What’s coming to your neighborhood in the Akron capital budget

Akron Mayor Shammas Malik presented his 2025 capital budget to members of City Council Jan. 6 and Jan. 13. The budget process commenced in the summer — requests were submitted by each city department and City Council members — with a focus on public engagement.

At ward meetings throughout the city, residents were asked to point out investments they thought should receive priority in the budget. Priorities fell into five categories: parks and recreation, transportation, public facilities, housing and community service and public safety.

The $368 million budget places a focus on housing challenges, reducing general debt and investments in the city’s infrastructure and public safety programs. 

Water and sewer infrastructure spending are separate categories because they are paid for and maintained by separate funding, but they have always been documented together in the budget. 

Community members are invited to comment on the legislation during a public meeting at 5 p.m. on Jan. 27 at Akron City Council Chambers, 166 S. High Street. The hearing will also be streamed via the council’s YouTube channel.

Here’s a snapshot of the spending and how it could land at the neighborhood level in Akron. View the full proposed budget here.

Editor’s note: Some items appear more than once because they affect multiple neighborhoods.

Downtown

• Complete street improvements, carryover project from last year’s budget, East Exchange Street from Broadway Street to Fountain Street. Improvements will include updates to the bike lanes, pedestrian areas and medians as well as the traffic signals. $2,075,000
• Demolition of the B.F. Goodrich power plant on South Main Street. $250,000
• Parking deck maintenance program will rehabilitate city-owned parking decks downtown. Some repairs consist of knocking down loose concrete, waterproofing, stair repair, various patching and more. $250,000

East Akron

• Joy Park Community Center’s HVAC units will be replaced in the multipurpose room to provide better control and energy savings. The current units are inefficient and beyond repair. $102,000
• Improvements to Middlebury Run Park Trail consist of painting the Innovation Way tunnel on the Rubber City Heritage Trail. Some repairs include replacing outdoor interpretive historical signs and powerwashing the trail. $50,000
• Phase 3 of the multi-use recreational Rubber City Heritage Trail will utilize a 6-mile rail corridor from Exchange Street to Brown Street that was formerly used by rubber companies. $50,000

Ellet 

• The renovations of Hyre Park nature trail from Wedgewood Drive to Lions Park is to be completed. $25,000

Firestone Park 

• Firestone Park Community Center’s HVAC equipment will be replaced. The current equipment is beyond repair and inefficient. $216,000
• There will be new concrete construction of the pickleball court at Firestone Park. $75,000

Goodyear Heights 

• Reconstruction of Brittain Road Pump Station #2, carryover project. The pump station was built in 1973. $1,306,000
• Wheeling and Lake Erie Railroad yard replacement of existing 12-inch water main beneath Darrow and Gilchrist roads. $200,000

Kenmore 

• The rehabilitation of Prentiss Park includes improvements to courts, playground, walkways, lighting and courts. $150,000
• The city will replace the existing 28th Street water main connection under the railroad at 28th Street and Kenmore Boulevard, which is failing. The replacement will also improve circulation and increase the availability of water for firefighting. $520,000

Middlebury

• Complete street improvements, carryover project, East Exchange Street from Broadway Street to Fountain Street. Improvements will include updates to the bike lanes, pedestrian areas and medians as well as the traffic signals. $2,075,000 
• Improvements to Middlebury Run Park Trail consist of painting the Innovation Way tunnel on the Rubber City Heritage Trail. Some repairs include replacing outdoor interpretive historical signs and powerwashing the trail. $50,000

Merriman Valley 

• New sidewalk construction between Treetop Trail/Waterford Court to Portage Path. Carryover project. $375,212 

North Hill

• Elizabeth Park splash pad construction — includes restroom and control valve room that will support the splash pad. $160,000 
• The steel pole lighting at Grace Park which is now fed power from underground will be replaced with aerial wood poles. $95,000

South Akron

• Phase 3 of the multi-use recreational Rubber City Heritage Trail will utilize a 6-mile rail corridor from Exchange Street to Brown Street that was formerly used by rubber companies. $50,000

Summit Lake 

• Scattered site parcels to be released in the Summit Lake neighborhood for the development of infill housing on vacant properties. The funds will also be used to provide HOME subsidies for developing 10 income-restricted affordable housing units. $350,000

West Akron 

• Improvements to lane eight of the running track at Lane Field. $100,000
• Lawtown Street Community Center is requesting interior restroom upgrades. $20,000
• New sidewalk construction between Treetop Trail/Waterford Court to Portage Path. Carryover project. $375,212 

See Documenter Courtney Brown’s notes here: