Exciting Public Meeting for Akron Innerbelt Project Study Area!

Residents of Akron, mark your calendars! The four urban design consultants vying for the Akron Innerbelt project study area will be presenting their cases at a public meeting. This event is open to the public and will take place on Thursday from 5-8:30 p.m. at House Three Thirty, located at 532 W. Market St. in Akron’s West Hill neighborhood. Can't make it in person? No worries! The event will also be live-streamed on Mayor Shammas Malik's Facebook page.

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“In 1970, construction of the Innerbelt began, erasing a vibrant neighborhood and displacing residents and businesses,” Malik said in a press release. “Now, we are working with our community as we determine what the future of the Innerbelt holds. This event is an important one for our residents to hear from the finalists and provide feedback. We’ll use that feedback as our team makes their decision and chooses the firm we will partner with on the Reconnecting Communities Master Plan.”

The Event:

The Thursday, June 25, event at House Three Thirty begins with “food and mingling” at 5 p.m., followed by presentations from the firms at 6 p.m. A “meet and greet” with the firms will begin at 7:30 p.m.

Also known as state Rte. 59, the 4-mile-long, six-lane Innerbelt cuts through central Akron and the western edge of downtown. The area was previously home to a vibrant community of primarily Black residents.

Goals for the project

As Signal Akron reported in April, the three goals for the firms that responded to the city include:

1. Creating a vision for the Innerbelt site that is reflective of the community’s values.
2. Creating opportunities for financial growth for neighborhood residents adjacent to the Innerbelt site and throughout the city.
3. Promoting equity through physical interventions and community benefits.

The four finalists are:

• Sasaki Design, a Boston-based firm
• PORT, a Philadelphia and Chicago-based firm
• Cooper Carry, an Atlanta-based firm
• Agency Landscape + Planning, a Cambridge, Massachusetts-based firm

Before you go...

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What do you think?

• Which firm do you think would be the best choice for the Akron Innerbelt project?
• Do you believe the community's feedback will be taken into consideration in the decision-making process?
• What impact do you think the chosen firm will have on the future of the Innerbelt area?