History Unwrapped: Akron’s New Exhibit is Here!

It's the Akron Podcast for April 14, 2025.

Our website akronpodcast.com well if you haven't checked the calendar, your taxes are due tomorrow.

Yeah, no fun.

But just a reminder, get those in and don't forget to pay your Akron taxes because you can't complain about potholes if you're not paying your taxes.

The City of Akron is hosting an open house this Wednesday, April 16 from 3 to 7pm at the North Hill Branch Library, that's 183 East Cuyahoga Falls Avenue to discuss proposed improvements for North Main Street.

This safety project is a result of years of study and public engagement.

So to learn more about the project and how it benefits you and why it's needed, you can please join them at the open house on again April 16th and I'll have a link in the show Notes for more information over the weekend this opened up and that is the Akron History Center.

You can find their website akronhistorycenter.org and it says it's the leading edge of Akron's 2025 bicentennial celebration is an enduring, long lasting, free museum quality exhibit that welcomes visitors and inspires residents.

For the first time ever, there is one place where the stories of Akron's 200 year history are illuminated by relic and artifacts of Akron's past and interpreted through modern digital technology.

It's located in the Bowery on King James Way on the towpath of the Ohio and Erie Canal at Lock four.

I don't know if that's it would be much easier if it was like 123 Main street or something like that, but anyway, the Akron History center celebrates Akron's prowess in industry cereal, clay products, farm machinery, rubber and polymer products, trucking, metalworking and health care.

Exhibits honor Akron's leadership in public education, the abolition of slavery, the fight to establish organized labor and and the founding of Alcoholics Anonymous and Victim Assistance.

The center presents an honest portrayal of the city's untold stories of indigenous people, African born, freedom seekers and the immigrants who tripled Akron's population from 1910 to 1920.

The $45 million Bowery development has invigorated Main street, home to the $25 million investment in the Akron Civic Theater and and the night stage, the $25 million renovation of Lock 3, and the $20 million reimagining the Civic Commons.

So that whole area is I guess I know I've seen Lock 4 before.

It's kind of back behind where everything is.

The Bowery is made up of six century old buildings.

Old buildings are like old friends, it says.

They reassure us in times of rapid change and encourage people to dream about the city.

There we go.

172 S.

Main St.

Was home to multiple mercantile enterprises of the 20th century.

It has been restored and modernized using state and federal historic tax credits.

The Akron History center will be operated by the Akron Summit County Public Library in a partnership that includes Summit County Historical Society, the University of Akron, the Downtown Akron Partnership and the Akron Summit Convention and Visitors Bureau.

It's pretty cool.

Their website at least has a lot of old pictures of downtown Akron and things like that.

And you can see the board of directors and where to find parking.

It is open Wednesday through Saturday, 10am to 2pm in April, so I'm not sure what happens in May if they're going to change that.

Maybe.

Again, this is brand new, but if you're a history buff, go down and learn about our city.

If you're not bored on April 25, you can join the city in Joy park from 5 to 6pm where on April 25, that is Arbor Day, and they'll be planting a tree in Joy Park.

If you happen to notice, you know, those traffic, those big, like aluminum boxes that are around traffic signals, they're getting a makeover.

Central Graphics started wrapping a few of these traffic boxes with artwork submitted by community members.

How cool is that?

Right now it's award seven and eight.

They received a combined total of four signal boxes and they got all wrapped up.

It's really pretty cool.

And you'll see 16 more boxes wrapped in the coming weeks.

Which means, unfortunately, I mean, if you look at these, I'll put links to these in the show notes.

It just means it's a matter of time till somebody graffitis these because, you know, we can't have nice things.

Well, it's been like two years since that whole police oversight board was put into place, or at least the idea and Kemp Boyd said during last month's Akron Citizens Police Oversight Board meeting that he had asked to help interview candidates who may fill three of his board's positions.

He's the oversight's chair, and he's asked before and during two previous interview cycles for open seats.

