<home
<downtown

www.ci.akron.oh.us

1. Review of Current Downtown Housing
   1. Hope VI
      1. Redevelopment of Elizabeth Park
      2. Mixed income; some market rate
      3. 275 units; some rental, some to own
      4. Neo-traditional style; rear-loaded garages, porches, multi-colored.
   2. Northside Condos/Lofts
      1. 89 condos for sale
      2. 61 warehouse style lofts and flats
      3. 5 penthouse units
      4. 28 brownstones
   3. Hickory Street
      1. 70 townhouses; all for sale
      2. Porches and rear-loaded garages
   4. Spicer Village
      1. Near UA; close to university and downtown amenities
      2. Townhouses for sale
      3. Contemporary styling
      4. Creating new retail district nearby
   5. Lock 3
      1. Program review currently underway
      2. Market rate rental
      3. 80-90 units
   6. Canal Square and The Landings
      1. Currently available
2. Discussion
   1. Workgroup of Imagine Downtown Akron 2025 made recommendations. These recommendations were driven by the results of a market study and focus groups.
   2. Need to define the parameters of the area targeted for downtown housing
      1. The perimeter areas are the easiest to develop as "neighborhoods" (e.g. Ohio City was the first housing market in Cleveland to develop)
      2. Within one mile of downtown could be the target area
      3. Another way to define would be according to "walking times;" (e.g. focus on areas within a 5-10 minute walk to downtown)
      4. Explore new areas for development within target area
         1. Explore areas around AGMC and ACHMC (Helen Arnold Project might figure into these plans)
         2. Explore Glendale Hill area and the impact of Innerbelt (highway study currently underway about whether it should be reduced in size)
   3. Importance of green space to downtown housing.
      1. Develop new green space wherever possible
      2. Protect existing spaces and parks
      3. UA green spaces are an asset
   4. Opportunities and Challenges for Development
      1. Downtown is much more vibrant than 10 years ago - we need to tell the story.
      2. No real traffic problem; ironically, this removes one of the biggest motivators to downtown housing in other cities (avoiding rush hour traffic to and from workplace)
      3. 30,000 workers in downtown Akron; most are fairly well-compensated
      4. Workers can travel easily to suburbs because we have an overbuilt transportation system.
      5. Land assembly is a challenge; downtown land is more expensive than vacant land in the suburbs. Eminent domain legal issues in flux.
      6. Not as easy to redevelop vacant downtown buildings into housing in Akron as in other cities because there is not a large inventory of empty buildings - this makes new buildings a better option
      7. Entertainment district is well-developed; needs to be highlighted
      8. Retail opportunities need developed; e.g. specialty stores, clothing, ethnic food stores.
         1. These are fragile kinds of businesses; may need to incubate.
         2. Businesses continue to struggle (Piatto's closing after 5 years).
         3. Retail needs housing to survive.
   5. Meeting Consumer Needs
      1. Young Professional Group (25-35 years old) recently conducted group dialogues to explore consumer preferences.
         1. Great interest in living downtown.
         2. Most want to own, rather than rent.
         3. Want places to connect with other people.
         4. Want fresh markets.
         5. Want green spaces within walking distance.
            1. Main Street closure/pedestrian mall considered in the past; maybe reconsider?
            2. Strengthen connections with Towpath
            3. Dog parks
         6. Want downtown services (e.g. dry cleaning)
      2. Crime not seen as a major issue, but mental health issues/ "street people" are an issue for potential downtown housing tenants/owners
      3. Surveys and focus groups reflect that downtown workers want housing within walking distance of jobs
3. Next Steps
   1. Define geographic focus.
      1. Entertainment District
      2. Area traditionally designated as the Central Business District
      3. Special Improvement District
   2. Determine realistic but ambitious goals for number of new housing units.
      1. Maybe goal has been too low
         1. Downtown Cleveland and Lorain markets are booming
         2. Two-thirds of American households do not have children under eighteen; this is the demographic group typically interested in living in downtown areas.
      2. Learn more about the demographics of key employers
         1. UA and Summa employees have given valuable input already
         2. Survey other large employers' workforces to better determine market demand.
   3. Determine consumer needs by asking current downtown residents which services and amenities are missing
   4. Support landscape urbanism
      1. Develop bikeways/pedestrian links to green spaces
      2. Protect open spaces/ invest in improving them
      3. Redesign Cascade Plaza
   5. Encourage employers to invest in housing initiatives
      1. UA has developed incentive program to encourage their employees to buy homes downtown (down payment assistance)
      2. Summa has also shown interest in an incentive program
   6. Marketing
      1. Tell the success stories of people already living downtown
      2. Consider consultants for planning and marketing
   7. Branding of downtown housing; including a redefinition of the areas involved (e.g. the perimeter neighborhoods that are developing)
   8. Visioning process needs to continue (Build on efforts of Imagine Downtown Akron 2025)