On June 11, the Ohio assembly finalized and approved Senate bill 450 which appropriates $3.7 billion throughout the next fiscal year. This budget provides nearly $7.8 million for Summit County projects including $400,000 for the Akron Police Dan Street public safety training facility, and $250,000 for redevelopment of Lock 2 . What’s really exciting for us in Ward 8, is that the city and Akron Parks Collaborative worked to obtain $100,000 in Funding for Hardesty Park Improvements.
Hardesty is one of the most visited city parks in Akron, hosting over 25,000 people annually and is home to multiple events like the Akron Arts Expo, summer concert series, West Akron Baseball games, and other festivals. Hardesty Park is on a main busline, close to neighborhood businesses and restaurants, is the largest City owned park with the highest reservations by families. You’ll hear more details about this private public partnership next month!
I want to thank our Local elected Representatives Veronica Sims and Derrick Hall for championing this project at the state level and special thanks to Akron Parks Collaborative Executive Director Bridget Ambrisco and City of Akron’s Policy and Grant Strategist Emma Lieberth Osborn for spearheading this project. As I said, there’s more exciting news to come in July!