Signs of Transformation in University Park
The Fourth Annual University Park Art Fair on August 15 will be
Bigger and Better!
As the University Park Art Fair is described in the Cleveland Plain Dealer, "This is what happens when a college neighborhood rises up and shows its imaginative side." Expect more than 75 artists, demonstrations, great food and great local entertainment.
Planned and organized by the University Park Development Corporation (UPDC), the University Park Art Fair receives major support from the City of Akron and UPA.
Ride your Bike to the Art Fair!
The University Park Cycle Shop and The University of Akron's Engineers Without Borders are teaming up to provide a bike valet service. The first 60 people to arrive on bicycle will receive a free T-shirt!
The University Park Art fair will be held from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Admission is free. For more information, go to www.universityparkartfair.org.
Restoration of Andrew Jackson House
Nearly Complete
The more than $3 million restoration and conversion
of the historic Andrew Jackson House, located on the corner of E. Mill St. and Union St., is nearing completion. With occupation expected in September 2009, the building will house new professional offices for the GAR Foundation and the local offices of the Knight Foundation.
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Neighbors Day Event Welcomes UP Residents
to Campus
On May 23, 2009, The University of Akron and UPA hosted a Neighbors Day event on campus for the residents of the University Park neighborhood to coincide with other City of Akron sponsored Neighbors Day events. Nearly 100 residents were treated to free bowling and billiards in the Student Union, cartoons in the Gardner Theater, picnic food, discount coupons and giveaways, inflatable games, a visit from Zippy, AU's steel drum band and guided tours of campus.
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Our Partners
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With Major Funding By:
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Parks and Recreation Plan
for University Park
Through a partnership among the City of Akron, UPA and Akron Public Schools, 0ver
$350,000 will soon be available to improve parks and open space in
University Park. The University Park Neighborhood Parks and
Recreation Plan will guide investments in neighborhood parks
and open spaces to create a system of great recreational opportunities. The planning process takes into consideration professional standards, budget limitations, program goals and community members' ideas of what they would like to have. 
Community DiscussionsOpen to University Park residents and business owners, three community discussions have been scheduled to gather
ideas and one meeting is scheduled to present a tentative
plan for community review.
To RSVP for these free events please e-mail: info@upakron.com or call: 330-972-8859 Questions? Contact Beth Houseman, Assistant Director, University Park Alliance: 330.972.8859 or bh37@uakron.edu.Those who are unable to attend the meetings can still participate in the planning process by going to www.ohio.com/recplan for more information. |
University Park Alliance
Co-Invests With Nonprofit Partners
Through its Subgrants Committee, UPA is providing funding to selected community partners
for work to help transform the University Park neighborhood. More than $130,000 has been committed to these and other non-profit partners serving University Park. Managing Community Discussions
 The Center for Nonprofit Excellence (CNE) has been selected to manage regular community discussions in the University Park neighborhood over a two-year period. Through town hall meetings and featured speaker presentations, CNE will support and collaborate with neighborhood community partners to provide a series of monthly community meetings. Each meeting will be sponsored and convened by a separate community organization within University Park, and CNE will utilize current technology such as clicker technology, web simulcast and webinars to facilitate the meetings. MoreCreating Community Gardens
 UPA has selected The Akron Cooperative (TAC) to create and manage a community garden program in University Park with the support of UPA and several of UPA's community partners including the City of Akron and Summa Health System. TAC will create and operate three community gardens in University Park and will conduct at least four educational sessions for resident participants during the 2009 growing season. Gardeners will be encouraged by TAC to sell food at farmers' markets in University Park and downtown Akron. By March 2010, TAC will also develop a strategic plan for the establishment of at least twenty gardens in University Park by the end of the year 2015.
Monitoring Street Lighting UPA has agreed to work with ASIA, Inc. to develop a thirty-six month neighborhood-based street light monitoring program in University Park. With the support of The University of Akron's Geography and Planning Department, the program will enlist neighborhood residents and UA students who will use GPS-enabled devices to photo-document lights that require repair. The downloaded data from the mobil devices will be fed into a database system used to generate GIS mapping, and a system will be developed to notify appropriate agencies of needed repairs and to follow-up when notified repairs are not addressed. More
With a subgrant from UPA to LINKS Community & Family Services (LINKS), 20 youth from the University Park neighborhood, ages 12-18, have been selected to participate in a three-day Youth Career Initiative Camp and a twelve-month Youth Mentorship Program. Through the combined program, participants will receive personal career counseling, hear from speakers from the local community, participate in seminars and workshops and work with a personal career coach as well as a personal mentor for an entire year. There is also plenty of fun built in! The work of LINKS is supported by Akron Cops Unit Police Officers, The K.N.A.F.F (Kids Need A Firm Foundation) Program and Victim Assistance.
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 Spotlight on the Funky Hippy
Vintage Clothing Store
At the Funky Hippy, you will find vintage 60s-80s clothing for men ( a great shirt
collection!) and women (rockin' formals, dresses, shirts, skirts,
jewelry, purses, scarves). Also to discover are vintage lamps, posters, housewares, 100 percent natural
incense, patchouli, and a great collection of vintage sunglasses (still
new!).
All found in the Grant Street store in University Park.
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Summit Neighborhood Training Institute Graduates
Inaugural Class
Debi-Ellen Beckett (Akron Metropolitan Housing Authority), Jack Bird, (University Park Business Association), Deborah Cunningham (Youth Excellence Performing Arts Workshop) and Ann Lane Gates (Perkins Street Area Action Group) participated in the inaugural class of the Summit Neighborhood Leadership Institute (NLI) under scholarships from UPA.
The
Institute offered eleven evening training sessions that
included classes on leadership topics ranging from strategic planning to
neighborhood development. Through
participation in the Neighborhood Leadership Institute,
University Park's grassroots leaders learn a wide variety of skills, including how
to:
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Serve as
advocates for their families
and communities -
Collaborate with
others to get things done -
Make public
presentations -
Work with
government agencies and
social service providers -
Find and utilize
resources
Just as importantly, University Park and nonprofit representatives and residents come away from their participation in
NLI's programs with an expanded sense of their own potential as
leaders, a newfound
appreciation for the assets University Park, and a
connection to a network of other grassroots leaders who share
the same
challenges and the same hopes for their families and
communities.
The graduates from University Park have selected community gardening as their group community project.
Applications to participate in the 2009-10 class will be available soon. For more information contact UPA Assistant Director Beth Houseman, 330.972.8859 or bh37@uakron.edu.
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About University Park Alliance
The
mission of University Park Alliance (UPA) is to revitalize and
transform the diverse University Park neighborhood, a 50-block area immediately
surrounding The University of Akron, through engaging the community and
leveraging 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 Children's Hospital, Akron General
Health System, Akron Metropolitan Housing
Authority, Greater Akron Chamber, Akron Public Schools, and
University Park Development Corporation.
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