Global design firm Sasaki will take the lead in working with the city to develop a plan for the future of the decommissioned Akron Innerbelt, Mayor Shammas Malik announced Thursday.
Sasaki was selected following a community event at House 330 in late July, where residents had the opportunity to hear directly from the four finalists and provide feedback.
The company integrates urban design, architecture, planning, engineering and landscape architecture to develop and implement transformative ideas for neighborhoods, public spaces and infrastructure, according to a press release.
The company’s previous projects include the Chicago Riverwalk, Cleveland’s Healthline BRT and Cleveland’s North Family Greenway.
Malik said his administration is excited to partner with Sasaki, saying the company’s experience and expertise demonstrated during the application process were impressive, he said.
“They also prioritized community involvement and included several local experts in putting together their group so they know the history and importance of the work to be done here,” Malik said. “The Innerbelt has left a scar on the face of our community and as we take the next steps to determine the future of this area, hopefully we can begin to heal that wound and repair what has been damaged.”
Siqi Zhu, director of planning and urban technology at Sasaki, said the company was honored by the selection.
“This is an opportunity to confront the racial consequences of urban renewal, reconnect divided communities, and provide equitable access to new opportunities for all Akron residents,” Zhu said. “We will work closely with the community, especially those impacted in the Innerbelt, to ensure the solutions we propose look and feel like Akron. Together, we can transform a symbol of historic suffering into a symbol of healing and opportunity for the future.”
What is the master plan?
The Masterplan will identify actions that can be implemented immediately and will have a positive impact on residents’ lives. It will also look at longer-term opportunities to repurpose this land to enhance the city’s future resilience and vitality.
The city hopes to gain a deeper understanding of how existing infrastructure (roads, ramps, bridges), topography and land use could be modified and utilized to create a usable space that could benefit all of Akron and bring value back to the most degraded neighborhoods.
More: “It was wonderful when we grew up”: Life before the Innerbelt
In March 2023, Akron received $960,000 from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Reconnecting Communities pilot program, a first-of-its-kind initiative to restore connectivity to communities cut off from opportunity and burdened by past transportation infrastructure decisions.
The grant will fund the creation of a community-based master plan to guide the transformation of an abandoned one-mile stretch of Akron’s Innerbelt.
Akron plans to pursue additional funding sources for the project, including another grant through the Reconnecting Communities program to support implementation of the master plan. Recently, the U.S. Department of Transportation moved up the deadline for those grant applications to September 30. The city will work with Sasaki to complete a preliminary plan to meet that deadline.
Contact reporter Derek Kreider at [email protected] or 330-541-9413
