The University of Akron’s plan to shrink its footprint and reduce the number of buildings on campus is getting a $16.5 million boost from the state, part of more than $26 million in funding directed to Summit County to pay for capital projects.
The bulk of the money, nearly $16 million, is going to help the University of Akron fund renovations at both Schrank Hall North and South, a pair of multipurpose academic halls in need of modernization.
The funds are part of $3.7 billion in capital dollars in the statewide budget. Other local projects include money for an Akron Police public safety training center, local parks and the Akron Zoo.
The Schrank buildings are in a central part of campus but don’t have a specific use, said Misty Villers, the University of Akron’s CFO and vice president of business and finance. She said elevator repairs, roof replacements and interior renovations — at a total estimated cost of $20 million — could help UA move its overflow testing center and ROTC program out of Schrank Hall. Art students, who are now in Folk Hall on the edge of campus, could move into the more centralized space, allowing the university to sell or demolish that building.
“It would kill two birds with one stone,” Villers said about the proposal, which could help fill partially empty buildings while consolidating space. “We’re looking at bringing people on the perimeter into the central core of campus and utilizing space much better.”
Next month, Villers said, the university plans to elicit proposals from companies that can help them determine the best way to program the space — and determine whether the art school is the best fit for it. She said a determination could be made in the fall.
Over the years, the university has received some inquiries about selling Folk Hall, a former car dealership, Villers said.
University of Akron has plans to sell more buildings
The university is also considering the future of the Administrative Services Building, once the home of the Summit Wholesale Grocery Co. at 36 S. College St. The building now houses central receiving, mail services, printing services and surplus property. Those departments, too, are being considered for a move to Schrank Hall.
The Administrative Services Building is already losing the administration — employees who work on the top floor will move to the Polsky Building as part of that renovation. Villers said because the Administrative Services Building is in the footprint of the recently approved Lincoln-Mill redevelopment plan, it could have another use as part of the Polymer Industry Cluster.
The university has already reduced its square footage by about 11 percent, Villers said, by selling properties like Quaker Square and the Martin Center and demolishing others like the former Wonder Bread factory. She said the goal is to reduce it by another 8 percent.
The university is in discussions to sell a Fir Hill building leased by the Ohio State Highway Patrol to that agency, Villers said, and is selling some land on Goodkirk Street to the Ohio Department of Transportation for improvements to state Route 8. UA is also looking at other opportunities to reduce its footprint, she said, including at the Chima Center on Forge Street, which houses a counseling clinic.
Polsky Building project gets more state money
That clinic is slated to move to the Polsky Building, part of a $32 million project that has been largely funded with $15.5 million from the Knight Foundation. The state awarded $650,000 for that project, which will bring about 100 employees downtown.
In the $4 million first phase, office space for purchasing, human resources and administrative services employees will be built out and restrooms and other infrastructure will be improved. That should be completed next March.
The second phase will involve the relocation of the School of Counseling as well as speech, audiology and other community service functions, which should happen next fall.
The overall project will be completed by the end of 2028. By then, Villers said, the building will house a legal clinic off of South High Street, where the bookstore is currently located. (The university will instead have a pop-up spirit shop when school begins and for other occasions.)
The current Starbucks will become a student living room-type space. The university’s esports teams will also move to Polsky, and a performance space will be added.
On South Main Street, the first Rising Roll Gourmet Cafe in Ohio will be one of several storefronts that are open to the community.
Akron Zoo, art museum also getting funds
The university will also receive $1 million in state funds to replace the movable stage at E.J. Thomas Performing Arts Hall, which Villers said must be moved “very gingerly” because it’s no longer aligned. The stage, as it is, produces a tripping hazard, she said.
That work is expected to cost between $1 million and $2 million and the university will be fundraising to help fill the gap. She expects the work to be completed next summer.
Additional projects in Akron include $400,000 to improve the City of Akron’s Dan Street Public Safety Training Facility, $100,000 for improvements at Hardesty Park and $250,000 to design an interactive park at Lock 2 downtown.
Other local projects include $2 million for the Akron Art Museum’s Center for Digital Discovery, $2.5 million for the Akron Zoo’s Giraffe Journey and veterinary hospital, $400,000 for improvements to the Akron Urban League’s building, $200,000 for the Shaw JCC and $750,000 to replace the roof at the Akron Civic Theatre.
