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SummaCare, in downtown Akron for the past 17 years, will move its corporate offices to Akron's East End neighborhood into the space that formerly housed the Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company headquarters. The move is expected to begin in late summer, with all employees in their new offices in November.

(Industrial Realty Group)

AKRON, Ohio - SummaCare will move its corporate offices to Akron's East End neighborhood into the space that formerly housed the Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company headquarters.

The move is expected to begin in late summer, with all 300 employees in their new offices in November.

SummaCare, whose first client 30 years ago was Goodyear, signed the lease March 2. The insurer had been located in downtown Akron on North Main Street for the past 17 years.

Akron's East End has seen major improvements in the past few years, with redevelopment of the Goodyear campus by the Industrial Realty Group, renovation of Goodyear Hall into apartments with retail space, and a $5.5 million streetscape.

"SummaCare is clearly demonstrating its commitment to Akron by keeping its headquarters in the city," said Akron Mayor Dan Horrigan, in a news release. "The East End neighborhood, with its blend of residences and new companies moving in, is a perfect example of the progress we are making throughout our city. I commend SummaCare for becoming the first tenant."

Securing SummaCare as its first tenant on Market Street is a key to future development of the East End area.

"What's happening in this area is really amazing," said Carol Smith, IRG vice president. "We expect to have additional exciting developments to announce over the next few weeks and months."

SummaCare will lease 65,000-square-feet on one floor of the 1.5-acre complex.

According to Kathy Geier, chair of SummaCare's board of directors, the move will enable SummaCare to become more efficient in its operations, as the existing site was too large.

"In our current location, it was a challenge to all meet together as a team," said Bob Paskowski, SummaCare's interim president. "In the East End complex, we will have access to a large, 300 seat-community room as well as the Goodyear Theater."

The Goodyear Theater, directly across Market Street from SummaCare's new site, is a restored theater that seats about 1,500.

SummaCare's move to the East End coincides with Summa Health's plans to construct a new 300,000-square-foot patient tower and a medical office building on its Akron Campus. With Summa Health's Akron Campus and Summa Rehab Hospital on Market Street, Summa Care's move will create a medical corridor along that strip.

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