Sept. 30 Akron City Council budget meeting
Covered by Documenter Stacie Simon (see her notes here)
Akron City Council members and city staff gathered Sept. 30 for a check-in on the $365 million Akron capital projects budget that members approved in February.
Helen Tomic, manager of the city’s long-range planning division, along with other city officials shared project highlights, including plans for roads, parks and the airport.
“We’re going to review the capital budget,” At-Large Council Member Jeff Fusco said as he began the hour-long meeting. “Just an update on where we’re at with projects for the year.”
A majority of the budget, the first of Mayor Shammas Malik’s administration, goes toward water and sewer infrastructure improvements. Signal Akron reporter Doug Brown broke down the proposed budget in January.
“Water and sewer is an enormous part of the capital budget every year, both as a result of the consent decree but also because of the significant investments into the water system,” Malik said in January.
The city is under a consent decree with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that requires it to massively and expensively overhaul the sewer system that regularly flooded the Cuyahoga River with untreated sewage and wastewater.
Tomic covered key projects from several areas. To read the full budget, go here. Watch the full meeting here.
Jump to different sections here:
AKRON WATERWAYS RENEWED PROJECTS | COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT | HOUSING & COMMUNITY SERVICES | MISCELLANEOUS | NEIGHBORHOOD BUSINESS DISTRICTS | PARKS & RECREATION | PUBLIC FACILITIES | PUBLIC SAFETY | SMALL BUSINESS | TRANSPORTATION
Akron Waterways Renewed (AWR) Projects
- Northside Interceptor Tunnel
- Construction is underway and will be completed in 2027
- Spent $37 million in 2024
- Riverside Sewer Separation
- Construction is underway and will be completed this fall
- Spent $2 million in 2024
- Brittain Road Pump Station #2 reconstruction
- Design scope is developed and construction will start this month
- Water Reclamation Facility
- Annual plant and pump station renewal
- Miscellaneous improvements have started, including phosphorus reduction, HVAC, roofs, mechanical and electrical, and process control upgrades
- Annual plant and pump station renewal
Commercial/Industrial Development
- Innerbelt Masterplan
- Sasaki contract is in place and they are working on the development of the masterplan
Housing and Community Services
- Most programs are funded primarily through several federal grants and programs. Council passed an annual action plan in July.
- Affordable housing
- Budget: $1.4 million
- Contracted with Collinson Apartments for the renovation of buildings. City is investing $600,000 in a $20 million project. Wintergreen Ledges is also under construction for 120 affordable housing units
- Habitat for Humanity
- Approached council for the construction of 16 single-family homes at Silver Maple Ridge off of Evans Avenue.
- Cost: $400,000
- Homeless shelters
- $567,000 for support of shelters in the city
- Minor Home Repair Program
- Contract with Rebuilding Together for $400,000 per year to repair homes for low-income, elderly and handicapped homeowners. Repairs must be under $5,000.
- Community gardens
- Contract with Let’s Grow Akron for $75,000 to manage and support community gardens throughout the city
- Fair Housing
- Annual contract with the Fair Housing Contact Service to further fair housing activities, including housing discrimination complaint processing and public education
- Cost: $80,000
- Neighborhood Revitalization and Sustainability Program
- Budget: $6 million to implement the ARPA housing repair program
- Partnering with Summit County (vetting and beginning construction), Nazareth (20 houses), and Habitat for Humanity (20 houses)
- Also completes city LEAD program
- Tiny Homes
- Budget: $150,000
- Strategic plan in process and to be completed next year
Miscellaneous
- Reservoir Park water tower
- The city is working with a consultant and looking at a preliminary design of what that tower could look like after it’s no longer in use.
- Cost: $50,000
- Tree removal and tree trimming
- On track to spend $275,000 allocated for both tree removal and trimming
Neighborhood Business Districts/Great Streets
- Spent $385,000 this year matching facade grants, loans and other assistance to support businesses in the13 designated Great Streets areas.
- Spent $150,000 for public improvements to Great Streets
Parks and Recreation
- Akron Parks Challenge
- Prentiss Park and Sherbondy Park awarded grants in 2024, construction will begin next year
- Morgan Park and Boss Park completed
- Lions/Hyre Park will be complete in spring 2025
- Balch Street Fitness Center
- Budget: $354,000
- HVAC work in progress, to be completed by the end of the year
- Ed Davis Community Center
- Estimated cost: $12.1 million, funded by American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA)
- New playground and parking lot complete; the rest will be completed in November
- Elizabeth Park splash pad
- Cost: $300,000
- Status: Contract has been awarded but work will not begin until spring 2025
- Heintz Hillcrest Park Walking Trail Phase 2
- Cost: $50,000
- Status: Complete
- KaBOOM! Playgrounds
- Budget: $450,000
- No projects selected in 2024, but moving forward with a new playground at Summit Lake Community Center in spring 2025
- Miscellaneous community center projects
- Budgeted $300,000
- Restroom upgrades at Northwest Family Recreation Center and Summit Lake Community Center. Firestone Park flooring and interior lighting were upgraded, as were the Kenmore Senior Center HVAC controls.
- Miscellaneous park projects
- Budget: $300,000
- Restroom upgrades at Erie Island and Patterson sports facilities. Playground equipment at Davenport Park, Chestnut Ridge, Hardesty Park and Adams Park was upgraded. Also added a new sidewalk at Prentiss Park and Boss Park.
