Patterson Park Community Center will soon be torn down, reborn in community's image
The Patterson Park Community Center, a North Hill staple for almost sixty years, will be torn down later this year and eventually rise anew to meet the needs of an Akron community that has evolved significantly in recent years.
The neighborhood's influx of Bhutanese, Nepali, Myanmar and Congolese families — including many refugees — has been front and center in conversations about how to build out the new center. The city engaged residents in the planning process, including on-site feedback and a community survey to help shape priorities.
"Some community input sessions involved giving attendees stickers and placing them on different designs to gauge what they would like to see the playground look like, and other additional amenities that are coming to the new center," said Jeff Incorvia, supervisor of the facility at 800 Patterson Ave.
"I know a lot of the refugee population have utilized the space in the past, and what this new building will bring is even more opportunity for the international community to integrate into the neighborhood," said Akron City Councilman Phil Lombardo, the Ward 2 representative whose district includes the park. "I can't wait to see what that will look like."
Funding for the $7.8 million project comes from a portion of the American Rescue Plan Act economic stimulus fund that Akron received in 2021, plus the city's capital budget.
A 2020 survey identified Patterson Park as one of three community centers in greatest need of repair, with more that 500 responses emphasizing the facility.
"Many community members rent the center for activities and programs. We will be able to accommodate more of them after the renovations," Stephanie Marsh, chief communications officer said. "We work with Project Learn to offer classes for the community."
Project Learn, an affiliate of the Ohio Department of Higher Education, promotes literacy and education attainment for adults of all backgrounds.
What changes the community should expect from the new center
The Patterson Park community center will be torn down beginning this fall; last week, