Sorry, I meant community foundations. It seems like Cleveland has them for many of its neighborhoods. I don't see anything remotely matching that kind of community re-invstment currently in place in Akron. Don't get me wrong though, the city certianly would benefit from them.

 

As for rail, it may be unlikely, but visionary and determined leadership in the region could make it a reality. Unfortunately, I think we will need to see more of a turnover in generations holding the reigns of leadership in govt. and business in NE Ohio first. Gen Xers and the Millennials are nowhere near as married to their cars as the Boomers are, even in this region.

 

Are you talking about foundations giving money directly to build things? Akron has an abundance of philanthropy as well as backing by one of the largest foundations in the country.

Are you talking about foundations giving money directly to build things? Akron has an abundance of philanthropy as well as backing by one of the largest foundations in the country.

That may very well be the case, but where is exactly is all of the philanthropy going to? I pose this as a genuine question because I personally don't see very much of it.

 

I do acknowledge what UA is doing through UPA, and I'm glad to see the revitalization efforts there taking place, slow as they may be.

 

What I am wondering about is what is taking place in other parts of the city? Where are the community economic development organizations for Goodyear Heights, Firestone Park, Ellet, Kenmore, and North Hill? Where are there other efforts underway to create the vibrant, attractive and safe communities where people will want to live? That's what I'm asking.

Maybe living in the Highland Square area makes me biased, but I think Akron is great.  It has a lot going for it.  Redevelopment may be slow but it seems steady, and the new stuff seems well designed and well thought out.  I don't think it's necessarily too small.  That can be an advantage over larger cities in that you can get around so easily.  Cleveland has neighborhoods like Highland Square but none that are so close to major retail.  And while there are blight issues, they're less serious than what I've seen in other nearby cities, smaller and larger.  The 3C's, Dayton, Youngstown, Toledo... they all have worse blight than Akron. 

 

So cheer up!  It ain't half bad here.

I'm not being a downer so much as I'm just being critical here. I'm actually glad that you feel that Highland Square and Akron in general are great places to be. Maybe I'm just growing impatient with the pace of change, but it seems to me that things could be better still than what they are.

 

I fully acknowledge that Akron could be much, much worse off than what it is. But I also think it could be better as well.

Akron is a fairly sprawled out city and there has been varying important foci over the last 30 years. Initially it was keeping jobs. Then it dawned on city leaders that with the department stores of O'neils and Polsky's gone along with the various theaters on Main St shutting down that downtown turned into a dead zone after 5pm.  The city has spent a lot money trying to get projects going downtown. I remember the city being active with the housing development on the canal south of BF Goodrich complex. A lot renovating and knocking down buildings went on downtown over last 30 years. The city owns most of O'neils and lock 3 and 4. Helped with Canal Park financing and getting convention center built as well as bringing in Inventure Place.  City's been dealing with old infrastructure in roads, bridges, canals, sewers, steam pipes, and water system.

  15 years ago you really could throw a bowling ball down main st at 7pm and not hit a car. You cannot say that any more.  Downtown is active now. People aren't afraid to come downtown. 

  Next goals they are wanting is to have enough residency downtown to have a grocery store. Also to get a new hotel downtown. Hard to say how that works with the Goodyear push. Also potentially still an arena downtown which could tie into a hotel and the convention center. 

Otherwise, the city is watching its money due to the sewer system that needs updated. They'll be spending over a billion over next 30 years making improvements so that no sewage gets in the Cuyahoga.

In my younger years I split my free time between Akron and Cleveland, and while Akron has improved so much and has so much going for it (especially Highland Square), for me - there's just not enough, not yet. A recent article on cleveland.com about the Transformer Station art gallery summed up my feelings and I don't see it as slam on Akron at all, but a realistic perspective on how much, and what's needed to attract people to a certain area:

 

The Bidwells looked for a building to renovate as a gallery in Akron, but ended their search when they found the station. They also wanted to invest in the region’s biggest city. “Cleveland has critical mass, and certainly part of it is recognizing there will be more of an audience here,” Fred Bidwell said. “It has been exciting to see that Cleveland is really having its moment culturally. To be part of that growing momentum is pretty cool.” Laura Bidwell, 58, a graphic designer and video artist, said she gets excited every time she drives up Interstate 77 from Peninsula and sees the gas jet at the ArcelorMittal steel plant in the industrial Flats and downtown rising beyond. “I see the flame, the smokestacks, the bridges and the skyline,” she said. “It’s thrilling.”

 

Maybe living in the Highland Square area makes me biased, but I think Akron is great.  It has a lot going for it.  Redevelopment may be slow but it seems steady, and the new stuff seems well designed and well thought out.  I don't think it's necessarily too small.  That can be an advantage over larger cities in that you can get around so easily.  Cleveland has neighborhoods like Highland Square but none that are so close to major retail.  And while there are blight issues, they're less serious than what I've seen in other nearby cities, smaller and larger.  The 3C's, Dayton, Youngstown, Toledo... they all have worse blight than Akron. 

 

So cheer up!  It ain't half bad here.

