Lego Love in Akron: Building Community One Brick at a Time

Today on the Akron Podcast, we've got news about Quaker Square, the Gorge Dam, a Lego store.

Yeah, that's true.

Eastwood, the old swimming hole.

We've got news about the Akron budget and what they're spending things on, all on today's Akron Podcast.

It's the Akron podcast for Thursday, April 9th.

Our website, akron podcast.com all right, well, we know that Akron City Council has been working on the budget.

Well, what's up with the budget?

NYA's got the news.

Akron City Council has approved a $785.2 million operating budget for 2026, about $13.4 million less than last year's spending.

The budget passed 11:2 and includes some modest increases from Mayor Shammas Malik's original proposal with minimal impact to the general fund.

The city made cuts by eliminating 35 unfilled positions and reducing overtime for police and fire, aiming to save about $4.5 million.

However, union leaders warn those reductions could impact emergency response times.

The budget also adds two housing inspectors and increases funding for Keep Akron Beautiful, along with higher stipends for the Citizens Police Oversight Board to help retain members.

In other news, longtime at large Councilman Jeff Fusco cast his final budget vote before retiring after 38 years of service.

He received a standing ovation and a formal resolution honoring his decades of work for the city.

Congratulations, Jeff.

Also, since we're talking about the budget and spending money on things, I guess if you can't afford more police, you do this.

Akron is investing $500,000 in new traffic calming meas across several neighborhoods to improve safety.

The plan includes installing 13 permanent asphalt speed tables at eight locations and 40 solar powered speed limit signs along 20 streets.

Speed tables are expected to go in by late June or early July, with the signs following later this summer.

The mayor says the goal is to reduce speeding, prevent accidents and make neighborhoods safer and more walkable.

More details, including locations, will be available in the show notes@akronpodcast.com yeah, we were.

Just going to read a bunch of street names.

I'm like that's really boring.

Another thing since we're kind of talking about police.

Akron city leaders have announced a new policy on how police respond to protests and large gatherings, with a focus on de escalation, transparency and protecting constitutional rights.

Mayor Shammas Malik and Police Chief Brian Harding unveiled the updated public order policy on Wednesday, which took effect immediately.

The policy outlines how officers should handle demonstrations while balancing public safety with residents First Amendment rights.

The heart of this policy is support peaceful expression and address unlawful acts with restraint precision and transparency, harding said.

Under the new guidelines, officers are directed to prioritize communication and encourage crowd self regulation before taking enforcement action.

The policy also reinforces bias free policing, prohibiting officers from targeting individuals based on political beliefs or protected speech.

The department will follow nationally recognized standards during large events, including the use of the Incident Command System coordinated planning protocols used for emergency responses.

The policy places strict limits on the use of force.

Mass arrests are discouraged unless there is an immediate threat to safety.

Less lethal tools such as impact munitions or rubber bullets may only be used in situations involving imminent harm and must be directed at individuals engaged in dangerous behavior.

Officers are prohibited from targeting sensitive areas of the body unless deadly force is justified.

Chemical agents like tear gas can only be used with command authorization after warnings are issued and exit routes are provided, and only when serious harm is imminent and other options have failed.

The use of water cannons is explicitly banned.

Additional transparency measures require officers to display identification and use body worn cameras in accordance with department policy.

The department will also conduct after action reviews following major events, including detailed reporting on use of force, equipment, personnel and costs.

The policy also strengthens protections for journalists and legal observers, stating they cannot be arrested unless they physically interfere with police operations.

It further clarifies exemptions from curfew and dispersal orders.

The changes come at a critical time.

According to the nonprofit Freedom of the Press foundation, which tracks violations of journalists rights, 72 such incidents have taken place in the US in 2026 so far.

Those include several arrests and dozens of assaults, as well as chilling statements, denials of access and other issues.

However, none of those tracked incidents this year occurred in Ohio.

Malik emphasized that the new policy is about safeguarding speech.

Akron is at its best when we listen to each other, protect each other and make space for every voice, malik said.

This policy reflects our commitment to peaceful expression, thoughtful dialogue and a public safety approach built on trust and partnership with our community.

The changes come after years of tension between police and protesters, particularly following the 2022 fatal police shooting of Jaylen Walker, which sparked widespread demonstrations across the city.

Walker, 25, was shot dozens of times by officers after a police chase that began with an attempted traffic stop for a broken license plate light.

Malik, then a city councilman and mayoral candidate, joined protesters during that period and later called some police actions during demonstrations unacceptable.

No officers were charged or disciplined in the shooting.

Legal challenges also followed.

In February 2024, the city agreed to pay $747,000 to 22 protesters who alleged they were wrongfully arrested and that their First Amendment rights were violated during demonstrations.

A separate lawsuit stemmed from protests in April 2023 when officers used pepper spray, tear gas and smoke devices on crowds protesting a grand jury's decision not to indict officers in Walker's death.

