Once hailed as an icon of progressive urban development; Akron’s old Innerbelt highway that wound up going nowhere, after being built right smack dab in the middle of a thriving Black neighborhood, destroying homes, businesses, and the livelihoods of many Akron residents, is now just a memory.

Or, to be more accurate; now that it has been torn down, it can actually be anything we want it to be.

At least, that is what Akron City leaders believe, and they’ve been batting around ideas, and putting together a master plan for awhile now, reimagining what could come next on that 30 acre site.

Will a new housing development be built there to connect downtown to the old neighborhood that was destroyed back in the 1970s? How about ball fields, picnic areas, hotels, a pool, green space, or a new shopping area? 

Well, if you’d like to find out what has been planned so far, and maybe put in your two cents on how things should be; you can join the discussion tonight from 5:00 to 7:30PM, at the city’s third Open House on the Innerbelt Master Plan, at Lock 3 (200 South Main Street).

They’ll be sharing the results of the plan as it is so far, listen to ideas offered by those who attend, and even conduct a tour of the area.

To RSVP, and learn more, go to www.akroninnerbelt.com.