Akron’s Summit Lake group breaks floor on new path | Information

Akron’s Summit Lake group broke floor on a brand new path at the moment. The resident-led undertaking is meant to deliver fairness in public areas to a traditionally underserved group.

The Ohio and Erie Canal Summit Lake Path will go round Summit Lake and hook up with the Towpath Path. Within the early 1900s, Summit Lake was a recreation hub, however the group had change into underserved in current a long time, mentioned Ohio and Erie Canalway Coalition President and CEO Dan Rice.

“Eight years in the past, there was just one bench at this lake. There was one bench at this lake, and it did not even face the lake,” Rice mentioned. “And normally there’s that nervous remark, there’s that nervous laughter, however take into consideration that for a second. It did not even face the lake. What does that say about how we care about this lake and the way we care about one another?”

Summit Seaside Amusement Park was a vacation spot from the late 1910s till it closed in 1958, however the park, like Akron, was segregated. Mayor Dan Horrigan mentioned he needs the realm to be open to everybody.

“All residents no matter their revenue, race, schooling or expertise deserve excellent parks, and none of us in all probability actually bear in mind Summit Lake in its heyday within the 30s, 40s and 50s,” Horrigan mentioned. “However it’ll have a heyday once more, and that is due to the funding from all of our key companions.”

Akron Civic Commons Donor Committee Co-Chair Invoice Considine hopes the path is the start of revitalizing the realm.

“We’ll shine a jewel that has been ignored for a number of years,” Considine mentioned, “and that jewel goes to be very vivid and be welcoming to all of the residents right here on this neighborhood in addition to all of the guests who need to come to this neighborhood.”

That is one other step to bringing fairness to this group, mentioned Rice.

“As a result of anywhere else on this nation, and there are wealthier communities. I’m simply being very sincere right here, they usually have property,” Rice mentioned. “They’ve fantastically designed public areas however not right here. At the moment we modify that.”

The undertaking was spearheaded by the resident-led Akron Civic Commons. The undertaking centered the voices of the individuals who dwell in the neighborhood, mentioned Summit Lake resident Grace Hudson.

“It’s not anyone coming in and saying, ‘That is what we’re going to do, and that is what you need, and that is what you want,'” Hudson mentioned. “No. It’s stepping again and really listening to the residents, and I believe that is essential, and it’s very empowering for anyone to return alongside and really hearken to us.”

Hudson mentioned the path can also be very important to connecting the group.

“I am unable to inform you what number of occasions I have been out strolling my canine and say, ‘Good morning,’ to anyone passing by and subsequent factor I do know I am having a ten, 15-minute dialog with anyone I’ve by no means met,” Hudson mentioned. “However by the point the dialog finishes, it is like, ‘Okay, properly it was a pleasure to satisfy you, and perhaps I am going to see you out right here once more.'”

Toqa Hassan can also be a resident of Summit Lake and served as a volunteer for the undertaking. She mentioned accessibility was an integral a part of it.

“After I attend the Summit Lake steering committee conferences, there are individuals that aren’t on the desk, and their views are nonetheless heard,” Hassan mentioned. “So once we say that we wish people who want a wheelchair accessibility ramp to entry the north shore – there was nobody within the room with a wheelchair. Nobody within the room had crutches, however their perspective was heard. And I believe that is the group coming collectively.”

The brand new path and revitalization of public areas within the Summit Lake group might unfold to all of Akron, Knight Foundation Akron Program Director Kyle Kutuchief mentioned.

“We imagine that to construct a extra equitable Akron, our metropolis wants extra locations that deliberately invite and join individuals of all backgrounds, fostering a lot wanted empathy and understanding,” Kutuchief mentioned.

Rice hopes the brand new path might be therapeutic to a group that is handled racism, dividedness and underdevelopment.

“This multiuse leisure path is greater than a bodily connection since it’ll present a fantastically designed therapeutic house and refuge for neighborhood residents to get pleasure from nature, train and spend time with their household and mates,” Rice mentioned.

The path is predicted to be accomplished by 2023.

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