Better Akron Fellows program launches effort to revitalize Park East neighborhood

The Better Akron Fellows has launched a group focused on revitalizing the city's Park East neighborhood, just south of downtown and north of Summit Lake along the Ohio & Erie Canal.

Twelve emerging civic leaders have begun a three-month process to examine the community (previously known as Canal Park and renamed after the city's baseball stadium adopted that title) and their role in dreaming and designing Park East's future.

This is the third Better Akron Fellows program of its kind; the collaboration between the Knight Foundation and the nonprofit Heart to Heart Communications is in partnership with the Ohio & Erie Canalway Coalition and the Akron Civic Commons initiative.

The Park East Fellows will present conclusions and ideas at a closing ceremony in December.

The following have been selected as fellows: Crystal Ann Costa, community volunteer; Annmarie Ford, community volunteer; Jerry Harris, Summit Metro Parks; Lydia Hoffman, Ohio & Erie Canalway Coalition; Grace Hudson, Summit Lake Fellow; Alyssa Jones, Ohio & Erie Canalway Coalition; Alexandria Kotecki, GPD Group; Kyle Lukes, Environmental Design Group; Andrew Novak, Metisentry and Summit Sports & Social; John Rucker, Akron Civic Commons; Brittany Schmoekel, City of Akron; and Theresa Taras, GPD Group.

To learn more about this program, visit www.h2hc.org or call 330-434-3278.