March 26, 20214 yr That's great news! "The Crossings at...(anywhere)" however is the dumbest of suburban fake monikers given to designate a neighborhood, especially within a real city. Sigh
March 31, 20214 yr Locked out? Akron-area millennials face high prices, short supply in quest to buy first home https://www.beaconjournal.com/story/news/2021/03/25/first-time-homebuyers-akron-find-houses-short-supply/6945661002/ Between the spring of 2019 and the fall of 2020, the Myerses toured more than 100 Greater Akron houses for sale and put in solid offers on 11 — 10 were over the seller’s asking price by as much as $25,000. They lost them all, either outbid or outmaneuvered by other desperate buyers, some of whom were willing to waive a home inspection and buy a house “as is” if it meant closing a deal. “Every single person I know was trying to buy a house. All of my friends,” said Sam Myers, president of the Young Professionals of Akron. “It was just that perfect storm with a ton of people entering the housing market and few houses up for sale.” ========================= This has been apparent to anyone in the real estate market here in the past year, regardless of how long it took the ABJ to report on it. And this is behind some of my bewilderment at the amount of criticism large proposed housing developments in Akron proper and Greater Akron generally have been facing. In addition to the two in the Merriman Valley noted upthread, there has been a huge NIMBY mobilization on Nextdoor.com and on Facebook in the Fairlawn area to try to scale back the surprisingly dense proposed redevelopment of the closed Rosemont Country Club, something that would give Fairlawn some real density near the busy, sprawling, big-box-parade Montrose shopping area. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for Fairlawn to be able to face down the NIMBY lobby on this. It's a great little town and a lot more people deserve a chance to live there. I can't believe how white-hot the market has been here during the pandemic.
March 31, 20214 yr 2 hours ago, Gramarye said: Locked out? Akron-area millennials face high prices, short supply in quest to buy first home https://www.beaconjournal.com/story/news/2021/03/25/first-time-homebuyers-akron-find-houses-short-supply/6945661002/ Between the spring of 2019 and the fall of 2020, the Myerses toured more than 100 Greater Akron houses for sale and put in solid offers on 11 — 10 were over the seller’s asking price by as much as $25,000. They lost them all, either outbid or outmaneuvered by other desperate buyers, some of whom were willing to waive a home inspection and buy a house “as is” if it meant closing a deal. “Every single person I know was trying to buy a house. All of my friends,” said Sam Myers, president of the Young Professionals of Akron. “It was just that perfect storm with a ton of people entering the housing market and few houses up for sale.” ========================= This has been apparent to anyone in the real estate market here in the past year, regardless of how long it took the ABJ to report on it. And this is behind some of my bewilderment at the amount of criticism large proposed housing developments in Akron proper and Greater Akron generally have been facing. In addition to the two in the Merriman Valley noted upthread, there has been a huge NIMBY mobilization on Nextdoor.com and on Facebook in the Fairlawn area to try to scale back the surprisingly dense proposed redevelopment of the closed Rosemont Country Club, something that would give Fairlawn some real density near the busy, sprawling, big-box-parade Montrose shopping area. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for Fairlawn to be able to face down the NIMBY lobby on this. It's a great little town and a lot more people deserve a chance to live there. I can't believe how white-hot the market has been here during the pandemic. Thanks for the perspective. This is really interesting and I had no idea the Akron market was so hot.
April 5, 20214 yr Speaking of... April 04, 2021 04:00 AM updated 15 hours ago Akron's Good Park housing development plans fall groundbreaking Dan Shingler In the midst of a red-hot market for residential real estate, another Akron housing development is preparing to break ground this year. The Residences at Good Park, an 82-unit development that Akron's Alpha Phi Alpha Homes has been planning since 2018, should break ground this fall, said the company's executive director, Tom Fuller. https://www.crainscleveland.com/real-estate/akrons-good-park-housing-development-plans-fall-groundbreaking
April 12, 20214 yr 6 hours ago, NorthShore647 said: Proposal calls for Akron's Theiss Road property to become part of Summit Metro Parks Dan Shingler - Crain's Cleveland Business - Apr. 11, 2021 "Nearly 45 acres that the city of Akron owns and has up for bid on Theiss Road in the Merriman Valley could become part of nearby Hampton Hills Metro Park if the Western Reserve Land Conservancy's (WRLC) new bid to purchase the site wins the day. The conservancy, which submitted a revised bid of $410,000 for the land on March 30, told the city that if the group is allowed to purchase the property it intends to turn the site over to Summit Metro Parks. ... WRLC might be at a disadvantage. Its bid is below the minimum bid of $550,000 that the city has set for bids by conservationists. Late last year, the city raised the bar for bidders seeking to preserve the site, increasing the minimum bid from conservationists while potential residential developers were asked for a minimum bid of $361,520." To clarify, this is a different property than the Riverwoods Golf Course and that controversy, correct?
