We are so excited to be back working in Akron, this time in the Copley Road neighborhood. If you are in the area, come share your ideas on 6:00 PM Friday, February 1 at Buchtel High School! For more information about the project, see the press release below.
To take the survey and share your thoughts on how to reimagine Copley Road, click here.
Copley Road, Akron, Ohio — The Summit County Think Tank Coalition and Progressive Alliance CDC have partnered with the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation to bring a Better Block initiative to West Akron on May 24-25, 2019. The Better Block is an urban design nonprofit that will work closely with Copley Road neighbors to identify what works and what doesn’t work and demonstrate the proposed changes over the course of a weekend. The project will focus on Copley Road between Frederick Boulevard and South Hawkins Avenue. This business district was identified because of is strong anchors like Gino’s Pizza, Save-A-Lot grocery, Ritzman’s Pharmacy, and its proximity to Kerr Park.
“I believe the partnership among the Summit County Think Tank Coalition, Progressive Alliance CDC, and the Knight Foundation to bring forth a Copley Road Better Block helps to empower the dreams of dreamers, hope to the hopeless, and a new opportunity for growth for the community,” said Evis “EJ” Brinson, Better Block Captain and overseer of the Summit County Think Tank Coalition. “This initiative is powerful and will spark the necessary change needed.”
The Better Block has implemented projects in and around the Cleveland/Akron area, including the North Hill, Middlebury, Kenmore, Cuyahoga Falls, Barberton, Euclid, and Slavic Village neighborhoods. The organization also owns and operates the Exchange House, a community center the North Hill neighborhood.
“We are so excited to be back in Akron, working on a project along Copley Road,” said Jason Roberts, founding director of the Better Block. “Akron is a second home to us. It is full of incredible people working hard to make significant change. In the time we’ve spent with the neighbors along Copley Road, we’ve seen ambitious ideas and contagious energy. We’re ready to get to work to implement changes that the community is wanting to see.”
“Getting people involved in shaping the neighborhoods where they live and work is key to creating a culture of civic engagement in Akron. Better Block has a track record of adding to the vibrancy of our neighborhoods working side-by-side with the community; we look forward to seeing the impact this new project will create on Copley Road and beyond,” said Kyle Kutuchief, Knight Foundation program director for Akron.
The Better Block Foundation is hosting a community meeting February 1 at 6:00 p.m. at Buchtel High School, 1040 Copley Road, to kick off the upcoming Copley Road Better Block. Come out to listen to Roberts, and then to share your ideas for improving the Copley Road neighborhood.
This project is generously supported by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation.
For more information about the Copley Road Better Block, contact Colin Amos, colin@betterblock.org.
About the Better Block
Better Block Foundation is a nonprofit that teaches and applies placemaking principles to citizens on the neighborhood level. By creating the tools necessary to educate and equip residents, stakeholders and government leaders, the Better Block seeks to enable them to reshape their communities into vibrant, sustainable places. For more information, visit betterblock.org. To check out Wikiblock, go to betterblock.org/wikiblock.