Police at the time said demonstrators threw rocks and bottles.

The new policy is part of a broader effort to reform crowd management practices and rebuild public trust, city officials stated.

It also fulfills a campaign promise by Malik and was required in part by a legal settlement involving the Akron bail fund.

Over the past year, the city gathered input through public forums and draft policy reviews.

Officials said several community recommendations were incorporated, including clearer definitions of active and passive resistance, stronger free speech protections and expanded reporting requirements.

Harding said the policy is designed to support lawful protests while clearly defining how officers should respond to unlawful behavior.

The Akron Police Department has also expanded its emphasis on community engagement.

A Dialogue team launched in 2024 works to communicate with residents during large gatherings and a community engagement and crime previe.

Thank you, Liam Here's a novel idea.

If you go back and look at the 60s when there were protests all the time, you would basically say, hey, we're going to go protest.

You'd pick your spot, you'd make your signs and you would go there and you would do your chanting, you would do all the different things, and then the police would show up.

And you had two options.

You either, you know, turned your back to them and got arrested, or maybe you sat down and you got arrested and you.

You went to jail.

In fact, Billy Preston had a song called the Bus Is Coming about what we used to call paddy wagons, and they would haul people off the stage.

And then the other alternative is to leave.

Cause any protest I've ever seen.

I always see the police saying, you need to leave this location.

In other words, all right, you got to do your protest.

It's over.

And I've never seen it anywhere where your First Amendment rights give you the right to, you know, strike a policeman.

That's just stupid.

So if you want a peaceful, you know, look, I'm all about protesting.

I'm not happy with what the government does half the time, but striking a policeman is never a good idea.

Meanwhile, we had a bunch of rich guys up on trial.

And let's just say I'm not really shocked when I heard the following.

Jurors failed to reach a verdict on Tuesday in the corruption trial of two fired FirstEnergy executives charged with alleged roles in a $60 million scheme to bribe politicians for a $1 billion nuclear bailout and other favors.

The declaration of an impasse came after more than eight days of deliberations following the six week trial in Akron of former CEO Chuck Jones and former senior Vice President Michael Dowling.

Over that time, the jury had repeatedly sent clarifying questions to Summit County Common Pleas Judge Susan Baker Ross, who had once before sent them back into the deliberating room after they said they could not agree.

Baker Ross said she would allow lawyers to confer with jurors if desired, meet with the attorneys to discuss next steps and decide later whether to declare a mistrial.

Let me kind of regroup here, she said in a video statement.

Republican Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost said the state of Ohio can and will retry these defendants.

Justice needs to be done.

John McCaffrey, one of the lawyers representing Dowling, said the defense would be false, filing a motion for judgment of acquittal.

I mean, we have a lot of things kind of around the police department and if you are near Goodyear Heights, they had the Eastwood, you know, pool.

Well, it's been sitting there doing nothing and now this is the idea from the previous owners on what they might do with it.

For decades, the Eastwood Swim Club, also known as Eastwood Swim park, was a staple in Akron, giving families a place to cool off and make memories.

But after closing in 2014, the 12 acre property has sat mostly unused.

Now the Walker family, who operated the park, wants to give it new life, this time as a tactical training facility for police, firefighters and military personnel.

The proposed plan includes a nearly 4,000 square foot walk, multi story training structure, much of it built below ground and designed to be soundproof.

According to the owners, training would use non lethal simulation rounds, not real ammunition, and most activity would happen indoors.

But not everyone is on board.

Residents nearby, especially those close to Talmadge, have raised concerns about noise, traffic and the overall feel of the facility, with some saying it resembles a military base.

There are also worries about the impact on nearby Goodyear Heights Metro park, where officials fear disruptions could affect visitors experience.

Supporters, including local fire officials and some City Council members, argue that training facilities like this are hard to come by and that the project could benefit both first responders and the community.

Plans may even include public facing features like classrooms, an archery range and fitness events.

The project has already cleared one hurdle, with the planning commission approving a zoning change.

But the final decision now rests with Akron City Council and a public hearing is still to come.

So for now, the future of the old Eastwood Swim park remains up in the air, caught between a vision for modern training and concerns from the surrounding community.

From one place with a lot of water to another here's the latest update on the Gorge Dam in Cuyahoga Falls.

Work is back underway at Gorge Dam after winter weather hit pause.

But this isn't just a construction project, it's a full on environmental cleanup decades in the making.

Crews have resumed dredging the Cuyahoga river, removing massive amounts of contaminated sediment.

Think lead, cadmium and a mix of other industrial leftovers from the area's past.

The the EPA says they'll haul out more than 850,000 cubic yards of this material, which is roughly the size of 11 football fields stacked 10 to 12ft high.

All that sludge is being pumped through a temporary pipeline to a containment site in Cascade Valley Metro park where it can be safely stored.

Once that cleanup is done, the big moment comes tearing down the dam itself.