I'm not being a downer so much as I'm just being critical here. I'm actually glad that you feel that Highland Square and Akron in general are great places to be. Maybe I'm just growing impatient with the pace of change, but it seems to me that things could be better still than what they are.

 

I fully acknowledge that Akron could be much, much worse off than what it is. But I also think it could be better as well.

 

You're right about all of that-- I really was just trying to cheer you up though, and I find myself wanting to promote the place more and more. 

 

I moved to Akron with some trepidation, thinking it too small or not urban enough, etc.  But I've come to find that it's an easy place to live, and that's worth a ton.  And other than large skyscrapers, it doesn't lack much in terms of urbanity.  Downtown was a pleasant surprise and so was the sheer volume of upscale residential.  The old commercial streets leave much to be desired, but that's a statewide problem, and West Market is among the state's best.  Not perfect but it's viable from downtown to the city line and beyond.  That's immensely powerful-- it says here we have a rust belt city that took all the blows but never fell.     

There was a time 30 years ago when Akron was revered for doing things right, and for being a largely corruption-free city that had avoided the industrial ills of its Rust Belt neighbors. Cleveland was coming out of a decade it couldn't wait to forget, with its fiscal default, spate of mob bombings, and plant closings. Youngstowners were burning down their own homes and businesses to escape the collapse of the steel industry.

 

The discrepancy between Akron and its neighbors was best illustrated when Quaker Square opened with all of its shops, restaurants and hotel in wonderfully restored brick warehouses and grain silos. I remember walking through Quaker Square only days after it opened in early 1980. It was a mall inside an old industry, with a nod to the area's heritage including a large collection of historic railroad cars, locomotives and model railroad layout which are no longer there. While walk through the multi-floor retail portion, I overheard visitors saying: "Why can't we do this in Cleveland?"

 

Akron still had its downtown largely intact, it had its Civic Theater as an arts hub, its shopping focused around O'Neil's department store, and its industry was still intact -- but with only hours to go. Of course, we didn't know that in 1980. The recession of the early 1980s hit the rubber industry hard and nearly all of its rubber plants were shut down by the mid-1980s.

In my younger years I split my free time between Akron and Cleveland, and while Akron has improved so much and has so much going for it (especially Highland Square), for me - there's just not enough, not yet. A recent article on cleveland.com about the Transformer Station art gallery summed up my feelings and I don't see it as slam on Akron at all, but a realistic perspective on how much, and what's needed to attract people to a certain area:

 

The Bidwells looked for a building to renovate as a gallery in Akron, but ended their search when they found the station. They also wanted to invest in the region’s biggest city. “Cleveland has critical mass, and certainly part of it is recognizing there will be more of an audience here,” Fred Bidwell said. “It has been exciting to see that Cleveland is really having its moment culturally. To be part of that growing momentum is pretty cool.” Laura Bidwell, 58, a graphic designer and video artist, said she gets excited every time she drives up Interstate 77 from Peninsula and sees the gas jet at the ArcelorMittal steel plant in the industrial Flats and downtown rising beyond. “I see the flame, the smokestacks, the bridges and the skyline,” she said. “It’s thrilling.”

I read that too and thought about how it is unfortunate that Akron still lacks a true residential go-to "haven community" for artists AND their artwork, where they can go to find and lease spaces for their galleries and hold shows and open houses for the public, not unlike artists in Tremont, Little Italy, or the Art Quarter in Cleveland, or even in the Downtown Arts District in Canton. It's telling that the Bidwells really wanted to locate in Akron at first, but couldn't find a gallery space in a community that would have readily embraced and supported them here.

 

I also thought about how despite its reputation as an artsy community, Highland Square is surprisingly void of galleries and artists' workshops. Why is that? And was it ever on the Bidwells' radar as a place for their gallery? I would love to see this situation change and for future artists to be able to cluster their galleries and workspaces in the same community. If this turns out to be Highland Square, perhaps someday they could even have their own monthly art walk.

Maybe living in the Highland Square area makes me biased, but I think Akron is great.  It has a lot going for it.  Redevelopment may be slow but it seems steady, and the new stuff seems well designed and well thought out.  I don't think it's necessarily too small.  That can be an advantage over larger cities in that you can get around so easily.  Cleveland has neighborhoods like Highland Square but none that are so close to major retail.  And while there are blight issues, they're less serious than what I've seen in other nearby cities, smaller and larger.  The 3C's, Dayton, Youngstown, Toledo... they all have worse blight than Akron. 

 

So cheer up!  It ain't half bad here.

I'm not being a downer so much as I'm just being critical here. I'm actually glad that you feel that Highland Square and Akron in general are great places to be. Maybe I'm just growing impatient with the pace of change, but it seems to me that things could be better still than what they are.

 

I fully acknowledge that Akron could be much, much worse off than what it is. But I also think it could be better as well.

 

You're right about all of that-- I really was just trying to cheer you up though, and I find myself wanting to promote the place more and more. 