April 13, 20214 yr ^yes. This is at the top of the hill across Theiss from the Summit Metroparks mtn biking area at Hampton Hills. There are various proposals for this property. Certainly one proposal is to flatten the whole property and slap in 130-150 homes or so. I think that is obviously a non-starter. There was a proposal for building 60-80 or so homes for $200+ and keeping many sections with the trees they have now. Essentially just building on where the land allows and keeping the hilly sections untouched and protected. I think that works. To me the main thing the cities have to deal with is water run off. Way too much impervious surfaces above the valley which is actually the real problem as it drops high speed into the valley 150 below. The parks have already taken over all the golf courses throughout the Cuyahoga Valley. I’d like to see a bit more mountain biking developed perhaps in the former valley view golf course. There are miles and miles of bridal trails all over the valley. There is only one section for mountain biking at Hampton Hills, which has proved popular, in the whole Summit Metroparks system.
April 19, 20214 yr Akron mayor proposes prioritizing parks, housing and utility assistance with $153 million in pandemic stimulus Updated Apr 15, 2021; Posted Apr 15, 2021 AKRON, Ohio – Akron Mayor Dan Horrigan announced on Thursday how he would like the city to spend its $153 million from the nearly $2 trillion federal stimulus package passed by Congress in March, with the largest share going toward city parks and public facilities. The American Rescue Plan money totaling $153,370,000 will arrive in Akron’s coffers in two rounds – May 2021 and May 2022 – and must be spent by the end of 2024. https://www.cleveland.com/akron/2021/04/akron-mayor-proposes-prioritizing-parks-housing-and-utility-assistance-with-153-million-in-pandemic-stimulus.html
May 13, 20214 yr May 12, 2021 10:02 AM updated 12 hours ago Akron doubles down with plan for growth Dan Shingler The housing and population initiative Akron began in 2017 was successful enough that Mayor Dan Horrigan is doing it again. The city launched what it's calling the Planning to Grow Akron 2.0 plan on Wednesday, May 12, with an agenda that includes a slate of new programs, including many aimed at improving what the plan calls the city's "middle neighborhoods." Those are described as "areas of the city that are in generally good condition but could benefit from improvements to the housing stock, infrastructure, streetscape and landscaping to help maintain the neighborhoods' viability and desirability." https://www.crainscleveland.com/akron-news/akron-doubles-down-plan-growth http://apexakron.com/
May 14, 20214 yr On 5/13/2021 at 5:27 PM, yanni_gogolak said: May 12, 2021 10:02 AM updated 12 hours ago Akron doubles down with plan for growth Dan Shingler The housing and population initiative Akron began in 2017 was successful enough that Mayor Dan Horrigan is doing it again. The city launched what it's calling the Planning to Grow Akron 2.0 plan on Wednesday, May 12, with an agenda that includes a slate of new programs, including many aimed at improving what the plan calls the city's "middle neighborhoods." Those are described as "areas of the city that are in generally good condition but could benefit from improvements to the housing stock, infrastructure, streetscape and landscaping to help maintain the neighborhoods' viability and desirability." https://www.crainscleveland.com/akron-news/akron-doubles-down-plan-growth http://apexakron.com/ There's so much potential for Akron's "middle neighborhoods" - Goodyear Heights and Firestone Heights for example have pretty good bones. They both have a small main street area and a relatively healthy housing stock from what I've seen. There's also a good amount of parks and green space in these neighborhoods. They just need a bit of a facelift in my opinion. But there's no reason why they can't improve and move from stable to good desirable neighborhoods. Akron has only a few "good" and "great" neighborhoods currently, but it has so many neighborhoods that are right on the edge of becoming desirable places to live again. EDIT: Woops, I meant "Firestone Park!"
