Former Temple Israel's transformation into cultural center in Akron is complete

The words "Love Thy Neighbor as Thyself" still greet visitors over the entrance.

And fittingly the transformation of the former Temple Israel into the Creative Arts Collaborative Center (C³) at HÜG has been nothing less than a spiritual experience for Akron developer and entrepreneur Tony Troppe.

The name HÜG stands for the Highland (Square) Universal Gathering Place.

Like his other projects in the city including the Blu-Tique Hotel, Blu Jazz+ and The Trailhead, Troppe is breathing new life into the former place of worship on Merriman Road he owns in the Highland Square neighborhood.

Workers have been toiling for months to restore and reimagine the 46,000-square-foot space that was built in 1911.

Some work still remains to be done but much of the construction is finished for what Troppe hopes will be the first of a many daylong or even weekend long special cultural events at the center.

The center is hosting Philadelphia jazz vocalist Michelle Lordi on Thursday.

Bobby Selvaggio, the center's executive director, said each event the center will put on will be carefully curated to not only include performances but also discussions and even master classes.

Lordi will be hosting a free master class at 4 p.m. Thursday before her ticketed 7 p.m. concert at the center with Orrin Evans on piano, Matthew Parrish on bass and James Johnson III on drums.

For tickets, visit https://creative-arts-collaborative-center.ticketleap.com/michelle-lordi-quartet/dates/Mar-23-2023_at_0400PM.

As a jazz musician himself and a professor at Kent State, Selvaggio said, he is excited about what the center will be able to offer.

He said there are plenty of stages in and around Akron to watch a performance.

What makes the Creative Arts Collaborative Center (C³) at HÜG different is that it plans to engage with artists from musicians to actors and everything in between in a holistic approach so aspiring kids and teens can meet with them and even adults will be able to engage in meaningful conversations.

"Every performance we put on will have an educational component," Selvaggio said. "We are not putting gigs on here. We are putting on cultural events here."

And there's plenty of space inside of the neoclassic revival building to be creative in.

The former temple's prayer hall is now an auditorium that can seat up to 300 people with walls that can extended to create a smaller concert venue.

In the center of the auditorium, Troppe points out the ceiling rises to some 35 feet.

"Our passion for music will be going out to the heavens," he said.

In the lower level, there's another large space that can hold some 250 people for banquets and special events.

The commercial kitchen that supports this space will also be able to host classes and events for culinary art students and enthusiasts.

And it will also be able for rentals – like weddings or other celebratory gatherings.

Troppe said he is putting in a vintage gameroom with restored classic pinball machines in a nearby room that can be used by guests at special events.

There are plans for dozens of studios to host musicians and artists along with living quarters to eventually accommodate artists in residence.

In the spirit of being a community space, Troppe said, the center recently hosted an Akron City Council ward meeting.

Aside from saving an "architectural gem" from sitting empty or possible demolition, Troppe said, he envisions the space as filling a void in the community by providing a place where a variety of related programming can be hosted at the same time.

He's hoping to collaborate with the city's other cultural institutions to help expand their programming by offering a place where a concert or performance can be held on the main floor and a predinner or an afterparty can be held on the floor below.

"I really believe there's synergy here," he said.

Talks are also underway to work with the LeBron James Family Foundation and its I Promise School and House Three Thirty that also call the Highland neighborhood to collaborate on things like master classes with musicians and artists at the center.

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"We are within walking distance," he said.

And his vision extends beyond the temple's walls.

Troppe has plans to create an outdoor performance space on the two vacant lots he also owns just west of the former temple.

Aside from offering outdoor events there, he also plans to put in a landscaped prayer labyrinth.

The growth and reinvestment in downtown Akron and interest in more cultural venues and opportunities in and around Greater Akron, Troppe said, makes ventures like the Creative Arts Collaborative Center (C3) at HÜG an attractive place for people looking for a place to live and for companies looking for a place to call home.

"We need to put a spotlight on the creative things we are doing here in Akron," he said.

Craig Webb can be reached at cwebb@thebeaconjournal.com.

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Former Temple Israel's transformation into cultural center is complete