Welcome to Summit Lake Choice Neighborhoods!

Get involved by attending an event!

In December 2022, the Akron Metropolitan Housing Authority (AMHA) and the City of Akron wrapped up a two-year-long planning process for the Summit Lake community. (see map).

This resident-led effort focused on implementing resident identified changes and investments they want to see in three areas:

Neighborhood – streets and sidewalks, bicycle infrastructure, retail/commercial opportunities, open space and recreational amenities, safety measures, public art, reuse of vacant lots and more
Housing - new housing and upgrades to existing housing, and improvement to or redevelopment of Summit Lake Apartments
People – desired health, wellness, youth, education, employment and family support services in the community

The transformation plan, submitted to HUD on December 15, 2022, captures the residents’ visions and goals for the neighborhood and serves as a roadmap for future investment in Summit Lake.

This work is being supported by a Choice Neighborhoods planning grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development as well as funding from other stakeholders including Akron Civic Commons, Knight Foundation, GAR Foundation, Huntington-Akron Foundation, County of Summit, City of Akron and AMHA.

January 2023 – Choice Neighborhoods Planning Update

“Close your eyes and listen...Hear the sounds of hammers fixing roofs and framing new homes, of lawn mowers keeping yards tidy, of bits of conversation from pedestrians walking by, of neighbors visiting and checking in on one another, of story time at the community center, of keyboard taps during a computer class.”

The excerpt above is from the final Summit Lake Transformation Plan submitted to HUD on December 15, 2022. The Transformation Plan articulates the vision for Summit Lake as identified by the community along with goals and strategies to achieve the vision. We developed the plan over the past two years by listening, learning and working alongside residents and partners. We thank the Summit Lake community for all of the input and participation. We could not have done this without you! You can check out the final Transformation Plan here. In addition, hard copies are available to view at the Summit Lake Community Center, the Reach Opportunity Center, The Front Porch Fellowship 1095 Edison Avenue, South Street Ministries 798 Grant Street and the Summit Lake Apartments management office. You can send any questions or comments to acarlisle@akronhousing.org. We would love to hear your feedback!

In addition to completing the plan, you may have noticed some exciting changes along the Towpath Trail just north of the Nature Center. It’s the new Summit Lake gathering space! The space is open to all and currently includes lounge seating, tables, and a snack shed. We invite you to come by to enjoy the space and tell us what you think by scanning the QR code found at each picnic table or clicking here and answering a few short questions. We will be testing the space through spring 2023 and will do a permanent build in the fall of 2023 based on feedback.

Our work in Summit Lake has just begun and we look forward to our continued work together. We will begin steps to implement the Transformation Plan over the next year, and anticipate applying for an up to $40,000,000 Choice Neighborhoods Implementation Grant in the fall/winter of 2023. We will provide updates as we move forward.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Choice Neighborhoods?

Choice Neighborhoods is a program of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), and is intended to help public housing authorities and cities develop and/or implement plans to support neighborhoods with aging public housing. To learn more, please visit www.hud.gov/cn

How does the work of the Akron Civic Commons tie into this?

The Choice Neighborhoods effort is one of the responses to the success of the Akron Civic Commons and the question residents raised of “what about the rest of the community?” The Choice Neighborhoods planning process will focus on the “what” for the rest of Summit Lake and build upon the improvements and investments being made around the lake.

What happens when the Transformation Plan is done?

AMHA and the City intend to apply to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development for Choice Neighborhoods Implementation funding to carry out the plan and pursue other funding sources as available to make the community’s vision for Summit Lake a reality. In the meantime, AMHA and the City have begun short-term improvements such as creation of a gathering space near Summit Lake Apartments just north of the Nature Center, installation of speed tables on Miller Avenue, planting over 300 trees and creation of an urban forest on Vincent Street, repair of inoperable street lights, replacement of city gas lines with new sidewalks.

How is this tied in with the City of Akron’s Land Use Plan?

The City’s Land Use Plan and the Choice Neighborhoods work are looking at similar but not identical geographic areas (see map). The City’s Land Use Plan is specifically focused on creating a game plan for how to reuse the vacant land in Summit Lake, but north and south of I-77. Choice Neighborhoods is targeting a smaller geographic area and is looking more broadly at neighborhood improvements beyond just the vacant land including streets, sidewalk, parks, open space, safety, retail and commercial amenities. The Land Use Plan, when finished, will be incorporated into the Transformation Plan under Choice Neighborhoods. Beyond the neighborhood features, Choice Neighborhoods is also focused on the existing housing and buildings in Summit Lake including Summit Lake Apartments and the services and programs wanted by residents.

How long will the Choice Neighborhoods process take?

AMHA and the City have two years from the date of the grant award in December 2020 to complete the planning process with residents and develop the Transformation Plan.

You say that Choice Neighborhoods process is a resident-led effort. How are residents involved and leading the effort?

Resident participation and leadership are central to the Choice Neighborhoods planning process, and the planning process has been designed to allow for multiple opportunities for resident input to be shared. Because resident interest, availability, and strengths vary, Choice Neighborhoods will create several different pathways for residents to engage over the next two years. These include but are not limited to:

Become a Resident Ambassador who connects with other residents, shares information, and encourages involvement in the process
Attend one of the many community meetings and events

The feedback and input shared via these opportunities will all be used to help guide implementation of the Transformation Plan. In addition, these events and opportunities provide a way to stay informed and engaged as we moved forward.

Photos from Summit Lake Community Workshop #1