2018 is nearly a month old, and the mayor of Akron, Dan Horrigan, addressed some of the needs and visions in the community on the Ray Horner Morning Show. Topics discussed: *The Akron Racers not playing in 2018, and how that will affect Firestone Stadium and the area of South Akron *What is left of the Rubber Bowl, which looks to cost about $400,000 to demolish *The area surrounding the Rubber Bowl, including Akron-Fulton Airport. *Continued development of the 31 acres that once made up the Innerbelt *Issue 4 and the upgrades to the city’s roads and firehouses *The sewer project
There is no shortage of ideas about what to do with the land opened up by the removal of part of Akron's Innerbelt. An event held this weekend at Kent State University helped to work through some of those ideas.
A design charette, defined by Merriam-Webster as "the intense final effort made by architectural students to complete their solutions to a given architectural problem in an allotted time or the period in which such an effort is made," drew architects, designers, and community stakeholders to work on concepts for the soon vacant plot of land. Architect Craig Thompson said he hopes to have similar gatherings in Akron neighborhoods soon to gauge how the community wants the land used.
Thompson joined Jasen to discuss what the charette participants came up with.
It's already a busy week in Akron, as workers began demolition Monday of a portion of the Akron Innerbelt. The work means the intersection of MLK, N. Main, and Howard will be closed for six months. This means visitors to the Northside will have to detour to Summit St. and Furnace St. to access businesses like Luigi's and Jilly's Music Room.
At City Hall, city leaders unveiled their long-term housing plan. The key provision of the plan calls for a tax abatement for home construction.
Akron Planning Director Jason Segedy joined Jasen to address both projects and what they mean for Akronites.