Hello Akronites,

Welcome to the monthly Innerbelt Master Plan Newsletter! Moving forward, we will be sending out monthly updates about the current state of the planning process, upcoming events and ways to get involved in shaping the design of the final plan, and resources to learn more about the plan. 

In our first edition, we are covering: Open House #2, upcoming roundtable discussions, and the State of the Planning Area report.

Planning News & Updates

Thank you for making Open House #2 a success! We want to express our sincere gratitude to everyone who joined us on March 18th at the Akron Urban League for the second Innerbelt Master Plan Open House. Your participation, insights, and collaborative spirit helped make this event truly impactful as we continue our journey to reimagine the future of the Innerbelt land.

Open House #2 Highlights



During our "Goals & Ideas" themed Open House, we:

• Engaged with over 100 Akronites to reimagine the future of the Innerbelt
• Shared updates on the Akron Innerbelt Master Plan process 
• Received feedback on the shared Principles and Goals for the project
• Heard from the community about which specific project ideas they would like to see on the site through a participatory mapping exercise

Moving forward, we will be using this community input to design several potential scenarios that reflect the needs, aspirations, and desires of the community in regards to housing, economic growth, and community development. 



If you were not able to attend Open House #2, there are still ways to provide feedback and learn more! See the “Upcoming Events” section below, or visit the Akron Innerbelt website to see what opportunities for participation are coming up.

Take the Survey: Help Us Prioritize Principles & Goals

Strong Principles and Goals are foundational to a successful Master Plan. Through our initial conversations with the community, we’ve distilled the following Principles and Goals in draft form. We invite you to review, prioritize, and further refine them.

Meet Our Community Coordinators

Please welcome our two community coordinators, Ebony Hill and Carla Davis! You may have met them already at our past events, and they will continue to be engaged in the Akron community over the next several months to answer your questions about the plan, hold focus groups, and listen to your thoughts and perspectives. 



Carla and Ebony were chosen as community coordinators as a result of their deep knowledge of Akron’s past and present and their extensive connections in the community. As community coordinators, they will serve as the bridge between local community knowledge and the work of the planning team.

Carla Davis

A powerhouse of communication and community advocacy, Carla brings her expertise from The City of Akron Racial Equity and Social Justice Task Force and her strategic communications background as president of Carla Davis Communications.

Ebony Hill

As a passionate life coach and community educator, Ebony specializes in empowering individuals and celebrating Black history through her work with Hilltastic Coaching and Consulting.

Upcoming Events

We invite you to join us in our upcoming engagement events for the Innerbelt Master Plan. Here's how you can stay involved:

• Community Meals & Conversations: Our community coordinators, Carla & Ebony, will be having a series of in-person and virtual community meals to discuss the ongoing Master Plan.  These are open to everyone and provide an opportunity to learn more about the project and share your perspective around key topics. Please only register for one session to allow everyone to participate. Registration through the Eventbrite links below is required.
• April 10
• 11 AM - 1 PM (Odom Blvd Branch Library): Register here.
• 5:30 PM - 7:30 PM (Odom Blvd Branch Library): Register here.
• Other Opportunities: We are continually adding more opportunities for engagement. For the latest updates, event information, and engagement opportunities, visit https://www.akroninnerbelt.com/events.  

Your continued participation ensures the Master Plan truly reflects the Akron community's priorities. Thank you for your ongoing support and involvement!

Additional Resources



We have compiled a “State of the Innerbelt” report that synthesizes our research on the site and what we have learned from the community during Open House #1. It covers a brief history of the Innerbelt land and the existing conditions of the site, which will shape our future design scenarios. The full report is available at https://www.akroninnerbelt.com/project-resources

That’s all for now! Thank you again for your participation & support throughout this process!

Sincerely,



The Akron Innerbelt Master Plan Team