May 14, 20214 yr 4 hours ago, NEOBuckeye said: Firestone Heights? Going to say that that was intended to be Firestone Park.
May 17, 20214 yr On 5/13/2021 at 4:27 PM, yanni_gogolak said: May 12, 2021 10:02 AM updated 12 hours ago Akron doubles down with plan for growth Dan Shingler The housing and population initiative Akron began in 2017 was successful enough that Mayor Dan Horrigan is doing it again. The city launched what it's calling the Planning to Grow Akron 2.0 plan on Wednesday, May 12, with an agenda that includes a slate of new programs, including many aimed at improving what the plan calls the city's "middle neighborhoods." Those are described as "areas of the city that are in generally good condition but could benefit from improvements to the housing stock, infrastructure, streetscape and landscaping to help maintain the neighborhoods' viability and desirability." https://www.crainscleveland.com/akron-news/akron-doubles-down-plan-growth http://apexakron.com/ I read through the 35 pages of the Apex Akron plan and it’s excellent. My hope is that the city can find the appropriate federal, state and local funding to implement many of these ideas, as well as solicit funding from the private sector. This plan was encouraging to read.
June 25, 20213 yr Akron announces Rubber City Match winners Dan Shingler And the winners are … Gypsy Grace and The Vintage Goat, and SRINA Tea House. Those are the businesses receiving funding via Akron's 2021 Rubber City Match program, announced by Mayor Dan Horrigan on Thursday, June 24. They'll each receive a business loan from the city's partners, Western Reserve Community Fund and Columbus-based ECDI: Economic & Community Development Institute, along with a $50,000 grant from the city to complete their proposed projects. https://www.crainscleveland.com/dan-shingler-blog/akron-announces-rubber-city-match-winners?utm_source=akron-morning-roundup&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=20210625&utm_content=article1-image
July 4, 20213 yr I can't read the crains article, but my wish is that the main street though the valley was transformed into an actual main street with a walkable downtown street facade and street parking with sidewalks that have street patios for dining. I think that would be the shot in the arm for that area. A (new town)version of Highland Square, That commercial strip sucks for such a dense area.
July 4, 20213 yr It doesn’t really say anything in the article about plans. It just says that the planning company will tell them what they learned on July 15th. So essentially what they are going to say is that nobody is making more land available once we get past the golf courses that have all closed. The rest of the valley is surrounded by national and metro parks. To me the city needs to allow certain sections of the valley, mainly in liberty commons to go vertical. I predict the valley will be even more popular once there is a train stop for the CVSR in the next year or 2. The shops will then up their game. R.Shea now has patio seating in the parking lot with nice temporary cedar fencing.
July 8, 20213 yr On 7/4/2021 at 4:13 AM, metrocity said: I can't read the crains article, but my wish is that the main street though the valley was transformed into an actual main street with a walkable downtown street facade and street parking with sidewalks that have street patios for dining. I think that would be the shot in the arm for that area. A (new town)version of Highland Square, That commercial strip sucks for such a dense area. That would never happen, but it is seriously needed. That area already has a fair amount of good businesses, it's just not a very coherent neighborhood since it's all strip malls. It would be a really cool place to live if they actually made it walkable - it would feel like a nice small town right next to the national park! But in its current state, I'd definitely pick Highland Square or somewhere nearby to live. Also, as the poster above me mentioned, a CVSR stop here would give the valley a huge opportunity for tourism if they went ahead and made it into a walkable main street area. It's got so much potential, someone just needs to make it happen.
