Signs of Transformation in University Park
Signs of revitalization abound in University Park these days, signaling that the pace of transformation in this strategic Akron neighborhood is accelerating.
Sam's Emporium, a high-quality jewelry store near Don Drumm Studios & Gallery and a retail anchor in University Park's Spicertown, is being renovated inside and out. The beautiful colored exterior tiles and brickwork are being restored to look as they did in the early 1900's when the building was first constructed. New windows are being added to allow more light into the showrooms and a new ceiling and lighting have resulted in a much brighter look.
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The City of Akron is investing over $3.5 million in the area surrounding Spicer Village in University Park. Construction was recently completed to repave the streets, install underground utilities and add landscaping and ornamental lighting to complement the architectural design of the townhomes. Additionally, Kirn Street, which runs along the east side of the project site, is being extended, creating a pedestrian right of way to be located north of Spicer Village. Access to this area will be from Brown Street and will include a pedestrian gate and contemporary landscaping to accommodate area foot traffic.
Designed and built in the Richardsonian Romanesque style the historic First Congregational Church on East Market Street in University Park was completed in 1910 and recently restored at a cost of $2.3 million. The massive
masonry structure is architecturally significant
featuring crenellated
towers, varied masonry textures, and round top windows, each
with a unique stained glass pattern. This project received a Sacred Landmarks Preservation Award from the Cleveland Restoration Society and the structure is now on the
National Register of Historic Places.
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 The
ultimate urban lifestyle experience deserves the coolest vehicles to
get the message out to prospective owners. Spicer Village agents are
doing just that with the rollout of a fresh new website
and the addition of a team of promotional Segways that can be spotted tooling around
University Park. Spicer Village invites you to tour their model townhomes - followed by a tour of University Park on one of their Segways.
Call Mike Wiant at 330-936-2276 and set up a time to visit.See Video of the Spicer Village Ad on the Beacon Journal Tower
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Our Partners
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 $20 Million Hospital Facility Opens in University Park
Select Specialty Hospital was officially introduced to the community on July 23, 2008 at a special ribbon-cutting ceremony at the hospital's new location on East Market Street in University Park. This new state-of-the-art facility houses a 60-bed hospital with
private patient rooms, six high-observation beds, a CT scanner,
telemetry, and lab and radiology services. A result of a collaborative partnership between Summa Health System, Akron General Health System and Select Specialty Hospital, the hospital is an important and highly-visible part of the Akron Biomedical Corridor. The 53,000 square-foot, two-story facility was developed by Wojno Development and built by Welty Building Company. More
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 Art Gets Eerie at University Park's
Summit Artspace
The ghosts and goblins will be getting creative this Halloween in University Park thanks to a rather spooky group of artists. Eight top professional artists and four young, emerging artists are putting their talents together to build an eerie art installation called Haunted Artspace. The event will be held Halloween weekend and November 6-8 at University Park's Summit Artspace. Members of the creative coven are Mark Soppeland, Donna Webb, Joseph Blue Sky, Joan Colbert, Laura Bidwell, Leandra Drumm, Inda Blatch-Geib, and Miller Horns plus art students Dan Coffield, Kevin Smalley, Rachel Gentner and Bonnie Stipe. This will not be the typical, kitschy haunted house experience. These talented artists are creating a true work of art that is ghoulish, eerie and mysterious. Visitors will wend their ways through a world of creepy corners, cupboards and crevices with atypical lighting to enhance the fright. Haunted Artspace will be open to the public on Halloween Friday, October 31, and Saturday, November 1, from noon to 9 PM., and November 6-8 from noon to 5 PM. Admission is a optional $2 donation at the door. The installation is made possible with a contribution from University Park Alliance. Also on display at Summit Artspace will be Fresh & Spooky, a juried gallery show. Admission to this show is free. Summit Artspace is located at 140 E. Market Street. More |
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 University Park Alliance Awards
First ScholarshipsUPA is pleased to announce the first two University of Akron students to receive University Park Scholarship Fund awards. Long-time University Park residents Kayla Miller and Niem Tran (pictured here with Elizabeth J. Stroble, Senior VP and Provost, and Luis M. Proenza, President, The University of Akron) each will receive a scholarship of $4,000 per year, renewable for up to four years. The recipients will complete 100 hours of volunteer service each year in the University Park neighborhood.
