Housing, vacant lots, Sherbondy Hill, Akron, Ohio
Two sections of vacant lots owned by the city in Sherbondy Hill, located along Rhodes Avenue between Berry Avenue and Campbell Street, could soon be developed into single-family homes. The Akron Planning Commission supported the city’s plans to sell 52 lots to New Jersey-based home builder K. Hovnanian Ohio Operations for 25 cents per square foot. While 16 of the lots are concentrated in this part of the neighborhood, the others are spread throughout the community. (Photo courtesy of Google Maps.)

Overview:

Covered by Documenter Brittany Nader (see her notes here)

The Akron Planning Commission approved a request April 12 for the sale of more than seven acres of city-owned vacant lots in the Sherbondy Hill neighborhood to a home developer that promises to build single-family homes. 

Fifty-two lots will be sold to  K. Hovnanian Ohio Operations, LLC for 25 cents per square foot — the lots comprise 308,753 square feet and the total cost would be about $77,000. 

In turn, K. Hovnanian said it will develop 45 single-family homes on those lots.  The lots are scattered throughout the neighborhood, with many standing alone. 

In other areas, there are contiguous lots, including two groups of 16 lots along Rhodes Avenue between Berry Avenue and Campbell Street just south of the Akron Urban League. 

Sherbondy Hill, Akron, Ohio, vacant lots, housing
This image shows the vacant properties in Sherbondy Hill, shaded in dark gray, that will be sold to a home developer. (Image courtesy of the City of Akron)

Housing developer has other Akron projects

In 2022, the commission approved a similar sale to this developer for 66 city-owned lots, according to the Akron Beacon Journal.  

Following approval by Akron City Council that year, 24 homes were built on those lots, according to Stephanie Marsh, the City of Akron’s director of communications. Those homes, she said, are in various stages of completion. 

In 2021, Hovnania broke ground on The Crossings at Auld Farms, a $12 million housing development in West Akron off Diagonal Road just north of the Akron Zoo. The project featured three- and four-bedroom homes of around 1,500 square feet each.  

“The availability of new housing with access to public transportation, jobs and other public services will not only help grow the population of our city but create an inclusive and diverse community as well,” said City Council President and Ward 3 Council Member Margo Sommerville in a 2021 press release about the development. 

David Messner, development manager for the City of Akron, told the commission last week that the lots in question are buildable lots and constructing homes would create value on land that currently has no value.

North Hill, Akron, Ohio, housing, Meridian Renewal Plan
Developers hope to move forward with plans to build 20 single-family houses at the south end of Meridian Street in North Hill. The Google Maps image above shows an area cleared of trees. The location is off Tallmadge Avenue just south of North High School. (Photo courtesy of Google Maps).

North Hill land-use plan could lead to new homes

Commission members also reviewed and approved the renewal of a land-use plan in an area south of North High School in North Hill.

The Meridian Urban Renewal Plan allows the city to move forward with the redevelopment of the area, which would include the development of new single-family homes. The area is a 4.77 acre plot of land at the south end of Meridian Street off East Tallmadge Avenue. 

The current property owners have cleared trees and plan to build 20 single-family homes matching the size and existing style of the current houses in the area. 

Developers also plan to create a cul-de-sac at the south end of Meridian, develop a stormwater detention basin to temporarily store stormwater runoff, and close the water main loop to increase water pressure to current houses on Meridian. 

Both projects now move to Akron City Council for final approval.

Community Journalism Director (he/him)
Kevin leads the Akron Documenters program at Signal Akron, connects with the community and supports the journalists in the newsroom. With a servant leader mindset, he brings more than 30 years of experience in local journalism, media consulting, and education to Akron. Editor & Publisher selected Kevin as top media leader in their “25 over 50” class in 2022. Members of the group were selected for their “strong work ethic, transformational mindsets, commitment to journalistic and publishing excellence, and their ability to lead during challenging times.” Kevin is committed to serving the residents of Akron with an optimistic, inclusive, and innovative mindset to help elevate civic engagement and local journalism.

Akron Documenters trains and pays residents to document local government meetings with notes and live-tweet threads. We then make those meeting summaries available as a new public record.