AKRON, Ohio - With updated zoning in hand and two of Akron's most notable landmarks, the West Hill Community Development Corp. is working to turn the Akron neighborhood into an economically viable arts district.

Akron City Council in April approved a zoning amendment that expands the boundaries of the former "Victorian Village," which was approved in the 1990s to enable homeowners to open small businesses in their residences. The new, larger West Hill Village encompasses residences on Glendale Avenue, and Maple, Hall and Crosby streets.

The idea didn't catch on in the '90s, but today with an organized development corporation, the close proximity of several arts-related organizations and city support, interest is fully renewed.

"It's really a branding thing; it's acknowledging what already exists," said J.T. Buck, who owns and operates the Orchard House on Maple Street, and is a board member of the West Hill CDC.

The Orchard House

The Orchard House, a large residence on two lots next to CDC-owned apple orchard, is fast becoming a hub for the proposed arts district. Buck already hosts small performance events inside, and plans to add an outdoor performance area this summer capable of seating 60-80 people.

"The overall goal of the house is to make it the model home for what the neighborhood could be with this mixed-use zoning," he said. Buck is planning "test pilot" events, including salon-style performances, and dinners in which attendees are exposed to various performance, musical or visuals artists' work.

"It's the kind of small event that doesn't fit anywhere except someone's house," he said.

To begin organizing residents within the expanded footprint and bring awareness of efforts underway, the West Hill CDC is mailing a flyer to everyone in the neighborhood's ZIP code.

The flyer will feature the logo of all the arts groups already in operation in West Hill, such as the Rubber City Theatre, which works with youth at the West Hill Salvation Army; the Balch Street Theatre; the Youth Excellence Performing Workshop; Hive Mind and the Oakdale House.

The Orchard House, a large residence on two lots next to an apple orchard, is fast becoming a hub for the proposed West Hill arts district.

West Hill Art Walk

The plan is to create an art walk this October featuring West Hill artists, from performance-based to poets, in an annual day-long street-style event open to the community. The event would differ from Highland Square's Porch Rokr, which is music and art-oriented, and features musical porch performances at private residences.

"This would be much more the flavor of the neighborhood, which is DIY," Buck said. That "flavor" would also set the West Hill district apart from the existing North Side Arts District, which is commercial.

West Hill CDC events chairman Tom Crain said the neighborhood needs access to the Towpath Trail and a coffee shop that caters to a late-night artistic crowd.

Crain lived in St Paul's Grand Avenue neighborhood during graduate school, That neighborhood was transformed in a similar way to the current West Hill efforts, and hosts an annual art event.

"They rezoned the old historic homes and allowed people to have businesses and encouraged artists to come in there," he said. "Now, it's the most coveted neighborhood in St. Paul."

A Towpath Trailhead

The city is working with the West Hill CDC to enhance the neighborhood's existing amenities, such as connecting the neighborhood to the Towpath Trail.

The Towpath runs along the south edge of the neighborhood next to downtown, where part of the city's sewer project is taking place and the Innerbelt redevelopment is underway.

To comfortably take hikers and bikers from Glendale Avenue down the hill to the Towpath, the city will build a "switchback," which is a paved surfaced that zigzags down the hill to make the incline more easily navigated. The city would likely build the path next year once the sewer construction is wrapped up, said James Hardy, Akron's deputy mayor for integrated development

At the bottom of that hill, about 30 acres where the Innerbelt sat will be available for revitalization once ODOT is done removing the old, underused roadway. Mayor Dan Horrigan has said the reactivated space might be a good place for Akron's own central park, a water feature and possibly residential housing.

A new park

On the hill above above the Innerbelt are the Glendale Steps, which are adjacent to the entrance to Akron's historic Glendale Cemetery.

The West Hill CDC also has applied for a grant to create a park near the Glendale Steps and cemetery through the city's new Akron Parks Challenge. In the challenge, neighborhood groups are invited to pitch a vision for their favorite park and explain how they could partner to achieve that goal. Two parks will be chosen to work with the city and its partners to develop park improvement plans.

The improvements dovetail well with the city's vision for development of the Innerbelt, and will appeal to both Millennials and Boomers, said Ward 1 Councilman Rick Swirsky, whose ward include parts of West hill and Highland Square.

"There's a lot of great housing stock and it's an incredible location," he said. "It's the gateway to the city."

The city has already sent workers out to clear overgrowth at the Glendale Steps and will provide some funding to restore them, Hardy said.

"The idea is to eventually create a trailhead and add amenities for walkers and bikers and neighborhood residents to see the historic cemetery, and the steps and interact in the park," Hardy said.

Keep Akron Beautiful will work to beautify the steps as well as the nearby legendary Cadillac Hill or Bates Street - the steepest street in Akron.

The city and the Summit County Land Bank are also looking at an empty building at 65 Glendale Ave. to determine if it could be put back in to productive reuse as a coffee shop, bike shop or other business compatible with the West Hill neighborhood.

"When you put the pieces of the puzzle together with the sewer project and Route 59 redevelopment happening with all the stuff that's percolating along Maple Street all of a sudden you have something," Buck said.

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