Note to readers:
The following item is a written record of the Ward 3 meeting from Jan. 15, compiled by Akron Documenter Al Macdougall. It is not a reported story.
Documenters are residents who are trained to observe and document local government meetings. Their notes are edited before publication for clarity and accuracy — unless quotation marks are used, all text is paraphrased.
If you believe anything in these notes is inaccurate, please email us at documenters@signalakron.org with "Correction Request" in the subject line.
Summary
- Local organizers have plans to construct and open a building in Sherbondy Hill that will serve as a cultural center and museum for Black history, arts and culture. The center will cost an estimated $11.5 million and may open its doors in five to seven years.
- Residents and city officials expressed public safety concerns about a corner store in Sherbondy Hill. Ward 3 Council Member Margo Sommerville plans to host a community meeting to see what can be done about it.
- There have been two car break-ins in Ward 3. Police suggest not leaving valuables in your car and locking it.
Follow-up questions
- What is their mission statement? Are they focused on uplifting Black and other
- Would it be possible for the legacy project to start implementing its goals (education, hosting arts and culture events, community care, etc.) now rather than when the building opens?
- Where is the $11.5 million projected to come from?
Akron police updates: car break-ins, crime data
- The meeting started with Ward 3 Council Member Margo Sommerville inviting Akron Police Department (APD) Officer Aaron Brown to share public safety updates including:
- Reviewed end-of-the-year crime data for the city, not just Ward 3.
- He said that last night, there were two car break-ins in the Lane Field area in Sherbondy Hill near East Avenue and Vernon Odom Boulevard. Brown told residents to be more diligent about locking doors
- APD has created a new alert system called CodeRED. This is for things like weather issues, water main breaks, building or road closures. To sign up, residents can go here.
- Brown discussed Ava, APD’s AI dispatcher. He said it’s only for non-emergency calls to free up dispatchers’ time to handle emergencies. Brown said that the system sends info to dispatch and then they can send out emergency services if needed.
- A resident asked if community discussion circles are a possibility, especially about excessive use of force. Sommerville said yes and mentioned three upcoming community conversations:
- Jan. 22 at Buchtel CLC, 6 to 8 p.m. (already held)
- Feb. 5 at Mason CLC, 6 to 8 p.m.
- Feb. 19 at Ed Davis Community Center, 6 to 8 p.m.
- A brief 10-minute discussion between Sommerville and residents ensued. One person complained that the Fraternal Order of Police president typically doesn’t show up to these meetings. Sommerville said the city is currently going through a use-of-force review and hopes to have more on that at the end of February.
- A resident asked if there was going to be a discussion about the Akron budget. Sommerville said that the main presentation for this meeting was about the Legacy Project (see below).
Sam’s Corner Store public safety concerns aired
- Sommerville said they are looking into having a community meeting about this store at the corner of Vernon Odom Boulevard and Raymond Street. “We have had a lot of issues and problems, yes, with the corner store,” she said.
- Brown from the APD said that there are a lot of issues with drug dealing and usage.
- Sommerville said this store has become a “nuisance to the community.” She said they tried to work with the owners a year ago, but that there have been no changes. She said the only option is to try and take the block back. The house next door is on the demolition list and the nearby Hi-De-Ho bar is as well.
- Several residents seemed upset and shared stories about that corner being a problem, especially in the summer.
- Owner lives outside the neighborhood in Stow or Cuyahoga Falls according to Brown.
Community meeting to focus on crime solutions, future development
- Sommerville said the community meeting will focus on how we “dry up the block” and said the meeting will be held across the street from the store at the People’s Baptist Church, though a date hasn’t been selected yet.
- She also said that officials from the Summit County Board of Elections will be at the meeting to discuss petitions to get a ballot initiative going to address this problem. “We’re past having conversations with the store owner and trying to give them an opportunity to turn things (around),” she said.
- A resident expressed concern about losing a store in the neighborhood. Other residents weighed in on this problem. Sommerville said the idea is first to free up the land and then encourage businesses to come in.
- Another resident shared his ideas for several businesses including a barber shop and hair braiding shop.
- Another resident said that the city paid for a Mustard Seed store on West Market Street in Highland Square and the resident wanted to know why Sherbondy Hill couldn’t have the same investment.
African American cultural center building project underway
- The Legacy Building Project aims to build a 25,000 square foot cultural center, museum and multipurpose building in Sherbondy Hill. The project started in 2021
- A presentation was given by N.J. Akbar, a board member of the Akron Rights of Passage Institute and project lead, and Tameka Ellington, a writer and researcher.
- They showed artist’s renderings of the building and said the location they are looking at is two blocks on Rhodes Avenue near the Akron Urban League and across the street from the Innerbelt.
- He said the design evokes three drums and is designed like an African compound. “We have architecturally, we’re looking at three drums, which is like the heartbeat of the community.”
Residents share ideas about Black cultural center
- Akbar asked the audience what they would like to see in the proposed building. He gave out a worksheet for people to fill out then held a community discussion. Some of what was discussed is below:
- Discussion question #1: What impact do you think the cultural center will have on the community?
- An attendee said it could bring opportunity and development on Rhodes Avenue and Thornton Street. He emphasized the need for city support.
- A second person said it could help to restore ownership and pride in the community.
- Another resident said that this project could attract jobs and bring positive things to the community.
- Another resident focused on uplifting the Black community with space to meet up, celebrate Akron’s Black history and
- Somebody else suggested using the space as a training center for skills like plumbing.
- Discussion question #2: Ellington asked if residents would consider supporting this with paid memberships?
- One resident wanted to know just how much would it cost? Ellington said that isn’t decided yet, but said membership could include free admission and free admission for special shows. Another attendee said they would pay a one-time or quarterly fee of $15 to $35.
- Akbar said community support is needed for a project like this.
Education, history, community at center of plans
- Other ideas generated by the audience included:
- Black history education, especially for young people. This could fill holes in Black history education in the school system.
- A space for youth innovation.
- Children’s art exhibitions.
- Teaching space for knowledgeable community members.
- Workshops.
- Several residents said they are excited about the museum store.
- Some said this would not be a typical museum — it will have several spaces for different types of programming.
- GED or vocational training open to conversation with the University of Akron
- An attendee asked about the cost of building and Akbar said an estimated $11.5 million. He said they are working to get land from the city.
- Another person asked about hiring local, Black-owned businesses, and Akbar said they would be looking into that.
- Residents and Akbar had a discussion about how long this project would take and possibly bringing in benefactors like Lebron James. Akbar said that the Sojourner Truth plaza project took 40 years to come to fruition. He is hopeful that the Legacy Building can be completed in 5-7 years. He said that the next focus is getting the land and an agreement with the city.
Aim of building is to reflect community
- Discussion question #3: How can the Legacy Building reflect the identity of the community?
- One resident expressed concern about building an $11.5 million building in an area where people are struggling and having transportation and food insecurity issues. She said she appreciated the work on the building but wanted to see more. She was concerned that this would compete with the Akron Urban League. Organizers said this would be in partnership with the league.
- Akbar said a second block could host things like community care, and a grocery store.
- He said the building would have multiple uses, including possible vendor spaces. This would be part two of the project.
- Akbar said they choose this location over being downtown because of the harm caused by the Innerbelt project. He said this project is part of the city’s Innerbelt revitalization plan.
- Residents and organizers continued discussion ideas, costs and other aspects of the project.