 

I moved to Akron with some trepidation, thinking it too small or not urban enough, etc.  But I've come to find that it's an easy place to live, and that's worth a ton.  And other than large skyscrapers, it doesn't lack much in terms of urbanity.  Downtown was a pleasant surprise and so was the sheer volume of upscale residential.  The old commercial streets leave much to be desired, but that's a statewide problem, and West Market is among the state's best.  Not perfect but it's viable from downtown to the city line and beyond.  That's immensely powerful-- it says here we have a rust belt city that took all the blows but never fell.   

Oh, believe me, you did give me some cheer.  :-) It is good to see that at least a few more people have found Akron a worthwhile place to be.

 

As I said, I am just being critical of some of the things I see and don't see that I think if they were to be addressed, could improve the city's fortunes and outlook substantially. At the same time, and as you suggested, Akron isn't Cleveland and really doesn't need to be. Even at it's peak population, Akron was only a city of 295,000 to Cleveland's 915,000. Akron clearly never aspired to be the #1 city in NE Ohio and maintains its  own path and potential largely independent of what Cleveland plans or does. My only real wish is to see the city attain greater momentum forward.  :-)

There was a time 30 years ago when Akron was revered for doing things right, and for being a largely corruption-free city that had avoided the industrial ills of its Rust Belt neighbors. Cleveland was coming out of a decade it couldn't wait to forget, with its fiscal default, spate of mob bombings, and plant closings. Youngstowners were burning down their own homes and businesses to escape the collapse of the steel industry.

 

The discrepancy between Akron and its neighbors was best illustrated when Quaker Square opened with all of its shops, restaurants and hotel in wonderfully restored brick warehouses and grain silos. I remember walking through Quaker Square only days after it opened in early 1980. It was a mall inside an old industry, with a nod to the area's heritage including a large collection of historic railroad cars, locomotives and model railroad layout which are no longer there. While walk through the multi-floor retail portion, I overheard visitors saying: "Why can't we do this in Cleveland?"

 

Akron still had its downtown largely intact, it had its Civic Theater as an arts hub, its shopping focused around O'Neil's department store, and its industry was still intact -- but with only hours to go. Of course, we didn't know that in 1980. The recession of the early 1980s hit the rubber industry hard and nearly all of its rubber plants were shut down by the mid-1980s.

The city still has some very good things going for it economically and institutionally between UA and Summa, Akron General and Children's hospitals. UA's founding and evolution may very well be the single most fortuitous development in the city's history, even surpassing and outliving the rubber industry. The question however, is how long and far can the "Eds and Meds" model carry a city forward without substantial additional economic support from other sectors? The prospect of a student loan "debt bubble" and ever-climbing health costs do cast some doubt over the strength of even these cornerstones.

I also thought about how despite its reputation as an artsy community, Highland Square is surprisingly void of galleries and artists' workshops. Why is that? And was it ever on the Bidwells' radar as a place for their gallery? I would love to see this situation change and for future artists to be able to cluster their galleries and workspaces in the same community. If this turns out to be Highland Square, perhaps someday they could even have their own monthly art walk.

 

You may have heard more about Highland Square as an artsy community than was justified.  When I moved here in 2009, I never really heard it pitched as an "artsy" community.  Urban, yes.  Indie, even.  Artsy, not so much.  The ArtWalk in Akron is Downtown, and while it's a valiant effort, it's not Columbus' Gallery Hop or even Canton's First Friday.  I'm OK with that.  I've always been a little nervous about relying on art galleries as a cornerstone of urban neighborhood redevelopment, even though I can see how it worked with the Short North in Columbus.

 

The city still has some very good things going for it economically and institutionally between UA and Summa, Akron General and Children's hospitals. UA's founding and evolution may very well be the single most fortuitous development in the city's history, even surpassing and outliving the rubber industry. The question however, is how long and far can the "Eds and Meds" model carry a city forward without substantial additional economic support from other sectors? The prospect of a student loan "debt bubble" and ever-climbing health costs do cast some doubt over the strength of even these cornerstones.

 

I agree in part, but it depends on how far you expand out the "meds" category.  If you're talking just about the hospitals, then yes, they're not enough.  This is why a lot is riding on the success of the Biomedical Corridor initiative, including ABIA (which involves the hospitals and universities indirectly) as well as spinoffs and branches of larger national biomedical firms that could be attracted to the area.  If we actually get multiple subsectors of the health care sector in Akron (insurance, provision, research, manufacturing, etc.), then that could be enough for a real growth driver.

 

The city still has some very good things going for it economically and institutionally

 

No question about it. My point was to show the ebbs and flows of cities in comparison to each other and in relatively short periods of time with respect to the overall lifespan of cities.

 

Unfortunately, this has ventured into a general discussion rather a place to post news and discussion of specific developments that don't fit into other project-specific threads. How about a nice art gallery opening?? ;)

 

15 years ago you really could throw a bowling ball down main st at 7pm and not hit a car. You cannot say that any more.  Downtown is active now. People aren't afraid to come downtown. 

 

 

Actually 15 years ago we used to buy bowling balls at Goodwill on W. Market for 50 cents each, then hurl them off of the roof of the the abandoned BFG buildings at Canal Place. For science!