July 8, 20213 yr On 7/4/2021 at 7:07 AM, audidave said: It doesn’t really say anything in the article about plans. It just says that the planning company will tell them what they learned on July 15th. So essentially what they are going to say is that nobody is making more land available once we get past the golf courses that have all closed. The rest of the valley is surrounded by national and metro parks. To me the city needs to allow certain sections of the valley, mainly in liberty commons to go vertical. I predict the valley will be even more popular once there is a train stop for the CVSR in the next year or 2. The shops will then up their game. R.Shea now has patio seating in the parking lot with nice temporary cedar fencing. Isn't a lot of that area already more vertical than a typical neighborhood? There are plenty of 3-story apartment complexes through there, at any rate. I agree that the most likely result of this planning process is more restrictions on development, not more development; the anti-development activists seem too well organized and developers are easy punching bags when they're up against citizen opposition, though Mayor Horrigan's administration is generally pro-development, especially residential development. It's the commercial buildout that holds the Valley back more than the residential buildout IMHO. Lagoons of surface parking in front of single-story, single-use strip retail. Minimal integration with the river or the Towpath. Extremely few pedestrian crossings for Merriman and not that much more for Akron-Peninsula--not that there's great need for them without addressing the autocentric buildout first, of course. And the new patio at R. Shea is delightful, and I think I'm heading there for lunch today. 😎
August 5, 20213 yr I'm not sure if this is a building or a parking deck but it will replace in location an older building they took down last year on the Summa campus. https://goo.gl/maps/9E35SoaWaRzdXmaf8
August 21, 20213 yr The Summa building will be the new behavioral health center with services moved from St. Thomas. St. Thomas will be "repurposed" but not sure yet what it will entail.
August 22, 20213 yr https://www.crainscleveland.com/real-estate/downtown-akrons-residential-development-just-getting-started Downtown Akron's residential development is just getting started "Downtown Akron has been on a residential tear over the last couple of years, with several big projects unveiling hundreds of new apartments, and more seeming constantly to enter the pipeline. But if you think the city’s center has all the housing and residents it can support, downtown backers, economic development experts and those building some of the current projects have news for you: Downtown is only just beginning to meet its housing needs. It can support hundreds or even a thousand more apartments, planners say. Developers of current projects say they’ve been encouraged enough by their initial experience to want to do more."
August 23, 20213 yr Architects of Merriman Valley master plan heard from the public. Here's what was said. Doug Livingston Akron Beacon Journal Phil Dickson made the six-hour trip from Virginia last week to drive his point home. The 34-year-old Akron native, now a real estate agent in the Washington D.C. market, previously worked for a national nonprofit that promotes environmentally sustainable development. He joined roughly 150 people Thursday at Todaro’s Party Center on Akron-Peninsula Road at the end of a three-day public engagement event. Like others asked by the cities of Akron and Cuyahoga Falls to help with the creation of a joint master plan for the future development of the Merriman Valley and Schumacher Area, Dickson criticized trading green space for new housing construction. https://www.beaconjournal.com/story/news/2021/08/23/merriman-valley-master-plan-public-input-roundabout-trails-housing/8194528002/
August 23, 20213 yr 1 hour ago, yanni_gogolak said: Architects of Merriman Valley master plan heard from the public. Here's what was said. Doug Livingston Akron Beacon Journal Phil Dickson made the six-hour trip from Virginia last week to drive his point home. The 34-year-old Akron native, now a real estate agent in the Washington D.C. market, previously worked for a national nonprofit that promotes environmentally sustainable development. He joined roughly 150 people Thursday at Todaro’s Party Center on Akron-Peninsula Road at the end of a three-day public engagement event. Like others asked by the cities of Akron and Cuyahoga Falls to help with the creation of a joint master plan for the future development of the Merriman Valley and Schumacher Area, Dickson criticized trading green space for new housing construction. https://www.beaconjournal.com/story/news/2021/08/23/merriman-valley-master-plan-public-input-roundabout-trails-housing/8194528002/ Not to retread what has already been said here on this, but its interesting that at the same time local officials are touting the redevelopment of downtown Akron (Crain's article) there is also a strong push for this new development in Merriman Valley. Adding to sprawl; over extending infrastructure resources; adding more impermeable surfaces with salt, gas, and oil and fertilizer from laws running off into the river degrading its quality; and building on a flood plain--not to mention the potential for erosion so the probable mitigation efforts and the effects of that. I'm really struggling to see the benefits here.
