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Downtown Construction

Existing and upcoming projects 

Lock 3 Park
Project Timeline: July 2023-Fall 2024

Click below for Lock 3 renderings:
Lock 3 Renderings

The Lock 3 Vision Plan is a key component of the resident-led Akron Civic Commons 2.0 project that plans to build on the success of Lock 3 Park as a successful event, concert and festival public space and develop a year-round park that is a destination for residents, guests, hikers, and bicyclists along the Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail. Some of the elements that residents have identified as priorities for Lock 3 moving forward are shaded seating, landscaped gardens, artwork, skating areas and a world-class performance pavilion.

Main Street Corridor Project Phase 2 PROJECT COMPLETE
Project Timeline: November 2020-June 2022

Click below for Main Street Phase 2 renderings
Birds Eye View of Project Area
Site Plan for Project Area
Click here for phasing map.

Main Street Corridor Project Phase 1 PROJECT COMPLETE
Project Timeline: July 2018-September 2020

Click below for Main Street Phase 1 renderings:
Street view at State Street
Cascade Plaza

The project will be completed through several phases and is a complete street design encompassing amenities for all users including pedestrians, bicycles, transit users, and vehicles. Improvements include new pavement, sidewalk, cycletrack, utilities, signalization, lighting, landscaping and more. A roundabout will be built at the intersection of Mill/Main and two mid-block crossings for pedestrians will be built. Also included are green infrastructure improvements including permeable pavement in the parking lanes.

Cedar & Exchange signalization
Project Timeline: Sept. 2016-Nov. 2018 PROJECT COMPLETE

This project is a signalization and road diet project on the east – west arterials Exchange St and Cedar St. All signals within the corridor between S. Portage Path and S. Broadway St. will be upgraded and coordinated. Through lanes will be reduced to two lanes on each street. The remaining pavement will be used for parking lanes and bicycle lanes. Bump outs will be constructed to further define parking lanes and shorten pedestrian crossings.

Akron Children’s Hospital Considine expansion
Project Timeline: March 2017-Nov. 2018 PROJECT COMPLETE

In Oct. 2016, Akron Children’s Hospital announced plans to add 230,000 square feet to the seven-story Considine Professional Building at the Akron campus. Utilizing building principles of lean integrated project delivery, the addition will support care delivery and bring together almost all of Akron Children’s outpatient and subspecialty services.

The Bowery
Project Timeline: fall 2018-fall 2019 PROJECT COMPLETE

The Bowery will consist of six (6) buildings to be redeveloped for retail, residential and mixed use space. These buildings will be adapted for modern use, but will keep historic details in order to preserve and celebrate downtown Akron’s past. The project will help complete Akron’s South Main Street by solidifying it as one of Akron’s most valuable districts for culture, entertainment and residences.

The Law Building
Project Timeline: October 2019-December 2020

Historic renovation for residential, office and retail, $30 million.

Former City Center Hotel
Project Timeline: spring 2020-spring 2022

The former hotel will be converted to 146 market rate apartment units, as well as a restaurant and rooftop bar.

ODOT Main/Broadway Interchange
Project Timeline: July 2016-July 2020 PROJECT COMPLETE

This project will reconfigure the I-76/I-77 interchange at S. Main St. and S. Broadway St. Proposed exits include: northbound S. Broadway St., northbound S. Main St. and southbound S. Main St. Proposed entrances include: two eastbound at S. Main St., and one westbound at S. Main St. S. Main St. will be widened to accommodate two-way traffic between Bartges St. and Miller Ave. S. Main St. will become the main arterial through the area, rather than S. Broadway St. S. Broadway St. will be bisected at I-77/I-76, but remain open to business to the south. S Broadway St. to the north will remain open for exiting traffic from I-76/I-77. In addition, the on/off ramps at both Grant St. and Wolf Ledges Pky. will be eliminated.

Ohio Canal Interceptor Tunnel (OCIT)
Project Timeline: 2016-2021

27-foot wide, 6,200 foot long tunnel for Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO) storage and conveyance that will satisfy the EPA federally mandated Consent Decree to control Combined Sewer Overflows (CSOs) from nine existing outfall structures. The project construction will occur in three primary areas;

OCIT-1 near Otto St. north of Hickory St. and south of Cuyahoga St.
OCIT-2 with three sites around W. Market St./Glendale Ave./Rand Ave./Dart Ave.
OCIT-3 Exchange Street just west of South Main Street.

Freedom Trail
Project timeline:

Freedom Trail is a paved multi-purpose trail from downtown Akron to Middlebury Rd. near Kent. Six miles are complete, from Eastwood Ave. in Akron to Middlebury Road.

Two miles, from Eastwood Ave to Mill St, at the University of Akron, are currently under construction.

Two connections, from Mill St. to the Towpath near Canal Place in downtown Akron and another connection from Freedom Trail to the Portage Bike and Hike Trail are in the early planning phases.