I read that too and thought about how it is unfortunate that Akron still lacks a true residential go-to "haven community" for artists AND their artwork, where they can go to find and lease spaces for their galleries and hold shows and open houses for the public, not unlike artists in Tremont, Little Italy, or the Art Quarter in Cleveland, or even in the Downtown Arts District in Canton. It's telling that the Bidwells really wanted to locate in Akron at first, but couldn't find a gallery space in a community that would have readily embraced and supported them here.

It's coming, but it will be a slow process: http://www.artspace.org/

 

The city still has some very good things going for it economically and institutionally between UA and Summa, Akron General and Children's hospitals. UA's founding and evolution may very well be the single most fortuitous development in the city's history, even surpassing and outliving the rubber industry. The question however, is how long and far can the "Eds and Meds" model carry a city forward without substantial additional economic support from other sectors? The prospect of a student loan "debt bubble" and ever-climbing health costs do cast some doubt over the strength of even these cornerstones.

Take a look at Durham, NC

 

 

I am curious as to who the Bidwells used in searching out property for their gallery, I doubt it was an avid Akron enthusiast. I didn't not see that part in the article initially but saw they worked in Akron, just assumed they lived in Treemont.

I also thought about how despite its reputation as an artsy community, Highland Square is surprisingly void of galleries and artists' workshops. Why is that? And was it ever on the Bidwells' radar as a place for their gallery? I would love to see this situation change and for future artists to be able to cluster their galleries and workspaces in the same community. If this turns out to be Highland Square, perhaps someday they could even have their own monthly art walk.

 

You may have heard more about Highland Square as an artsy community than was justified.  When I moved here in 2009, I never really heard it pitched as an "artsy" community.  Urban, yes.  Indie, even.  Artsy, not so much.  The ArtWalk in Akron is Downtown, and while it's a valiant effort, it's not Columbus' Gallery Hop or even Canton's First Friday.  I'm OK with that.  I've always been a little nervous about relying on art galleries as a cornerstone of urban neighborhood redevelopment, even though I can see how it worked with the Short North in Columbus.

I never really saw it as such, but I often heard HS billed elsewhere from others as Akron's arts community. I agree though, it's definitely more urban indie than artsy, although I do know personally a few artists that live there.

 

I agree in part, but it depends on how far you expand out the "meds" category.  If you're talking just about the hospitals, then yes, they're not enough.  This is why a lot is riding on the success of the Biomedical Corridor initiative, including ABIA (which involves the hospitals and universities indirectly) as well as spinoffs and branches of larger national biomedical firms that could be attracted to the area.  If we actually get multiple subsectors of the health care sector in Akron (insurance, provision, research, manufacturing, etc.), then that could be enough for a real growth driver.

 

Take a look at Durham, NC

 

I agree with you both, and I've been aware of this as a plan since Mayor Plusquellic first unveiled the Biomedical Corridor to the public mid-decade. I know it takes years for something like the RTP in Raleigh-Durham to really get off the ground. I guess I'm just pining for more action, but I do get that it is a long, drawn-out process that hopefully will eventually produce a major sustained economic payoff for the city and region.

 

I read that too and thought about how it is unfortunate that Akron still lacks a true residential go-to "haven community" for artists AND their artwork, where they can go to find and lease spaces for their galleries and hold shows and open houses for the public, not unlike artists in Tremont, Little Italy, or the Art Quarter in Cleveland, or even in the Downtown Arts District in Canton. It's telling that the Bidwells really wanted to locate in Akron at first, but couldn't find a gallery space in a community that would have readily embraced and supported them here.

It's coming, but it will be a slow process: http://www.artspace.org/

 

Wonder where they will locate it? Hopefully it will become an anchor for an arts cluster of sorts. I agree with Gramarye that it shouldn't necessarily be the primary thing powering a neighborhood rebirth, but it can certainly assist as a cultural component of a general redevelopment strategy. I'd love to see someone apply something like this to the old Middlebury neighborhood on the eastern edge of UA Park.

Wonder where they will locate it? Hopefully it will become an anchor for an arts cluster of sorts. I agree with Gramarye that it shouldn't necessarily be the primary thing powering a neighborhood rebirth, but it can certainly assist as a cultural component of a general redevelopment strategy. I'd love to see someone apply something like this to the old Middlebury neighborhood on the eastern edge of UA Park.

 

Their typical strategy is to build/redevelop their project in an area that doesn't have much going on currently. Then, after time, retail & office develop around it. Basically, it most likely won't happen downtown. A good chance it could happen in the UPA footprint.

Summit County Council supports four senior citizen housing projects

 

By Marilyn Miller

Beacon Journal staff writer

Published: February 10, 2013 - 11:35 PM

 

Summit County Council members have added their support to four developers who want to build affordable senior citizen housing in Tallmadge, Cuyahoga Falls and the Kenmore area of Akron.

 

The developers are applying for competitive federal tax credits to help with the buildings targeted at potential tenants age 55 and older.

 

http://www.ohio.com/news/summit-county-council-supports-four-senior-citizen-housing-projects-1.372243

 

Preservationists to restore interior of old schoolhouse in West Akron

 

By Stephanie Warsmith

Beacon Journal staff writer

Published: February 9, 2013 - 10:14 PM | Updated: February 10, 2013 - 10:00 AM

 

With work complete on the outside of a one-room schoolhouse in West Akron, local preservationists will turn their attention to the inside of the 1870 structure.

