Groups combine futures

University Park Development Corp. merges with Alliance

Groups combine futures; Ceremony Monday will tell community what's coming next

By Betty Lin-Fisher , Beacon Journal business writer

May 9, 2010

As the University Park Alliance holds its seventh luncheon and awards ceremony on Monday, the organization has a lot to tell its community.

This is a transition year in several ways for the 9-year-old organization, whose goal has been to revitalize a 50-block area around the University of Akron.

Last fall, Executive Director Ken Stapleton announced his resignation as of June so he could return to Florida after leading the group for seven years. A search for his replacement is under way.

If looking for a new director weren't enough, organization leaders also decided to merge with a similar community-based group, the University Park Development Corp. (UPDC) to eliminate duplications between the two groups. The idea was to make it less reliant on the University of Akron, whose President Luis Proenza helped found the organization in 2001. By merging with the UPDC, the new organization could use the community development corporation status to qualify for certain types of city, state and federal grants that the UPA couldn't qualify for under its former structure.

Since 2001, the UPA has been housed at UA, funded by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, with in-kind support from the university and other partners. The UPA is in its fourth year of a $10 million, five-year grant awarded by the Knight Foundation in 2006.

The city of Akron also has matched the $10 million grant with projects and improvements in the area.

Two weeks ago, the ''new'' University Park Alliance board of directors was elected. A board of 15 people from both former UPA and UPDC members sit on the board, including representatives from the UA, Summa Health System, the city of Akron and other partners. Legally, the group's name is the University Park Development Corp., but it will be known as the University Park Alliance, said Tony O'Leary, executive director of Akron Metropolitan Housing Authority and the new president of the UPA board.

Going forward, the new organization will ''build on the good work that's been done,'' O'Leary said.

''A tremendous amount has been done in the last 10 years. Certainly that's a credit to Ken (Stapleton) and Dr. Proenza. If you look back from 10 years ago, there was little or no vision and everyone was working in their own silo,'' he said.

Since the organization's inception, he added, everyone has been at ''the same table.''

There are still details that need work as the new organization moves forward, but O'Leary said that's a good thing as the group grows.

Within the last year, despite the struggling economy, some projects continue to move forward while others were put on hold, said O'Leary
and Stapleton.

''We made progress this year in areas where we've struggled in the past,'' said Stapleton. He noted there has been at least $150 million invested in projects in the last year in University Park that are either completed or being constructed. Stapleton said the group believes there has been more construction in the University Park area of Akron than any other part of the city.

''It's not an out-of-the-park kind of year, but it's a solid year, especially given the economy,'' he said. Among the completed or in-progress projects are InfoCision Stadium, the new Leggett Community Learning Center, the Spicer Village Residence Hall and the renovation of the Andrew Jackson House for the GAR Foundation.

Work is moving forward on the new University Park YMCA, which is a joint project between the Akron Area YMCA and Summa to build a new 60,000-square-foot, $11 million fitness center at East Market and Adolph streets on the Summa campus. When the two-story building opens in early 2011, it will have a gymnasium, elevated running track, aquatic center and other amenities. A physical therapy wing run by Summa will include therapy pool treatment and exam rooms.

Troubled times

Stapleton said while some projects were put on hold or delayed because of the economy, there is still active interest in new projects for the area. He said there are a few projects in a holding pattern until awaiting market opportunities or financing becoming more available.

''I think we'll see a few projects pop in the next few years,'' he said. Developers might have projects on hold but their continuing interest in the neighborhood bodes well for the strength of the area, Stapleton said.

''They can still be optimistic about the midterm and longterm here in University Park; they're just not ready to pull the trigger. It is rough to hold on, but the potential is good,'' he said.

One aspect that Stapleton and UPA Assistant Director Beth Houseman said they've been pleasantly surprised about has been the increased level of civic and ''grass-roots'' involvement from people within the University Park area.

''Residents and businesses are organizing themselves and finding ways to improve. Some are in partnership with us. That's a good indicator the momentum we've begun is beginning to take root,'' said Stapleton.

Examples are neighborhood watch groups, community events and volunteering opportunities. Many of the group efforts will be noted with awards at Monday's event.

The alliance also saw success with a sold-out series of speakers from out of town earlier this year who discussed various topics including how to change from a driving community to a biking and walking community.

In February, the group also launched a marketing campaign to create a new identity and neighborhood name, University Park. The hope is people will identify it as a ''funky, edgy'' neighborhood within Akron. A new Web site, https://www.upakron.com, was launched and the group hopes to have street banners identifying the area up by summer.

Describing success

The keynote speaker for Monday's luncheon will be Paul Grogan, president and chief executive officer of the Boston Foundation, one of the nation's oldest and largest community foundations. Grogan is also the creator of CEOs for Cities, whose members are big city mayors, business leaders, university presidents and foundation executives. The group publishes research on the nature of successful urban economics.

Stapleton said Grogan is well known and a leader in community revitalization. He's also familiar with University Park Alliance as a trustee of the Knight Foundation.