Kenmore Neighborhood Alliance

BETTER KENMORE IS WORKING TO CHANGE THE PERCEPTION THAT KENMORE IS A PLACE TO BE AVOIDED. IN ORDER TO GET THERE, BETTER KENMORE TAKES AN ASSET-BASED APPROACH TO REVITALIZATION WITH THE FOLLOWING APPROACHES: 1) AMPLIFY AKRON'S MUSIC ROW; 2) IGNITE NEIGHBORHOOD-FRIENDLY INVESTMENT; 3) CREATE SPACES THAT SING; 4) ENGAGE THE COMMUNITY AROUND CRITICAL ISSUES.

AMPLIFY AKRON'S MUSIC ROW THROUGH MARKETING, EVENTS AND LOCAL ARTISTS: BETTER KENMORE HOSTED A SERIES OF PLACEMAKING EVENTS THAT ATTRACTED NEARLY 5,500 PEOPLE IN 2023, INCLUDING FOUR FIRST FRIDAY FESTIVALS WITH LIVE MUSIC, VENDORS, FOOD TRUCKS, AND A KID ZONE; A BOO ON THE BOULEVARD HALLOWEEN EVENT WITH TRICK-OR-TREATING, A HAUNTED THEATER, AND A COSTUME CONTEST; AND A LIGHT THE BOULEVARD HOLIDAY EVENT WITH LIVE HOLIDAY MUSIC, SANTA CLAUS, AND KIDS ACTIVITIES WITH HOT CHOCOLATE AND COOKIES. ALL THESE EVENTS ARE COMPLETELY FREE. IN 2024, OUR GOAL IS TO CONTINUE THE MOMENTUM OF THESE EVENTS, AND PLAN FOR A HUGE FESTIVAL IN 2025 CELEBRATING AKRON'S BICENTENNIAL.

ENGAGE THE COMMUNITY AROUND CRITICAL ISSUES: WE SUCCESSFULLY LOBBIED AKRON PUBLIC SCHOOLS TO REBUILD MILLER SOUTH AND PFEIFFER ELEMENTARY ON THE SITE OF THE FORMER KENMORE HIGH SCHOOL BUILDING, JUST ONE BLOCK NORTH OF THE BOULEVARD, A CONSTRUCTION PROJECT VALUED AT 62,000,000. ENROLLMENT IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN IN FALL 2026. IN 2024, OUR GOAL IS TO WORK WITH AKRON PUBLIC SCHOOLS, TOGETHER WITH OUR SCHOLASTIC AND RESIDENTIAL COMMUNITIES, TO ENSURE THAT THE NEW CAMPUS IS DESIGNED IN A WAY THAT MEETS THE NEEDS OF THESE COMMUNITIES.

IGNITE NEIGHBORHOOD-FRIENDLY INVESTMENT ACQUIRING AND DEVELOPING PROPERTY, AND ATTRACTING (AND MATCHING) BUSINESSES AND RESIDENTS TO SPACES AND RESOURCES: THE RETAIL CORRIDOR VACANCY RATE HAS DROPPED BY DOUBLE DIGITS SINCE INCEPTION. THANKS TO RECRUITMENT EFFORTS AND INCENTIVES, FEMALE AND MINORITY-OWNED SMALL BUSINESSES MORE CLOSELY MATCH THE NEIGHBORHOOD'S DEMOGRAPHIC. BETTER KENMORE ALSO PROVIDES RESOURCES AND TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES FOR THESE SMALL BUSINESSES. FURTHER, THE ORGANIZATION HAS RESTORED ONE VACANT/BLIGHTED BUILDING AND IS CURRENTLY RESTORING TWO OTHER BUILDINGS FOR MIXED-USE. (IN THE SUMMER OF 2024, OUR SECOND BUILDING WAS RENOVATED AND OCCUPIED.)

CREATE SPACES THAT SING THROUGH SIGNAGE, PUBLIC ART AND "SAFE AND CLEAN" EFFORTS THAT MAGNIFY WHAT'S GOOD ABOUT THE NEIGHBORHOOD: PEDESTRIAN AND BIKE PATHS AND WAYFINDING SIGNAGE HAVE BEEN INSTALLED. IN 2023, WE PLANTED AND TENDED HUNDREDS OF NATIVE OHIO FLOWERS AND PLANTS IN THE BOULEVARD MEDIANS, AND OUR VOLUNTEERS CONDUCTED A WEEKLY TRASH PICK-UP. A CREATIVE PLACEMAKING PLAN HAS BEEN RECENTLY DEVELOPED TO COMPLEMENT THE PUBLIC ART MURALS BETTER KENMORE HAS ALREADY COMPLETED. A QUARTERLY "BLOCK WATCH" MEETING WAS FORMED TO PROVIDE A PLATFORM FOR BOULEVARD BUSINESS OWNERS AND RESIDENTS TO VOICE THEIR CONCERNS. IN 2024, OUR GOAL IS TO INSTALL HISTORIC DISTRICT WELCOME SIGNS AND WAYFINDING SIGNS FROM THE NEWLY CONSTRUCTED SUMMIT LAKE HIKE & BIKE TRAIL TO THE BOULEVARD HISTORIC DISTRICT.