The city denied his request.

This time, Akron Mayor Seamus Malik said yes.

The City of Akron's law department approved, but the executive leadership of Akron City Council responded no, and apparently it was frowned upon.

And days later, at an Akron City Council meeting, Boyd spoke up during the public comment section, which we've talked about, where it's kind of like we're gonna let people talk.

Talk amongst yourselves.

It's a very weird setting.

Asking why this latest request was rejected, he's kind of like, hey, what's the deal?

After all?

He told Signal Akron, nobody can better understand and relate to the job of sitting on the oversight board than a board member, including conversations held in executive session that are not public.

That's a weird one right there.

Why?

Wait, what?

This is the police review board.

Why is this done in secret?

He later said residents told him they appreciated his words.

During the public comment, he said they felt like they were being, you know, hey, somebody's talking for me.

And it's interesting.

The issue marks the latest example of residents who originally answered the call to repair the relationship between the Akron Police Department, which hasn't been great, you know, and the city.

So Boyd envisions the oversight board one day running parallel investigations with the police department in hopes of reaching similar conclusions.

And when the oversight board disagrees with police investigations, he hopes more will be done to review cases further.

Isn't that the whole point?

Like, they should kind of disagree because if they didn't, what's the point?

He goes, there has to be something where we're not just doing all this work in vain, and it has to be a return on the investment for the citizens.

They're paying all this money in taxes.

Let's just be real.

We got a budget of $600,000.

So Boyd's request occurs again more than two years after Akron's oversight board was formed via issue 10, which was a ballot initiative, and in the aftermath of the fatal police shooting of Jaylen Walker.

So three members are appointed by the mayor, and they were approved by Akron city council, and six others are appointed by two thirds of council's majority vote.

So it sounds like it's an Akron city council problem.

Maybe.

They say since last March, when Anthony Finnell was hired as the city's first independent police auditor, he's reviewed nearly 300 cases and disagreeing with less than 5% of the police department's investigation.

That's interesting.

So in the coming weeks, Vice chair Donzella.

Wow, what a name.

A newscusics.

It's a big one and it ends in wig.

Who knows?

Robert Gibbon and Crystal Jones are scheduled to leave the oversight board.

Well, that's a bummer.

We're barely getting this thing off the ground and we can't get people to fill the seats.

And, you know, Kent Boyd's trying to get them filled.

Like, hey, I can help.

I can interview people I know the job.

I'm the chair.

Why wouldn't you let the chair pick the people on the board?

That's a head scratcher.

I've always thought this whole idea of a police review board would just get hosed in politics.

And it kind of sounds like that's what's going on.

The University of Akron has agreed to sell the Quaker Square complex in Downtown Akron for $800,000 to Ohio River Investments LLC.

The sale of the building at 135 Broadway St aligns with the university's multi year revitalization program that aims to sell underutilized assets, reduce expenses and increase revenue while focusing on improving the student experience.

And so if you're wondering what the heck that is, that's basically Quaker Square.

It's the big silos, that whole nine yards which were dorms.

I thought the state controlling board approved the sale, which will allow the Ohio Department of Administrative Services to move forward with the sale process.

The Ohio Department of Administrative Services are responsible for selling state owned buildings that are held for the benefit of higher education and institutions.

The sale is expected to be finalized in May.

So it's going to be interesting to see it's.

They say it's a positive step forward for the university.

We'll have a real estate footprint that better aligns with our student body.

Even more critical, we are now able to erase the significant ongoing facility maintenance costs for Quaker Square and avoid approximately 57 million in deferred maintenance and focus resources on improving our student experience.

Which makes you wonder if that whole thing's just falling apart.

Don't know.

The Quaker Square complex consists of six buildings and spans 411,000 square feet.

It purchased the complex in 2007 for 22 million, according to the university.

And Quaker Square includes the former mill factory and silos from the original Quaker Oats factory.

So I'll be interested to see who buys it and what they do with it.