Akron mayor wants to see more change

EJay wrote:

You mentioned that people and families will continue to move out to the outlying areas.

Yes, the suburbs will always attract many families. That doesn't mean that a vibrant downtown can't develop in Akron. It sounds like the seeds are being planted. If the university keeps growing, the city promotes and invests in improvements, maintains older developments, and keeps the streets safe there is no reason why an upscale urban landscape won't develop. Possibly encourage public/private partnerships between the city, the university , and private industry. Who knows. Maybe Akron can become a leader in producing all those new clean energy sources that will allow suburbanites to maintain their lifestyle.

One reason Akron suffers is the age of most of the houses in the immediate neighborhoods. It would cost more to repair and retrofit than the houses are worth. They need a strong code enforcement program coupled with a well funded redevelopment district that could offer loans and incentives either to fix properties or tear down many of the dilapidated structures.

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