 

They want to remove knotty-pine paneling and cabinets along the back of the school to reveal the original chalkboard, which is visible with a peek inside the cabinets. Other plans include refinishing the white oak floors now hidden beneath orange-striped carpet, completing the restoration of the huge windows, and adding a coat room, bathroom, kitchenette, storage space and memorial library.

 

http://www.ohio.com/news/local/preservationists-to-restore-interior-of-old-schoolhouse-in-west-akron-1.371951

 

Children Services Remodels Interaction Center

Written by  Matt Hartong

 

Their goal is to maintain child placement stability, family conectedness and to promote reunification.

 

Until recently, these family visits had been held in temporary housing for adolescents in custody, a dormitory-style building on the agency campus.

 

http://www.akronnewsnow.com/news/local/item/73107-children-services-remodels-interaction-center

Akron City Council members question need for more student housing but approve plans for another development

 

By Stephanie Warsmith

Beacon Journal staff writer

Published: February 11, 2013 - 11:25 PM

 

Michael Weiss of Richland Communities, the Beachwood company that owns the 22 Exchange and 401 Lofts developments, spoke during council’s public comment period Monday, questioning whether the market can support more student housing. He said recent changes UA has made, such as increasing admission standards and requiring freshman and sophomores to live in dorms, have decreased the occupancy in existing developments. He said 22 Exchange didn’t hit 80 percent capacity last year.

 

“If this and the other projects go through, we will all be sitting at 30 percent full,” he said. “That doesn’t do anyone good.”

 

http://www.ohio.com/news/akron-city-council-members-question-need-for-more-student-housing-but-approve-plans-for-another-development-1.372536

http://www.ohio.com/news/akron-city-council-members-question-need-for-more-student-housing-but-approve-plans-for-another-development-1.372536

Exchange Housing LLC has an option to buy the 3.4-acre property from the Akron Beacon Journal, whose main building is located across from the parcel. The property currently is home to the Erie Warehouse, an aging Wheeling & Lake Erie Railroad facility the newspaper uses to store giant rolls of paper.

 

Aw I really like that warehouse. Was always hoping it could be re-purposed.

 

This is a little perplexing; the developers want to build residential and city council is skeptical. Maybe I don't understand the economics, or maybe these developers are idiots, but you just don't come across this kind of opposition scenario in Ohio very often.

 

Also I couldn't help myself from reading the comments section. I can understand why people dislike Mayor Plusqualic and the political machine there, but why is any development connected to the University always met with derision? It seems a large enough portion of the population are a just a bunch of anti-education hicks who are waiting for the rubber plants to reopen. Either that or they feel The University of Akron is a community college that just doesn't measure up to their beloved OSU or Notre Dame. 

Honestly, my biggest beef with this is that there needed to be a committee meeting to approve it in the first place; I wish they would just let people buy the land and get started, at least unless the construction would require public expenditure to expand infrastructure (i.e., for the new arena, or a skyscraper, or some other massive undertaking--and honestly, our infrastructure could probably handle one or two of those without major expansion).

 

And while I'm glad to have 22 Exchange there, I can't really muster enormous quantities of sympathy for them at 80% capacity at the rates that they charge.  There's an obvious way that they could fill more space, both residential and commercial.  They'd just rather not have to think about it.

Downtown doesn't need anymore student housing. Why can't they build this up in University Park?

 

Is there no market for 1-2 bedroom apartments for professionals downtown or something? Why does it always have to be 4 bedroom apartments for college students? If more projects like this go up then downtown will start becoming over saturated with college students. It's time to start thinking about young professionals and bringing more of a mix to downtown.

Honestly, I never considered that lot prime residential space anyway--right next to an active rail line and on a steep downward incline from the road.  And it's closer to UA than 22 Exchange or 401 Lofts.  I'm certainly in favor of more professional housing (young or otherwise) Downtown, but that doesn't mean that every underused lot is a good candidate for it.  For professional housing opportunities, I'm much more interested in seeing what happens with the buildings around the Civic and north from there to the corner of Bowery, the parcels near Akron Children's at Bowery & Exchange (the Cotter moving/storage facility and the demolished medical office by the locksmith), and of course, Mayflower.

I agree, that spot is a terrible place for a residential complex. It would be great to see that lot renovated and re-purposed. I've never seen inside of that warehouse, but on the outside I think it would look great serving as some sort of market.

Downtown doesn't need anymore student housing. Why can't they build this up in University Park?

 

Is there no market for 1-2 bedroom apartments for professionals downtown or something? Why does it always have to be 4 bedroom apartments for college students? If more projects like this go up then downtown will start becoming over saturated with college students. It's time to start thinking about young professionals and bringing more of a mix to downtown.

 

I agree.  I think 1-2 BR apts for YPs are the primary building block of growth.  Building apartments that YP's are blocked from kinda defeats the purpose.  I can understand mixing in come dorms for guaranteed occupancy but enough is enough.  That's not what the main drag of downtown is for.

