-with-federal-aid-apartments-new-housing/70233449007/
January 21, 20241 yr 2 pieces of news here, one a bit older but I think more exciting; (1) Signal's Akron newsroom has opened and started reporting stories! And (2) Akron continues to reform it's zoning code and expands form-based zoning to the eastside of Summit Lake. Summit Lake residents respond to proposed zoning changes by Kevin Dilley and Akron Documenters January 19, 2024 [City Planner Daniel] DeAngelo said that zoning across the city needs to be updated and that officials have moved to form-based zoning, which was approved last year and unveiled in plans for the Merriman Valley in July and approved in December. DeAngelo said the city wants to align zoning regulations with usage. In Summit Lake, that means providing more flexibility, housing affordability, greenspaces, and possibly road and sidewalk improvements. Following the presentation, staff answered residents’ questions for about an hour. One resident asked why the west side of Summit Lake was not included in the plan. Officials said there were plans to expand into other parts of Summit Lake in the coming year. The plan was presented by city staff to the Akron Planning Commission today and received unanimous support. Next up is Akron City Council, which will discuss the proposal and vote this month or next, officials said. https://signalakron.org/summit-lake-residents-respond-to-proposed-zoning-changes/
June 17, 2024Jun 17 Parks, bike paths, energy-efficient housing and more: Proposed grant could benefit Summit Lake Patrick Williams Akron Beacon Journal Akron Mayor Shammas Malik’s office will bring a proposal to City Council on Monday that would allow the city to apply for U.S. EPA grant funding to increase sustainability efforts in the Summit Lake neighborhood. Casey Shevlin, city director of sustainability and resiliency, told City Council’s Public Service Committee on June 10 that recipients of the funding can receive up to $20 million and that projects must be completed in three years. https://www.beaconjournal.com/story/news/local/2024/06/17/energy-efficient-housing-and-green-space-in-summit-lake-grant-proposal-us-epa-20-million/74089785007/?utm_source=nabj-DailyBriefing&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=daily-briefing&utm_term=Content List - Stacking - optimized&utm_content=OHIO-AKRON-NLETTER65
February 6Feb 6 Summit Lake Vision Plan Creating an equitable, accessible and welcoming park for everyone https://www.akronciviccommons.org/summit-lake-vision-plan
April 11Apr 11 Akron, Ohio & Erie Canalway Coalition break ground on $7.5M Summit Lake NorthShore Park Published: Apr. 10, 2025, 12:24 p.m. By Megan Becka, special to cleveland.com AKRON, Ohio – The city of Akron and the Ohio & Erie Canalway Coalition on Thursday broke ground on the Summit Lake NorthShore Park. The $7.5 million redevelopment project includes creating picnic areas, a fishing pier and boardwalk, a covered pavilion, a boat launch, a canoe/kayak launch and concession areas along the Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail. The park will be located along the 2.25-mile Ohio & Erie Canal Summit Lake Trail. https://www.cleveland.com/akron/2025/04/akron-ohio-erie-canalway-coalition-break-ground-on-75m-summit-lake-northshore-park.html https://www.akronciviccommons.org/summit-lake-vision-plan
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