- Park exterior lighting upgrades
- Budget: $70,000
- Replaced lights at Joy Park, Firestone Park, Heintz-Hillcrest, Hyre Park and Lisa Ann Park
- Patterson Park Community Center
- ARPA funding of $10.6 million
- Scheduled to re-open in February or March 2025
- Reservoir pool rehab
- ARPA funding of $6.9 million
- Construction is underway, and the pool is scheduled to re-open summer 2025
- Reservoir Park Community Center
- ARPA funding of $4.7 million
- Construction is underway and is scheduled to open in summer 2025
- Rubber City Heritage Trail Phase 1
- 3rd Avenue to Exchange Street
- Cost: $2.3 million
- Status: Complete
Public Facilities
- BF Goodrich Power Plant demolition
- Budget: $3 million
- Status: Complete
- Cascade parking deck
- Received $5 million from the state for concrete and structural repairs, which must be completed by June 2026
- Looking to match the grant with local funds
- Cascade Parking deck elevators
- Project began in March and is ongoing, to be completed in spring 2025
- $151,220 spent
- Fire Station #12 replacement
- Scheduled to be completed before the end of this year
- $10 million spent
- Municipal Service Center training and locker room upgrades
- Restroom upgrades performed in-house
- $60,000 spent
- Phase 2 will be completed in 2025
- Salt Storage rehab
- Budget: $520,000
- Constructing a new dome at the Ira/Kenmore facility
Public Safety
- Akron Fire Department
- Ordered replacement for Fire Engine 13
- Cost: $825,000 plus $50,000 to outfit the truck with required equipment
- Delivery date of summer 2025
- Fire Facility Improvement Program
- Budget: $400,000
- Improvements include multiple station garage door replacements, new asphalt parking lots at the maintenance facility and Station 14, new flooring at Stations 5, 6 and 7, Station 13 kitchen/living area replacement, and more.
- Fire Structural Turnout Gear replacement
- Budget: $325,000
- This is an annual program to provide for the replacement of structural fire protective clothing equipment. Each firefighter has two sets of fire gear. A set of gear is good for 10 years.
- Ordered replacement for Fire Engine 13
- Akron Police Department
- Equipment Replacement Program:
- The department combined its 2023 and2024 budgets;
- 12 of 24 new cruisers are in service, and two more are in progress
- Expected completion is November
- Spent $1.5 million
- Police Academy and training
- Graduated 44 new officers
- Recruiting for other positions begins this month, and the next Basic Academy is in early 2025
- Spent $442,763 on training and equipment
- Police gear and equipment replacement
- $100,000 spent on body armor, helmets and ballistic plates
- Items ordered will be delivered later this year
- Stubbs workplace improvements/gym relocation
- Cost: $220,000
- Records room moved in July
- The gym has reopened
- Equipment Replacement Program:
Small Business Support
- Bounce Innovation Hub expansion
- Cost: $2.5 million
- Improvements include adding a maker space, co-working space, cafe, classrooms and mentoring services within the former BF Goodrich plant
- Money will be spent by year’s end
- Polymer Cluster support
- Cost: $150,000 is Akron’s match to a state grant
- No money spent this year
- University of Akron redevelopment of the Polsky Building
- Cost: $250,000
- Pushed to 2025
Transportation
- Arterial/collector streets
- East Exchange Street
- Project cost: $10.8 million
- Status: 65% complete
- Estimated completion date: Summer 2025
- Mull Avenue improvements, Phase 1
- Project cost: $4.5 million
- Status: complete
- North Main Street project
- Will come before council in 2025
- Status: Design is 90% complete
- Applied for Ohio Public Works Commission (OPWC) funding
- South Main Street Phase 3
- Concrete replacement on South Main from Cedar to Bartges
- Status: Design is 50% complete
- Applying for funding including OPWC
- Riverview Road resurfacing
- Project cost: $2 million
- Status: Complete
- East Exchange Street
- Bridges
- Bowery Street bridge over Ohio Canal
- Project bid: $9 million
- Status: Construction to begin this month
- Goodyear Boulevard bridge replacement
- Project cost: Roughly $3.4 million
- Status: Complete
- Kent Street bridge deck replacement
- Status: Design 90% complete, construction to begin in 2025
- Bowery Street bridge over Ohio Canal
- Residential streets
- Belleau Wood Drive improvements
- Replaces deteriorated concrete pavement with asphalt and adds concrete curb and gutter.
- Cost: Looking for funding sources
- Status: Design is 95% complete, construction to start in 2025
- Traffic calming devices
- 30 temporary speed tables are installed across the city
- 40 solar signs are installed
- 1 permanent speed hump pilot (on Maple Street)
- Belleau Wood Drive improvements
- Resurfacing program
- $3.9 million spent
- 2024 program roads to be complete this year, weather permitting
- East Market Street resurfacing
- Project cost: $4 million
- Status: 75% complete, may spill into 2025
- Concrete Street Repair Program
- $1.3 million budgeted
- Status: 25% complete, including Patterson Avenue, Thornton Street, Inman Street, Cole Avenue, Brown Street and Allendale. Will extend into 2025
- Sidewalk program
- Spent $835,000 to date helping 233 property owners repair sidewalks. Current backlog is 183 property owners. The department is still working on sidewalk requests from 2023.
- Portage Trail extension
- Been in the budget for a few years
- Status: Design is complete, construction will begin in spring 2025
- Safe Routes to School
- Updated school travel plan this year and submitted funding requests
- Awarded $375,000 from Safe Routes to School and $125,000 from the Highway Safety Improvement Program
- Looking for next project location