When that happens, the river will flow freely for the first time in about a century, and something environmental groups have been pushing for years.

The entire project is expected to take a couple construction seasons just for the sediment removal, and it doesn't come cheap.

About $130 million total, but supporters say it's worth it, calling it one of the largest Great Lakes restoration efforts currently underway.

The payoff?

Cleaner water, safer fishing and a river that finally gets to act like a river again.

Thank you Andrew.

Speaking of updating old things, here's an update about Quaker Square.

A major transformation could be coming to Quaker Square and it's aiming to blend the city's industrial past with a modern high end.

Future plans are in the works to turn the historic grain silos into a mixed use destination featuring a hotel, apartments, shops and restaurants.

One of the standout ideas?

A glass covered rooftop restaurant sitting on top of the silos, complete with an outdoor patio overlooking downtown.

The first phase would bring a 108 room hotel and more than 50 apartments built right into the silos themselves, with a Projected opening in 2027.

Assuming the project secures millions in historic tax credits to help fund the $75 million redevelopment.

City leaders say the addition of a hotel next to the nearby John S. Night center could be a big win, helping attract larger multi day conventions and more visitors to downtown.

Beyond that, the vision includes everything from a courtyard pool and spa to unique touches like a reading room inside a silo, cooking classes and even a possible gelato shop inside one of the old train cars.

Future phases could add more apartments, retail space, offices and even things like a dog park, market or entertainment options throughout it all.

Developers say they want to preserve the history of the space, highlighting its roots as a factory while giving it a fresh, modern feel.

If it all comes together, Quaker Square could once again become a centerpiece of downtown Akron, just with a very different look than before.

Thank you Liam.

Next up, if you shop at Amazon, they're going to do some updates on how you can return things right after this.

Bad news for your impulse buys.

Amazon just made it even easier to return all the stuff you probably didn't need in the first place.

The company has teamed up with FedEx office, adding about 1,500 new drop off spots nationwide.

So now instead of letting that questionable late night purchase collect dust in your house, you can conveniently drop it off on your next errand run and pretend it never happened.

FedEx office joins the already long list of places accepting Amazon returns like Whole Foods Market, the UPS Store, Kohl's and Staples because apparently returning stuff is now a full blown ecosystem.

The process is simple.

Start the return online, get a QR code and bring your item in.

No box, no label, no shame.

Well, maybe a little.

With more than 10,000 drop off locations across the US including around 50 in Ohio, Amazon is making sure there are fewer excuses to keep that what was I thinking?

Purchase.

So go ahead, buy first, think later.

Amazon's got your back.

Thank you so much.

Next up, if you are LGBTQ, etc.

Here's some news for you.

In Akron, a local activist group is asking city leaders to step in as state lawmakers ramp up legislation targeting the LGBT LGBTQ community.

The Akron chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America has launched a campaign pushing Mayor Shamas Malik to issue an executive order that would basically tell local law enforcement, yeah, maybe don't prioritize enforcing laws aimed at LGBTQ folks.

So far, the mayor has had what's being described as a good preliminary conversation, which is politicians speak for we talk.

No promises.

The urgency comes as Ohio Republicans advance bills like House Bill 249, which supporters say is about protecting kids, but critics say is really about policing, drag and more broadly, gender expression.

Activists argue it's less about safety and more about finding a new culture war target now that same sex marriage is settled law.

Supporters of the Akron campaign say transgender people, already a small and vulnerable group, are getting hit with a whole wave of legislation, including restrictions on gender affirming care and policies that could force schools to out trance students regardless of safety concerns.

Meanwhile, Akron City Council member Fran Wilson didn't mince words, calling the legislation a threat to basic self expression and warning that what starts with one group rarely ends there.

The plan is to bring a formal resolution to City Council in the next couple months.

Whether it passes is still up in the air, but the message from advocates is clear.

If the state is going to push these laws, they prefer Akron.

Respond with a firm not here.

And our last story if you're into Legos, you're going to love this one.

In Akron, a local shop is turning a childhood pastime into a full blown community hub at Bricks and Minifigs Akron, located at 3750 West Market Street, Unit N in Rosemont Commons, owner Rochelle Cross is building more than just Lego sets.

She's building connections alongside the latest kits.

The store offers retired sets, pre built creations and bins of loose bricks where customers can dig in and create something entirely their own.

Some visitors even grab discounted incomplete sets and turn the hunt for missing pieces into a fun challenge.

Others bring in their old Lego collections to sell, especially if they're already assembled and ready for a new home.

The shop also doubles as an event space, hosting birthday parties, adult build nights, and even Lego race competitions where kids and plenty of dads get seriously into designing their cars.

With people of all ages sharing their builds and coming back for more.

Cross says the secret is simple.

Lego brings everyone together and this spot is making that happen right in the heart of Akron.

Just don't step on one of those in your bare feet.

Oh, that always sucks.