August 23, 20213 yr 40 minutes ago, Luke_S said: Not to retread what has already been said here on this, but its interesting that at the same time local officials are touting the redevelopment of downtown Akron (Crain's article) there is also a strong push for this new development in Merriman Valley. Adding to sprawl; over extending infrastructure resources; adding more impermeable surfaces with salt, gas, and oil and fertilizer from laws running off into the river degrading its quality; and building on a flood plain--not to mention the potential for erosion so the probable mitigation efforts and the effects of that. I'm really struggling to see the benefits here. The Akron real estate market now is white-hot and can absorb thousands of additional units. The Merriman Valley is some of the most underutilized real estate in the city limits, with a potentially high quality of life for thousands of new residents, especially if development becomes a virtuous cycle and new residential development prompts redevelopment of some of the threadbare, generic strip retail along Merriman and Portage. The strain on infrastructure resources, per capita, will be minimal as long as the new development is sufficiently dense (which is why we should not accept halfway measures in terms of watering down the size of the proposed developments). It's right by the city's main sewer trunk line, it's not like it will be that hard to link into the water & sewer systems. The roads there are already large enough to handle dramatically more traffic than they do and there will be minimal need for widening them (and, of course, it's also right on the Towpath, which is an alternative way into downtown for the able-bodied).
August 23, 20213 yr 1 hour ago, Luke_S said: Not to retread what has already been said here on this, but its interesting that at the same time local officials are touting the redevelopment of downtown Akron (Crain's article) there is also a strong push for this new development in Merriman Valley. Adding to sprawl; over extending infrastructure resources; adding more impermeable surfaces with salt, gas, and oil and fertilizer from laws running off into the river degrading its quality; and building on a flood plain--not to mention the potential for erosion so the probable mitigation efforts and the effects of that. I'm really struggling to see the benefits here. Sprawl? This is in the city limits, not some exurban cornfield. All of the infrastructure is already there for new housing.
August 23, 20213 yr It sounds like the Falls has more plans for single family homes and Akron has more plans for apartment complexes and things like Sycamore development at the base of the valley. That part of the Falls also a ward 8 is formerly Northampton township that merged with the Falls. Part of the merger agreement is that the plots stayed a minimum plot size of something like 1.5 acres to “keep it rural”. So that is creeping suburbia/exurbia and is mostly up on the valley ridge. I can’t think of any development of the Falls going on in the valley floor. So really this plan is 90% Akron as even what the Falls has in the valley is mostly National Park land. The idea to me is adding more path connections/transportation options in the valley, keeping the new development low and green, and redeveloping what already is there into more dense/vertical housing.
August 24, 20213 yr 22 hours ago, Luke_S said: Not to retread what has already been said here on this, but its interesting that at the same time local officials are touting the redevelopment of downtown Akron (Crain's article) there is also a strong push for this new development in Merriman Valley. Adding to sprawl; over extending infrastructure resources; adding more impermeable surfaces with salt, gas, and oil and fertilizer from laws running off into the river degrading its quality; and building on a flood plain--not to mention the potential for erosion so the probable mitigation efforts and the effects of that. I'm really struggling to see the benefits here. That's one piece of the entire plan that has not even been addressed yet. It's about the entire valley including existing infrastructure. At this point it's not about building anything or tearing anything down. This is the initial phase of a master plan which is assembling a knowledge base.
September 7, 20213 yr All of the preliminary sketches I have seen have shown development in the existing commercial areas. I also love that now the in-place tax abatement is an issue. It was approved in April of 2017 (over 4 years ago). That's when it was approved so discussions were before that.\ Case-in-point of NIMBY.
September 8, 20213 yr On 8/29/2021 at 7:17 PM, vulcana said: I believe Akron should hasten to build mixed-use, housing, and commercial development predominantly in Merriman Valley, setting aside only about 20 percent of land for conservation. Many Ohio and Midwest cities are falling behind in growing and developing because they are not maximizing the land that they could develop, even if it means offering tax abatements. Meanwhile cities like Columbus, Charlotte, Nashville and others are boring full speed ahead commercially developing land like crazy and adding growth. Urban sprawl is not a bad word, cities need income to operate and sustain, and building for their futures , especially when it is very difficult for larger Ohio cities to annex. For all the focus on Merriman Valley, I'm a little surprised that no developer as of yet has eyeballed the Ellet-Springfield area for more substantial investment and re-development. Granted, there isn't near as much pristine land still around there as in the valley, but the whole Canton Road/Rt. 224 corridor seems vastly underused and is kinda sprawly compared to the rest of the city. It certainly has the potential to be so much more of a point of interest on the SW side of Akron than it currently is. In particular, I could see tons of mixed use development taking shape along the stretch of Canton Road from Wedgewood in Ellet to Rt. 224 in Springfield Township, and even down East Market between Canton Road and the I-76 overpass. Ellet itself falls within the Akron city limits (it was annexed in 1928) but seems almost an afterthought to city leadership, although APS just finished dumping a bunch of money on rebuilding its schools. FWIW, the Ellet cluster schools seem to have gotten more TLC in the school reconstruction plan save for NW Akron and the Firestone High cluster. I always wondered what Ellet might have looked like today had it incorporated under its own govt. Feels like it might have become something akin to a "budget" Fairlawn. Maybe it could still be. Akron doesn't currently have too many additional places on the fringes it can really develop, short of tearing up Plusquellic's JEDDs and pursuing annexation in its outlying townships.
