Kenmore Neighborhood Alliance

KENMORE NEIGHBORHOOD ALLIANCE (KNA) IS THE ONLY COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION DEDICATED TO THE PHYSICAL, CULTURAL, ARTISTIC, RECREATIONAL AND BUSINESS REVITALIZATION OF THE KENMORE NEIGHBORHOOD IN SOUTHWEST AKRON. WE PARTNER WITH THE CITY OF AKRON, LOCAL NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS, BUSINESSES AND RESIDENTS TO IMPROVE AKRON'S LARGEST NEIGHBORHOOD BUSINESS DISTRICT, KENMORE BOULEVARD - AKRON'S MUSIC ROW - WHICH IS ON THE NATIONAL REGISTRY OF HISTORIC PLACES. WE TAKE AN ASSET-BASED APPROACH TO REVITALIZATION, EMBRACING MAIN STREET AMERICA'S FOUR-POINT APPROACH TO REVITALIZATION: A STRONG, SUSTAINABLE ORGANIZATION, PROMOTION, DESIGN AND ECONOMIC VITALITY. ORGANIZATION INVOLVES KNA CREATING A STRONG FOUNDATION FOR A SUSTAINABLE REVITALIZATION EFFORT, INCLUDING CULTIVATING PARTNERSHIPS, COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT AND RESOURCES. PROMOTION INVOLVES KNA POSITIONING THE KENMORE BOULEVARD COMMERCIAL DISTRICT AS THE PHYSICAL, CULTURAL, RELATIONAL AND ECONOMIC CENTER OF THE COMMUNITY. IT ALSO MEANS CRE

IMPLEMENTED COVID-19 SUPPORT PROGRAM FOR MUSICIANS AND SMALL BUSINESSES THAT WERE STRUGGLING AS A RESULT OF THE PANDEMIC. IN ORDER TO HELP THE KENMORE BOULEVARD SMALL BUSINESS DISTRICT WEATHER THE COVID-19 STORM, WE DEPLOYED AKRON CITY COUNCIL CARES ACT FUNDING BY INVESTING IN INFRASTRUCTURE, SUPPORTING MUSICIANS AND SMALL BUSINESSES, PARTICULARLY THE RIALTO THEATRE AND OTHER MUSIC RELATED BUSINESSES, WHICH ARE THE BIGGEST DRIVERS OF ECONOMIC ACTIVITY IN OUR DISTRICT. AS A RESULT, ALL BUT ONE BUSINESS IN THE DISTRICT SURVIVED THE ECONOMIC IMPACT OF THE PANDEMIC. WE EVEN ATTRACTED 10 NEW BUSINESSES AND 18 NEW JOBS DESPITE COVID-19, FIVE OF WHICH ARE MINORITY OWNED AND FOUR OF WHICH ARE OWNED BY FEMALES.

REINVESTED IN DISTRICT MARKETING AND MONTHLY KENMORE FIRST FRIDAY EVENTS. DURING THE ONGOING PANDEMIC, OUTDOOR EVENTS LIKE KENMORE FIRST FRIDAY OFFERED RESIDENTS AND VISITORS A SAFE, FUN WAY TO RECONNECT AND SUPPORT LOCAL ARTISTS, VENDORS AND SMALL BUSINESSES. IN FACT, OUR 2021 KENMORE FIRST FRIDAY EVENTS ATTRACTED EVEN MORE PARTICIPATION THAN EVER BEFORE, HELPING TO BUILD A SENSE OF FORWARD PROGRESS FOR THE KENMORE COMMUNITY. IN ALL, WE ATTRACTED MORE THAN 2,000 PEOPLE TO THE DISTRICT BY SAFELY ENGAGING THE PUBLIC AND IMPROVING OUTDOOR SPACES TO SUPPORT SOCIALLY DISTANT GATHERINGS THROUGHOUT COVID-19. KEY IN THE SUCCESS OF THIS INITIATIVE WAS THE HIRE OF A FULL-TIME STAFF MEMBER DEDICATED TO EVENTS, MARKETING AND SMALL BUSINESS ASSISTANCE. OF THE 10 NEW BUSINESSES WE ATTRACTED IN 2021, NEARLY ALL MENTIONED KENMORE FIRST FRIDAY EVENTS AS REASONS FOR THEIR DECISION TO LOCATE THEIR STORES TO OUR DISTRICT.

CREATED A SENSE OF PLACE IN THE KENMORE BOULEVARD HISTORIC DISTRICT WE PARTNERED WITH THE CITY OF AKRON AND KENMORE RESIDENTS AND STAKEHOLDERS TO IDENTIFY, DEVELOP AND BEGIN IMPLEMENTING THE KENMORE BOULEVARD BRANDING & WAYFINDING PLAN. BASED ON COMMITTEE FEEDBACK, ENVIRONMENTAL DESIGN GROUP CREATED A DESIGN TYPOGRAPHY, LOCATION PLAN AND COST ESTIMATES THAT KNA WAS ABLE TO IMPLEMENT IN ORDER TO CREATE A RENEWED SENSE OF PLACE AND TO REINFORCE KENMORE'S CREATIVE AND HISTORICAL IDENTITY. IMPLEMENTATIONS INCLUDE BRANDED LIGHT POLE BANNERS IN THE MEDIAN AND PARKING SIGNS TO DRAW ATTENTION TO TWO LARGELY UNDERUTILIZED PUBLIC LOTS RUNNING ALONG THE KENMORE BOULEVARD NORTH AND SOUTH ALLEYS. WE ALSO IMPLEMENTED TWO KENMORE BOULEVARD ENTRYWAY MURALS: ONE NEAR THE EXIT FROM I-76/OH ROUTE 224 AND ONE ON THE OH ROUTE 93 UNDERPASS. THEY NOW WELCOME DRIVERS FROM THE KENMORE LEG OF THE EXPRESSWAY, AND PEDESTRIANS AND BIKE TRAFFIC COMING FROM THE OHIO & ERIE CANAL TOWPATH AND SUMMIT LAKE, TO THE KENMORE BOULEVARD HISTORIC DISTRICT, WITH PLAYFUL YET AUTHENTIC DESIGNS THAT DEPICT KENMORE'S MUSICAL HISTORY AND 100-YEAR-OLD MASCOT, THE CARDINAL.

IMPLEMENTED PUBLIC SPACE AND STOREFRONT BEAUTIFICATION PROGRAMS. USING DESIGN GUIDELINES DEVELOPED IN 2020, WE PROVIDED GUIDANCE AND SUPPORT TO PROPERTY AND SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS TO IMPROVE THEIR BUILDINGS AND SIGNAGE. WE PROVIDED 8,654 TO ASSIST THE GUITAR DEPARTMENT, A CORNERSTONE BOULEVARD BUSINESS, TO DESIGN AND PURCHASE A FULLY LIT PROJECTING SIGN. IN ADDITION, WE CONDUCTED STOREFRONT DECORATING FOR THE HOLIDAYS AND PERFORMED MONTHLY CLEANUPS ALONG KENMORE BOULEVARD.