Displaying items by tag: Marco Sommerville

The passing of county executive Russ Pry has shaken up a lot of people, both citizens and politicians alike. But his impact was felt across the entire region, and just not politically.

First, Mayor Dan Horrigan, a close friend of his for many years, spoke about dealing with Russ on a personal and professional level.

Marco Sommerville also dealt with Russ on different projects throughout the years, and he talked of the county executive’s efforts on keeping jobs in the Akron area.

With the opening of county offices in the Firestone Triangle building, the city of Akron is looking at the future of the main Firestone building.

Akron deputy mayor for intergovernmental affairs Marco Sommerville says that there's one goal in mind for reuse of the Firestone building: jobs.

"Of course, our first priority there, if we could get some type of manufacturing there, some type of office use, those are probably our first choices" Sommerville tells WAKR's Jasen Sokol, "but we'll entertain anything."

Sommerville says given the condition of the Firestone building, it will probably be torn down for a new use at the site.

"It is probably an older building, it probably is not energy efficient," Sommerville says, "and it probably would serve a better purpose if it was torn down and the land was redeveloped.

But he says the city has a history of reusing existing property, like with Canal Place and the East End development at the former Goodyear headquarters, so that's not being ruled out either.

The county offices at the nearby Firestone Triangle building are there for the long term.

Outgoing Akron city planning director Marco Sommerville isn't leaving City Hall next year.

He'll fill a new role as Deputy Mayor for Intergovermental Affairs, and serve as a senior advisor to new mayor Dan Horrigan. He says Horrigan "likes to listen more than he likes to talk".

One issue that'll be on the city's plate is the long-vacated Rolling Acres Mall, no matter if it's finally sold, or goes back to the city.

Whatever happens, Sommerville says the main priority for the former mall is to bring in new jobs.

"We in the city are landlocked as far as land, there's not a lot of land left in the city of Akron," Sommerville tells WAKR's Jasen Sokol. "And if we could have that land to develop it for jobs, that would be priority number one."

Sommerville says he'd like to see light industrial space or office space at the former mall site.

But he says the city will have to work with the owners of space once taken by the mall's former department stores. Those buildings won't be directly involved in any sale or sheriff's sale of the main part of mall itself.

2016 will be a fresh start for the city of Akron, and the goal is to put the town back on the map.

Planning director Marco Sommerville, joined the Ray Horner Morning Show to discuss the potential job growth in downtown Akron, as well as recruiting businesses to lay a foundation in the city limits.

Sommerville also touched on the demolition of homes in the city. His goal is to demolish 500 houses per year.