September 13, 20213 yr On 9/8/2021 at 1:28 PM, NEOBuckeye said: For all the focus on Merriman Valley, I'm a little surprised that no developer as of yet has eyeballed the Ellet-Springfield area for more substantial investment and re-development. Granted, there isn't near as much pristine land still around there as in the valley, but the whole Canton Road/Rt. 224 corridor seems vastly underused and is kinda sprawly compared to the rest of the city. It certainly has the potential to be so much more of a point of interest on the SW side of Akron than it currently is. In particular, I could see tons of mixed use development taking shape along the stretch of Canton Road from Wedgewood in Ellet to Rt. 224 in Springfield Township, and even down East Market between Canton Road and the I-76 overpass. Ellet itself falls within the Akron city limits (it was annexed in 1928) but seems almost an afterthought to city leadership, although APS just finished dumping a bunch of money on rebuilding its schools. FWIW, the Ellet cluster schools seem to have gotten more TLC in the school reconstruction plan save for NW Akron and the Firestone High cluster. I always wondered what Ellet might have looked like today had it incorporated under its own govt. Feels like it might have become something akin to a "budget" Fairlawn. Maybe it could still be. Akron doesn't currently have too many additional places on the fringes it can really develop, short of tearing up Plusquellic's JEDDs and pursuing annexation in its outlying townships. There is a giant Ryan Homes development there. They just started Phase 5 of 7.
November 18, 20213 yr Once among biggest U.S. churches, empty Akron Baptist Temple now home to looters, squatters Doug Livingston Akron Beacon Journal With five young children cramming him out of the bed he shares with his wife, Matt Pryor usually sleeps on the couch listening to what he thought was the eerie squeaking of a toy car rolling down the street at night. Stirred awake this week, he rushed to the window to snap a photograph of two men pulling a trash can on a cart. Pryor didn't sleep any easier knowing it wasn't a ghost haunting his Kenmore neighborhood in southwest Akron. He's collected similar photos over the summer, usually of scrappers and homeless people who've overtaken an abandoned, 363,000-square-foot church a block away on Manchester Road. https://www.beaconjournal.com/story/news/2021/11/18/akron-baptist-temple-kenmore-could-get-demolished-redevelopment/6234281001/
November 19, 20213 yr Akron will get a new tire test track next year, Bridgestone Americas announces Bridgestone Americas is building a new test track off West Wilbeth Road in Akron adjacent to its Advanced Tire Production Center that now holds the iconic Firestone sign Bridgestone Americas is building a new test track off West Wilbeth Road in Akron adjacent to its Advanced Tire Production Center that now holds the iconic Firestone sign BRIDGESTONE AMERICA JIM MACKINNON | AKRON BEACON JOURNAL. https://www.beaconjournal.com/story/news/2021/11/19/bridgestone-americas-new-akron-tire-test-track-opens-next-summer/8681956002/
December 7, 20213 yr Midway Plaza now for sale; Tallmadge extends condemnation order deadline to Jan. 15 Krista S. Kano Akron Beacon Journal Midway Plaza is now for sale after the recent partial condemnation of the 66-year-old strip mall — and the city of Tallmadge has agreed to push a key deadline facing the property into next year. More:Summit County condemns half of Midway Plaza; Tallmadge strip mall's future still unknown There is not yet a set asking price, according to Ed Matzules, a vice president with Colliers International Real Estate who was tapped two weeks ago to try to sell the 18.5-acre property. The price would factor in the land value, whether the developer is interested in keeping the building, potential demolition costs and the current tenants and their leases, he said. https://www.beaconjournal.com/story/news/local/communities/tallmadge-express/2021/12/06/colliers-enlisted-sell-tallmadge-midway-plaza-condemnation-order-deadline-extended-chapel-hill-mall/8888490002/