Kayla has lived in University Park for 14 years, and Niem has lived in University Park for 16 years. UPA was particularly pleased that the recipients selected
careers in science and nursing, areas that Governor Strickland and
others have identified as critical to Ohio's future.
The purpose of the scholarship program is to help long-time residents of University Park become future neighborhood leaders as well as being successful in their chosen field.
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University Park Bicycle Initiative
Gets Moving
Symbols indicating shared bicycle-vehicle roadways, referred to as "sharrows," freshly label streets in the University Park neighborhood. Soon, additional streets will be striped with bicycle lanes and others designated as bicycle boulevards. The bicycle-friendly streets, along with newly-installed bike racks and corrals, bike route signage, educational programs on bike safety and new bicycles for neighborhood home buyers and elementary school children, signal the bicycle movement underway in University Park. With funding provided by the JP Morgan Chase Foundation and the John S.
and James L. Knight Foundation, UPA is promoting and accommodating
bicycle use in the neighborhood. In May, UPA provided
Mason and Leggett elementary schools with 52 bicycles as an incentive
to improve student attendance and academic performance. A $15,000
matching investment from the City of Akron enabled UPA to make
University Park the first neighborhood in the city to provide
bicycle-friendly amenities, such as designated bike routes and
additional bike racks. Designing roadways that are more bicycle friendly creates a
stronger sense of community in University Park. It quiets traffic,
improves neighborhood air quality, helps to create street life and
gives neighbors more chances to get to know one another. It also
supports the vision of transforming University Park into a healthy,
vibrant and unique neighborhood of choice for homebuyers, businesses
and other investors.
Click Here to See a Map of Proposed Bike Routes in University Park |
Bike Week in University Park
Was a Blast
Bike Week activities helped UPA showcase that
cycling to work, to school, to the store or even to a movie in
University Park not only can be done, it can be fun!
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 University Park 4-Year-Olds
SPARK To Kindergarten
Through the SPARK Ohio program, "parent partners" visited the families in their University Park homes eight to 12 times earlier this year to share effective ways to help their children get ready for kindergarten by building reading, language, and social skills. The children also received free books and other learning materials, as well as their school supplies for kindergarten.
SPARK Ohio ("Supporting Partnerships to Assure Ready Kids") was launched in Stark County through the Sisters of Charity Foundation of Canton. A portion of a $1.08 million grant University Park Alliance received from the GAR Foundation funds the SPARK program for children entering Leggett and Mason elementary schools. UPA has partnered with Summit Education Initiative (SEI) to import the SPARK Ohio program to University Park under the GAR grant, the first replication of the highly recognized program outside of Stark County. More
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Leggett Elementary School Gets "Ready"
University Park's Leggett Elementary School is among only 10 in the state that will participate in a two-year "Ready Schools" pilot program to form a stronger link between preschools and the public schools into which they feed. The school will receive $10,000 through the project for the 2008-09 school year. The W.K. Kellogg Foundation and the Sisters of Charity Foundation of Canton are each contributing $100,000 for the two-year program. Leggett principal Philomena Vincente (pictured with some of her students) was present on September 15 for the formal announcement in Columbus at a forum Ohio Governor Ted Strickland held with educational leaders. The SPARK program in University Park focuses on making kids ready for school and the Ready Schools program will focus on making Leggett Elementary School ready to receive them. Watch for more information in future issues about the Ready Schools program at Leggett. More |
UPA Assists Macon
University Park Alliance is providing limited assistance to Macon, Georgia, another Knight community, in designing and implementing an alliance of redevelopment partners to improve collaborative efforts between Mercer University and a variety of community partners. Ken Stapleton recently made the keynote address at the NewTown Macon Annual Meeting and encouraged the group to "tell their amazing stories".
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About University Park Alliance
The mission of University Park Alliance (UPA) is to revitalize and transform the diverse neighborhoods in a 50-block area immediately surrounding The University of Akron, through engaging the community and catalyzing real estate & business investment. UPA was established through a major grant from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation and is comprised of partners including The University of Akron, City of Akron, Summa Health System, Akron Beacon Journal, Akron Metropolitan Housing Authority, the Greater Akron Chamber, Akron Public Schools, and the University Park Development Corporation.
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