Are you guys willing to wait X number of years for something other than student housing? I'd gladly take more student housing NOW.  Downtown sorely needs residents who can support retail along Main St. It's not like there's a dearth of space for more upscale residential down the road. Let the University be an engine for kicking this off. If you're waiting for YP's or artists or retirees to relocate downtown en masse you could be waiting forever. 

Are you guys willing to wait X number of years for something other than student housing? I'd gladly take more student housing NOW.  Downtown sorely needs residents who can support retail along Main St. It's not like there's a dearth of space for more upscale residential down the road. Let the University be an engine for kicking this off. If you're waiting for YP's or artists or retirees to relocate downtown en masse you could be waiting forever.

 

This is largely my though as well, though I don't think we'll be waiting forever for non-student populations.  Downtown covers a pretty large footprint, and every block counts when you're building in human rather than autocentric scales.  In human scale, this proposed student housing isn't even that close to the heart of the commercial district or historical district where professionals might be more inclined to want to locate, so even if someone were worried that too many students could be an active detriment to attracting professionals, there wouldn't be much cause for concern.  It's between the University itself and the nightclubs around Main & Exchange.  I agree that we need to look at opportunity costs as well as direct costs when evaluating development, but we don't need to exaggerate those costs.  This was never going to be the site of the next Northside or Canal Square.

 

Also, since I'm also inclined to let the market work, I'd say let this new student housing get built, and then see what happens.  If the guy from Richland is so concerned about a glut of student housing, let them turn 401 Lofts into adult housing instead of student housing.  (They claim it already is, but if you're renting by the bedroom, your target market is students, not professionals.)

I hate to sound like a broken record, but downtown has enough student housing. This development would be better if placed up near the university. I'm all for development downtown, I'm sure more students living on or around campus will more than support retail downtown. It's all about putting the right pieces in place to draw students down there. It's as if everyone wants to take the easy way out and place as much student housing downtown in hopes it will bring in retail. All I've seen it bring in is more hookah bars, bars/nightclubs, and sub par places to grab a bite to eat.

This is largely my though as well, though I don't think we'll be waiting forever for non-student populations. 

 

Not to dwell in the past too much. But back in the 90's there was a huge plan floated for upscale residential in Canal Place. It would've been so nice if downtown could've gotten that head start before the recession(s) hit.

These are built as "student only" because they get subsidized for it, plain and simple.

There is a demand for YP housing, there just isn't anyone that is willing to develop it.

Subsidized by whom?

Subsidized by whom?

 

Not subsidies like low-income housing, but it is by local government in the form of free land or tax breaks. The land for 22 Exchange and 401 cost $1 to the developer. There are some infrastructure costs they pay for, but 401 Lofts for example, the City is paying for the sidewalks around it.

It is in the name of progress, but if the developer had to pay fair market value for the land they might not pursue the project. The Beacon building is a different story, but I'm sure there will be some tax breaks involved.

Did the city specifically give those subsidies for student housing, though?  If they were enthusiastic about downtown residential in general, it would stand to reason that they'd be willing to offer such support for other forms of housing as well, too, especially if those breaks were approved on an ad hoc basis.

Did the city specifically give those subsidies for student housing, though?  If they were enthusiastic about downtown residential in general, it would stand to reason that they'd be willing to offer such support for other forms of housing as well, too, especially if those breaks were approved on an ad hoc basis.

 

No, you're correct. Since, to my knowledge, the question of tax breaks or otherwise for general housing has not been proposed, we can only speculate.

I can say that in other circumstances, student housing that will eventually be owned by the institution, can be tax exempt. Locally that COULD be the case with the new housing that is U of A property, ie; Exchange, Honors, etc...dorms. These are privately developed then sold the the University after 20 years.

That is not the case with the student only housing downtown, but, I would assume there are benefits. It would take more digging to find them. Otherwise, why limit yourself?

Retaining wall at Lock 3 Park damaged by storm

 

Beacon Journal staff report

Published: July 11, 2013 - 02:00 PM | Updated: July 11, 2013 - 02:07 PM

 

A concrete retaining wall at Lock 3 Park in downtown Akron washed away in the flood waters.

 

The wall was located between the park’s stage and the Ohio & Erie Canal, said Akron spokeswoman Stephanie York.

 

The affected area is fenced off and the city will try to determine the best remedy after this weekend’s Italian Festival, she said.

 

http://www.ohio.com/news/break-news/retaining-wall-at-lock-3-park-damaged-by-storm-1.412398

I posted the news article on here previously regarding two tax credit recipients. I skimmed them and didn't realize that one of these is pretty major as it had been a stalled project since the market crash.

 

Akron Savings and Loan (Akron, Summit County)

Total Project Cost: $13,960,925

Total Tax Credit: $3,113,231

Address: 156 South Main Street, 44308

Also known as the Landmark Building, the Akron Savings and Loan building is a component of the larger Civic Theatre Block project. The mixed-use project includes residential, retail and restaurant space directly adjacent to Akron's grand Civic Theatre. The Akron Savings and Loan portion of the project includes 86 apartment units and more than 18,000 square feet of restaurant and retail space. The project is expected to create 135 permanent jobs and 40 construction jobs.