December 9, 20213 yr Mogadore considers tax deal with Testa to bring West Village housing project to fruition Bob Gaetjens Record-Courier For several years, Testa Companies has been molding, revising and trying to find ways to make the West Village Development in Mogadore work financially, and a tax increment financing agreement between the Akron developer and the village may be the key to getting the project off the ground. According to Mogadore Mayor Mike Rick, the plan is in the process of being revised to include 130 townhouses and 130 single-family homes on the former West's Mogadore Country Club site. https://www.record-courier.com/story/business/2021/12/09/mogadore-considers-tax-deal-testa-bring-west-village-fruition/8732508002/
December 11, 20213 yr Former Omnova Solutions headquarters being razed, owner plans to rebuild on Fairlawn site Staff report Beacon Journal A vacant Fairlawn corporate landmark is being razed in preparation for a rebirth, according to the city's mayor. The owner of the former Omnova Solutions headquarters at 175 Ghent Road, which the company vacated in 2014, plans to rebuild the site, Fairlawn Mayor Bill Roth said. https://www.beaconjournal.com/story/news/local/2021/12/10/former-omnova-solutions-gencorp-hq-getting-makeover-fairlawn-summit-mall-construction/6465342001/
December 11, 20213 yr On 8/21/2021 at 7:21 PM, akronurban1 said: The Summa building will be the new behavioral health center with services moved from St. Thomas. St. Thomas will be "repurposed" but not sure yet what it will entail. Progress:
December 16, 20213 yr Akron, Cuyahoga Falls hope to advance plan for Merriman Valley development Dan Shingler - Crain's Cleveland Business - Dec. 15, 2021 "Jason Segedy, Akron's director of planning and urban development, said the two cities will unveil recommendations made by their consultant, the Chicago architectural and urban planning firm Farr Associates. The cities and consulting firm have been working together and meeting with the public since July to hone Farr's recommendations for the valley. The firm's latest recommendations will include features to make the valley more walkable, less congested with vehicle traffic and will also protect green spaces along the Cuyahoga River, if they're adopted, Segedy said." City Of Akron And City Of Cuyahoga Falls Announce Virtual Public Meeting To Discuss The Merriman Valley Master Plan On December 15
December 16, 20213 yr 4 hours ago, NorthShore647 said: Akron, Cuyahoga Falls hope to advance plan for Merriman Valley development Dan Shingler - Crain's Cleveland Business - Dec. 15, 2021 "Jason Segedy, Akron's director of planning and urban development, said the two cities will unveil recommendations made by their consultant, the Chicago architectural and urban planning firm Farr Associates. The cities and consulting firm have been working together and meeting with the public since July to hone Farr's recommendations for the valley. The firm's latest recommendations will include features to make the valley more walkable, less congested with vehicle traffic and will also protect green spaces along the Cuyahoga River, if they're adopted, Segedy said." City Of Akron And City Of Cuyahoga Falls Announce Virtual Public Meeting To Discuss The Merriman Valley Master Plan On December 15 I love it.
December 16, 20213 yr Used to live down that way, and always thought Merriman Valley was a huge missed opportunity for a great little close knit neighborhood. Hope they can make something like this happen.
January 2, 20223 yr Goodbye, Chapel Hill Mall. Hello, Chapel Hill Business Park. A look inside the former mall https://www.beaconjournal.com/story/news/2022/01/02/hollowed-out-chapel-hill-mall-transforming-into-akron-business-park-industrial-commerical-properties/8943034002/ Going, going ... reborn. Chapel Hill Mall, as a mall, is gone. Only scattered remnants of what was once a bustling, mainstay Akron retail center remain inside. Those remnants — which include signs, banners, counters, shelving, a large disco ball still hanging from a ceiling, plus other odds and ends — will disappear in upcoming weeks. It will all be knocked down and taken away by demolition crews working numerous front-end loaders brought inside for the messy and dusty task. ... The exterior hides an interior that is basically one big open space that, in upcoming years, should be filled with commercial and light industrial businesses. So, goodbye, Chapel Hill Mall. Hello, Chapel Hill Business Park. ============================================ I half admit I was expecting to see an Amazon distribution center going in here, but I guess they must figure they have enough capacity in the area now with all the dead malls they've already bought and converted into such centers.
