AKRON, Ohio — Parks in Akron’s Ellet and University Park neighborhoods each will receive $100,000 in investment, including construction and technical support from the city, after winning the 2022 Akron Parks Challenge.
Teams representing Boss Park in University Park near downtown and Hyre and Lion’s parks in Ellet submitted winning applications to the challenge, the city said in a release.
The goal of the Akron Parks Challenge is to bring vibrancy back to city parks, energizing and uniting the communities around them.
The money awarded is not a grant—it’s an allocation the city will spend on carefully selected improvements, while working with winning teams to catalyze neighborhood development, the city said.
Applications were judged on feasibility, sustainability, equity and impact on the neighborhood, according to the Akron Parks Collaborative, which oversees the challenge.
Challenge applicants are asked to explain how they will rally their community around revitalizing the park. The parks collaborative team partners with the winners to develop “friends groups” to serve as stewards of the improved park, to help make decisions on programming and manage upkeep into the future.
Boss Park
The goal of the team leading the project at Ward 3’s Boss Park in University Park is to create a more inclusive environment for the neighborhood, which is home to Leggett Community Learning Center, the group said in its application.
Most of the properties in the Boss Park area house University of Akron students. (Photo courtesy of the city of Akron)
University Park houses the University of Akron, so about 90% of its residents are under age 45, according to city data, and nearly 90% of the houses are rental properties.
Last summer, Neighborhood Network, a program of Habitat for Humanity of Summit County, launched a project clearing out an overgrown swath of land adjacent to Boss Park, and installing a community food forest designed by urban landscaping specialist Beth Vild of Wild Woman Designs & Consulting.
The Boss Park team told the city it wants to stage events at the park that will bring residents together and “make high-impact physical improvements,” such as installing shade structures, lighting, trails and signage.
Hyre and Lion’s parks
The Ward 6 Ellet neighborhood around Hyre and Lion’s parks is composed of nearly 70% homeowners whose average age is 40, according to city data.
The Hyre Park team wants to build a playground and story walk for kids and a par course fitness trail. (Photo courtesy of the city of Akron)
The team told the city it wants to build a playground and story walk for kids and a par course fitness trail at Hyre and Lion’s parks, which are connected and used as one park. The team said it hopes to bring students together with local businesses to maintain the space.
Ellet resident Tom Mitan, who worked on the proposal, said winning the challenge is exciting and makes him want to pull the team together and get to work.
“We all believe this area of Ellet is a gem, worthy of improvement,” Mitan said. “The woods with its stream and connectivity to athletic fields can be utilized by all residents.”
Work at the parks will begin immediately, with the city and Akron Parks Collaborative partnering with the winning teams on planning community-engagement activities. The teams will host meetings and events, conduct surveys and talk with local stakeholders to better understand what residents want in the parks.
The city has hosted four challenges since the program launch in 2018. Boss and Hyre parks will bring the total of revitalized parks to nine.
To find out whether a park in your neighborhood is eligible to participate in the challenge, check the online listing.