 

 

http://development.ohio.gov/cs/cs_ohptc_rd10.htm

 

Grizzly Ridge readies for July 20 opening

 

7/11/2013 - West Side Leader

By Kathleen Folkerth

 

WEST AKRON — Grizzly bears once roamed the Akron area. Now they’re back.

 

Animals like the bears are the focus of the Akron Zoo’s latest expansion. The Mike and Mary Stark Grizzly Ridge exhibit is named after Mike and Mary Stark, of Copley, two of the zoo’s most ardent supporters and friends. It will open to the public July 20, and the exhibit will mark the return of the bears to the zoo and show for the first time red wolves and coyotes.

 

http://akron.com/akron-ohio-community-news.asp?aID=19823

Akron to require contractors in sewer project to hire city residents

 

By Stephanie Warsmith

Beacon Journal staff writer

Published: July 22, 2013 - 11:58 PM

 

Akron will require contractors in its sewer project to hire a certain percentage of city residents, a threshold that will be ramped up as the $800 million-plus project progresses, Mayor Don Plusquellic said Monday.

 

Akron plans to model its program after one in San Francisco in which contractors initially were required to hire 20 percent of their workers from within the city. This amount increased to 50 percent over seven years.

 

http://www.ohio.com/news/akron-to-require-contractors-in-sewer-project-to-hire-city-residents-1.415219

New Rock House welcomes bands in South Akron

 

By Malcolm X Abram

Published: July 24, 2013 - 06:35 PM | Updated: July 25, 2013 - 12:08 PM

 

Rejoice Akron area bands, there is another local venue at which you can perform.

 

Tonight, Tim “Ripper” Owens will celebrate the opening of his and partner Micah Posten's new restaurant/concert venue, Ripper's Rock House, in South Akron with an acoustic show with guitarist Scott Jones. It'll be Owens’ first show in Akron in about a year and only the second show at the Rock House, which had its soft opening about a week ago with popular local bands Motherload and Red Sun Rising.

 

http://enjoy.ohio.com/new-rock-house-welcomes-bands-in-south-akron-1.415723

No Change In Wal Mart, Copley Township Plans

Written by  Larry States

 

Wal-Mart and Copley Township officials say there will be no change in a plan to bring a Wal-Mart and Sams Club to Rothrock Road, despite a judge's ruling to basically turn the road into a cul-de-sac, allowing Fairlawn to block it off from being a through street.

 

Copley Township trustee Helen Humphrys tells AkronNewsNow " There are no alterations to their plan because the access to the future Wal-Mart, Sams Club can be made fro State Route 18 on to State Route 21."

 

http://www.akronnewsnow.com/news/local/item/97885-no-change-in-wal-mart-copley-township-plans

I would like to know the reasoning behind removing the boulevard in front of 401 Lofts. It was nothing spectacular, pretty brutal when you actually stop to look at it, but it still added plantings to the urban space.

 

removed:

 

remaining in front of Canal Place & GOJO:

My guess (totally unsubstantiated by any evidence other than what I see from the street) is that they intend to make the curb lanes into diagonal back-in parking like they did along Main north of Cedar, but with a little more driving space as well (i.e., like closer to Lock 3, where there is still technically only one driving lane in each direction, but there is still a lot more room to maneuver).

 

And like you said, it was nothing spectacular.  I think it will be forgotten within days after the construction is complete.

Very strange. It actually runs counter to the direction I thought the city was going to take with its main streets, including Exchange and Market.

That takes it to the edge of the "special entertainment district". It doesn't surprise me that they would take that out to continue the angled parking that has been fairly successful i'd say.  With the new lofts right there and really no significant parking added for them, i can see these spaces being well used.

That takes it to the edge of the "special entertainment district". It doesn't surprise me that they would take that out to continue the angled parking that has been fairly successful i'd say.  With the new lofts right there and really no significant parking added for them, i can see these spaces being well used.

 

Yes, I think Gramarye was correct in assuming the parking. Unfortunately I feel it is a necessary loss.

Thirsty Dog expands its Akron brewery

 

By Rick Armon

Beacon Journal staff writer

Published: August 12, 2013 - 11:56 PM | Updated: August 13, 2013 - 08:32 AM

 

 

Thirsty Dog Brewing Co. is expanding.

 

The Akron brewery, located on Grant Street near the University of Akron, is busy rehabbing and adding a roof onto an adjacent building that will be used for storage.

 

http://www.ohio.com/news/local/thirsty-dog-expands-its-akron-brewery-1.420761

 

Omnova Solutions may move headquarters from Fairlawn to Beachwood

 

By Jim Mackinnon

Beacon Journal business writer

Published: August 12, 2013 - 05:40 PM | Updated: August 13, 2013 - 06:56 AM

 

Fairlawn-based global polymer company Omnova Solutions Inc. may relocate its headquarters and 140 employees to Beachwood.

 

The $1.1 billion company said it has been looking at staying in Ohio or going elsewhere for nearly two years.