January 2, 20223 yr On 12/23/2021 at 8:19 AM, yanni_gogolak said: New fire station in Wallhaven......🥱 https://goo.gl/maps/F8yua4XeitBTrp3e7 Blah. I want to see Akron reimagine the circle at Wallhaven and do something great. I think it should be something like a modern version of Shaker Square.
January 2, 20223 yr 8 hours ago, Gramarye said: Goodbye, Chapel Hill Mall. Hello, Chapel Hill Business Park. A look inside the former mall https://www.beaconjournal.com/story/news/2022/01/02/hollowed-out-chapel-hill-mall-transforming-into-akron-business-park-industrial-commerical-properties/8943034002/ Going, going ... reborn. Chapel Hill Mall, as a mall, is gone. Only scattered remnants of what was once a bustling, mainstay Akron retail center remain inside. Those remnants — which include signs, banners, counters, shelving, a large disco ball still hanging from a ceiling, plus other odds and ends — will disappear in upcoming weeks. It will all be knocked down and taken away by demolition crews working numerous front-end loaders brought inside for the messy and dusty task. ... The exterior hides an interior that is basically one big open space that, in upcoming years, should be filled with commercial and light industrial businesses. So, goodbye, Chapel Hill Mall. Hello, Chapel Hill Business Park. ============================================ I half admit I was expecting to see an Amazon distribution center going in here, but I guess they must figure they have enough capacity in the area now with all the dead malls they've already bought and converted into such centers. So is the only mall left in Akron Summit? "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
January 3, 20223 yr 17 hours ago, ColDayMan said: So is the only mall left in Akron Summit? Beachwood the only one in Cuyahoga?
January 3, 20223 yr 5 minutes ago, yanni_gogolak said: Beachwood the only one in Cuyahoga? Great Northern in North Olmsted, Southpark in Strongsville, Eton in Woodmere (granted inside is small) and I consider Pinecrest (Orange), Legacy Village (Lyndhurst), and Crocker Park (Westlake) to kind of be malls. (Although if the point is that traditional malls are dying, then those facilities would be making that point.) When is the last time I-71 turned a profit?
January 3, 20223 yr Tower City and Galleria are still malls, despite everything that's happened to them. "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
January 3, 20223 yr 35 minutes ago, Boomerang_Brian said: Great Northern in North Olmsted, Southpark in Strongsville, Eton in Woodmere (granted inside is small) and I consider Pinecrest (Orange), Legacy Village (Lyndhurst), and Crocker Park (Westlake) to kind of be malls. (Although if the point is that traditional malls are dying, then those facilities would be making that point.) A number of those are lifestyle centers. That is why I was questioning the existence of malls moving forward. Many will have see the inception and death of the indoor mall.
January 3, 20223 yr 1 hour ago, KJP said: Tower City and Galleria are still malls, despite everything that's happened to them. In that case, you might as well include the arcades in this list as well...
January 20, 20223 yr Montrose makeover: Developers clear way for residential boom at site of former golf course April Helms Akron Beacon Journal Montrose will see a surge of new neighbors soon. A lot of new neighbors. The retail, business, dining and entertainment district that grew from the crossroads where the city of Fairlawn meets Copley and Bath townships is getting a decidedly residential boost in perhaps the biggest transformation of the Montrose landscape since its building boom of the 1980s. And it's happening at the site of what was one of the community's oldest landmarks. https://www.beaconjournal.com/story/news/2022/01/20/four-housing-developments-mixed-use-building-coming-montrose-fairlawn-rosemont-country-club-site/9115118002/
January 20, 20223 yr I've seen a lot to like in the admittedly-little I've seen about these plans yet, and I'm pleased that the NIMBY/small-towners lobby hasn't managed to derail what looks to be a good, ambitious plan with some solid urbanist elements (380 units on 149 acres wouldn't seem that dense, but with 62 acres set aside for greenspace and wildlife preservation, that means the developed area will be pretty solid, with mixed-use closer to the major existing thoroughfares). Now if they would just reopen Rothrock Road, that would signal the real decline of NIMBYism in Fairlawn. But apparently that's still the third rail of Fairlawn politics and the NIMBYs occupy the high ground in the eternal stalemate.
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