The Commons Community: Andrew Novak
Akron Civic Commons is highlighting the neighbors and partners that make our work in downtown Akron, Ohio & Erie Canal Park, and Summit Lake possible. This week, we’re highlighting Andrew Novak, director of operations at Pinnacle Sports, co-founder of Summit Sports & Social, and lover of all things Akron.
Tell us a little about yourself
I was born and raised in Akron and returned upon my graduation from Miami University close to a decade ago. I live in Highland Square with my wife (Brittany Hamad) and an amazing 13-year-old rescue dog (Sowy). I enjoy running, local breweries and coffee shops, Scrabble and Euchre, as well as traveling and exploring new cities. I'm an extremely curious person, and I love to dive deep into a wide range of topics from Cleveland sports to contemporary art markets. Being active and engaged is really important to me, but I also can't get enough of the peak TV moment we're living in, so vegging out on the couch with Ted Lasso or hitting The Nightlight are some of my favorite ways to chill. Although I have spent the majority of my career working with early-mid stage technology start-ups, I recently took on a leadership role as director of operations at Pinnacle Sports.
Photos courtesy of Andrew Novak
How did you get involved with Akron Civic Commons and what has been your experience?
In 2016, I co-founded Summit Sports & Social with my friend Logan Jennings. The purpose of the venture was to connect new and native Akronites through recreational sports and social activities with a focus on downtown Akron. We began at the former sand volleyball courts near the State Street Bridge behind Canal Park, directly on the Towpath Trail. The first summer we had about eight to ten teams, but it was well-received, and by the second summer things really took off and we started offering additional sports like Kickball.
I believe I met Dan Rice that first or second summer on the Towpath Trail, and we struck up a conversation about the future vision of the organization Logan and I hoped to build. Summit Sports & Social was selected as a Knight Cities Challenge finalist in 2017 for the (Re)Creation Rubber Matches grant idea that we pitched. That was an extremely intense, informative period for us, and it's at that time that I better got to know some of the Akron Civic Commons team.
In 2018, we collaborated with the Downtown Akron Partnership (DAP) on Spikeball and Bocce Ball leagues that involved a happy hour on Cascade Plaza every Thursday night. Due to the Main Street reconstruction downtown, we had built incredible momentum with our leagues and events, but we knew our main home (the old sand courts) would be a staging area for some of the construction, so we began looking at spaces throughout Akron to make our new spring/summer home for the volleyball leagues.
To make a long story short, we ended up revitalizing a large empty lot under the Goodrich smokestacks - building four new publicly-accessible courts with generous support from OECC and Knight Foundation in 2019. Also in 2019, I was lucky to take part in the Better Akron Fellowship program by Heart2Heart, where I spent a good deal of time with a multi-generational diverse group of residents and stakeholders in the Ohio and Erie Canalway Park neighborhood (formerly known as Park East). My experience through all of the aforementioned things has been extremely positive. It's been incredible to help shape the future of Akron through collaboration and the support of a wide variety of stakeholders.
How has Akron Civic Commons impacted the neighborhoods along the Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail?
It's been awesome to see how the Akron Civic Commons team and initiatives have impacted the Ohio & Erie Towpath Trail. The Ohio and Erie Canalway Park neighborhood is the perfect example. From the murals to the parcourse to the giant colorful Adirondack chairs, the improvements to this connection between the Southside of Downtown Akron and Summit Lake are impressive. It's so fun to see neighbors and their children playing on the new KaBoom playground too. I worked inside Bounce Innovation Hub from 2016-2019, and I truly saw the transformation during my daily walks around the Towpath.
The trail is right next to the water, and the added seating areas and tables were filled with neighbors as well as employees almost as soon as they were installed. I also feel that the connection between "the heart" of downtown, like Lock 3 or Cascade Plaza, is heavily bolstered by the work of Akron Civic Commons. Downtown Akron and Summit Lake shouldn't be places that bikers, walkers, or runners on the Towpath should breeze through, and the hard work of the Civic Commons team has helped make stops along the Towpath, specifically in these areas, a destination for native and new Akronites alike.
Do you spend time at Summit Lake, Lock 3, Ohio & Erie Canal Parks, or the Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail? What is your experience? What is your favorite thing to do in these areas?
I do spend time in all of these areas. I ran cross country in high school, and I recently rediscovered my love for long runs, completing my first Akron Half-Marathon this year. I attend many events at Lock 3, and my favorite time of year has to be the winter lights/ice skating. I enjoy coming down to the Canal Courts (volleyball) and going on a run around Summit Lake and back as it's almost exactly six miles. I also venture deeper into the Cuyahoga Valley pretty regularly both on walks, runs, and bike rides to Penninsula and back. One of the best things about The Towpath and Downtown Akron is the ability to take the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad train back from a variety of stops back to the city. You can go pretty far north on the Towpath, then hop on the train back to downtown -- they even drop you right next to Luigis for some classic Akron pizza or pasta after a few hours on the trail.
What is your hope for the future of these areas impacted by the work of Akron Civic Commons?
In my opinion, the future of Akron is bright. I hope that the work and improvements that Akron Civic Commons has put in place will inspire even more Akronites to not only use some of the overlooked resources we have in the city but motivate them to get directly get involved in the work themselves. I would love to see even more recreational activity at Summit Lake that gets younger people involved as their participation and perception of the area is critical to how these positive changes will make a generational impact. I think an annual event that uses the water like a canoe race with local grade schools or high schools with some friendly competition would be really fun. Overall, I look forward to seeing how the neighborhood residents gather as friends and family to create traditions that encourage new ideas and uses for the impacted areas.
What do you think about the resident-led plans for these areas?
After being part of some of these resident-led plans, I'm bullish on the continued work for these areas. I think the model of constantly testing things out, surveying residents, and having community members that directly help shape the projects that require major investment is not only smart design, it's necessary. I have learned quite a bit about the history of Akron's neighborhoods, disinvestment, and flat-out disenfranchisement, so it's great to see how Akron Civic Commons has made a real effort to put residents at the center of planning and development.