 

http://www.ohio.com/business/omnova-solutions-may-move-headquarters-from-fairlawn-to-beachwood-1.420612

Omnova would be a rough loss for Fairlawn, though of course, the concessions Fairlawn will likely have to make to keep them from moving to Beachwood will also be rough, though hopefully not worth more than the value of Omnova to Fairlawn.  A 4% revenue hit would be rough, but I wonder what percentage of revenue that incentive package represents.

Omnova would be a rough loss for Fairlawn, though of course, the concessions Fairlawn will likely have to make to keep them from moving to Beachwood will also be rough, though hopefully not worth more than the value of Omnova to Fairlawn.  A 4% revenue hit would be rough, but I wonder what percentage of revenue that incentive package represents.

What's even more intriguing is that it comes on the heals of this:

 

Omnova Solutions reports 59 percent drop in earnings

Beacon Journal staff report

Published: June 27, 2013 - 08:20 PM | Updated: June 28, 2013 - 01:32 PM

 

http://www.ohio.com/business/omnova-solutions-reports-59-percent-drop-in-earnings-1.409220

 

So they had a huge drop in earnings yet are considering a costly move?

APS deems King CLC work ‘urgent necessity’

 

8/15/2013 - West Side Leader

By Becky Tompkins

 

The Akron Public Schools (APS) can now again seek bids for work to complete the King Community Learning Center (CLC), thanks to a vote by the Board of Education approving a resolution to proceed under urgent necessity.

 

The vote at the board’s Aug. 12 meeting enables the APS to dispense with the required competitive bidding process. This will permit the district to proceed with soliciting proposals for the work without having to take the time to advertise, said Paul Flesher, APS director of facility planning and capital improvements.

 

http://akron.com/akron-ohio-education-news.asp?aID=20123

Montrose Acme getting a major face-lift

 

By Betty Lin-Fisher

Beacon Journal business writer

Published: August 21, 2013 - 10:53 PM | Updated: August 22, 2013 - 11:49 AM

 

The Acme Fresh Market store in the Montrose area is in the midst of a major renovation.

 

Last fall, Acme’s store on Medina Road or state Route 18 in Bath Township gained 10,000 square feet from its neighbor, Jo-Ann Fabric and Crafts, when that store changed to a more compact model.

 

http://www.ohio.com/news/local/montrose-acme-getting-a-major-face-lift-1.422757

 

 

National hospital chain, Cleveland Clinic reach tentative deal to buy Akron General

 

By Cheryl Powell

Beacon Journal medical writer

 

Published: August 22, 2013 - 05:01 PM | Updated: August 22, 2013 - 05:56 PM

 

 

One of the nation’s largest for-profit hospital chains has reached a tentative deal to buy Akron General Health System in partnership with the Cleveland Clinic.

 

The Akron General board of directors on Thursday unanimously approved a non-binding letter of intent to sell the health system’s assets to a new joint venture between the Cleveland Clinic and Tennessee-based hospital operator Community Health Systems.

 

http://www.ohio.com/news/break-news/national-hospital-chain-cleveland-clinic-reach-tentative-deal-to-buy-akron-general-1.422931

 

 

City considers transferring troubled steam-heat system to Akron Children’s Hospital; voter approval required

 

By Cheryl Powell

Beacon Journal medical writer

Published: August 21, 2013 - 12:31 PM

 

 

The city of Akron wants to transfer ownership of its downtown steam-heating and cooling system to Akron Children’s Hospital, one of the biggest customers.

 

Mayor Don Plusquellic said Wednesday that the city plans to donate its downtown district heating system to Children’s, which would then find a permanent owner or operator for the plant.

 

http://www.ohio.com/lifestyle/city-considers-transferring-troubled-steam-heat-system-to-akron-children-s-hospital-voter-approval-required-1.422578

Cross posted from the Dayton thread.  I'm curious why Akron doesn't have a Whole Foods or Trader Joe's and Dayton does.  Any thoughts?

 

 

Quote from: ColDayMan on Yesterday at 03:15:27 PM

 

    Exclusive: Whole Foods selects site for first Dayton location

 

    Whole Foods appears to have chosen a site for its first store in the Dayton market.

The grocery store chain is slated to be the anchor tenant for a shopping center to be developed at the corner of McEwen Road and Miamisburg-Centerville Road in Washington Township.

Gary Rodriguez, owner of local Mexican restaurant chain El Rancho Grande, closed a deal last week to sell his restaurant at 1020 Miamisburg-Centerville Road, as part of the project to bring in a Whole Foods.

 

    More below:

    http://www.bizjournals.com/dayton/news/2013/09/03/exclusive-whole-foods-targets-site.html

 

 

Jeremyck01: "I wonder why Dayton has a Trader Joe's and now a Whole Foods and Akron doesn't.  I know they are similar sized cities.  Akron does have some great food options with The West Side Market, the Mustard Seed Market, an Earth Fair (which I consider a smaller version of a Whole Foods) and a new Giant Eagle Marketplace going in in Cuy Falls, but even more choice would be great.  Any thoughts?  Am I accurate in comparing Dayton to Akron?"

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