AKRON ASSETS

Civic Gateway, Park East & Summit Lake Park –

linked by way of the Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail.

New leadership offers the opportunity to bring fresh

ideas and energy to assets.

STRATEGIES

Connect the civic assets with each other & the surrounding neighborhoods.

“Prototyping to Permanent” civic engagement method.

Cultivate & teach community leaders to embrace ethic of community engagement, prototyping, &

test to learn model.

Build working groups in each asset to focus on development of civic assets while coming

together to cross physical & mental barriers.

PARTNERS & ROLES

Core Partners: Akron Civic

Theatre, Akron Metropolitan

Housing Authority, City of Akron,

Downtown Akron Partnership,

Ohio & Erie Canalway Coalition,

Summit County Government,

Summit Metro Parks

Community partners with

capacity, passion & experience in

collaboration. Missions align with

work of Civic Commons.

Team expanding as we engage

partners throughout civic assets.

FUNDING SOURCES

Project? Investment?

TIGER Grant $5 million

Akron Waterways Renewed! $800 million

Downtown Akron Vision & Redevelopment Plan $60,000 (2016)

Trust for Public Land Survey $195,300

Gehl Studios Public Space/Life $180,000

Pump House Redevelopment $75,000

The Bowery $33 million

More than $5 million of matching funds for Civic

Commons have been documented by our core team

and local foundations. Along with these matching

funds come many complimentary projects ranging

from multi-year plans to data collection.

THE BOWERY

BIGGEST CHALLENGES1. Engaging all levels of

staff at partner organizations

2. Implementation with speed

3. Balancing workload to avoid burnout

BIGGEST OPPORTUNITIES

1. Implementing “new way of doing business.”

2. Changing perceptions of stakeholders.

3. Demonstrating best practices in environmental sustainability.

QUESTIONS FOR FELLOW CITIES

How do you structure conversations with community partners for “yes?”

Do your partners have concerns of gentrification?

What are your challenges and opportunities regarding meaningful civic engagement?

Photos in presentation from Tim Fitzwater, Shane Wynn, Bruce Ford, City of Akron and Ohio & Erie Canalway.