Akron wants to sell 66 city-owned vacant lots in Sherbondy Hill to housing developer

Anthony Thompson, Akron Beacon Journal
·3 min read

Akron's Sherbondy Hill neighborhood could soon be getting 30 new houses on vacant lots currently owned by the city.

The Akron City Planning Commission last week recommended the approval of the sale of 66 city-owned vacant lots to K. Hovnanian Ohio Operations LLC.

The city is charging K. Hovnanian close to $77,000 for vacant lots, with an agreement that the developer would assume all maintenance and upkeep on the lots, according to officials.

Final approval for the sale of the roughly seven acres of vacant land in the Sherbondy Hill neighborhood would come from City Council, which will vote on this sale in a meeting later this month.

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"We have always aspired to get new homes built and provide quality living options for those individuals who work downtown," said Jason Segedy, the city's director of planning and urban development. "We have seen what K. Hovnanian have done to build other residences in the Akron community and we are excited for this opportunity to expand community development."

Jason Segedy, Director of Planning and Urban Development for the City of Akron, in his office.
Jason Segedy, Director of Planning and Urban Development for the City of Akron, in his office.

Plans are for the immediate development and construction of 30 homes on vacant lots located in an area bordered by Rhodes Avenue and Bell Street, just south of South Maple Street. Rand Street and state Route 59 serve as the southern border for this proposed residential development.

"The mixed-income housing that will eventually be located on these vacant lots is another part of urban renewal that the City is focused on, and the City welcomes the building of these new homes in this area adjacent to such landmarks as the Akron Zoo close to downtown," said Stephanie Marsh, the city's chief communications officer.

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If the sale is approved, groundbreaking for the new development is expected to take place in spring 2023, with construction to begin in earnest later in the year.

The Planning Commission determined the vacant lots are not required for municipal use, paving the way for the eventual sale of these land parcels to national developer K. Hovnanian. The Crossings at Auld Farms, another K. Hovnanian development, one of the first new housing development within Akron-city limits in decades, recently finished and sold 28 of the 51 single-family homes in nearby West Akron, according to officials.

"The availability of new housing with access to public transportation, jobs and other public services will not only help grow the population of our city but create an inclusive and diverse community as well," said City Council President and Ward 3 Representative Margo Sommerville in a 2021 press release commemorating the groundbreaking for K. Hovnanian's Auld Farms development.

With urban renewal and community investment a signature part of Mayor Horrigan's Planning to Grow Akron 2.0 plan, developments such as the Crossings at Auld Farms, the Residences at Good Park and this new proposed residential allow Akron to become a more diverse city on the rise, supporters say.

"By investing in housing and new infrastructure, we're making a long-term commitment to our city and our residents," Horrigan said in a 2021 press release.

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This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: City of Akron plans sale of 66 vacant lots for residential development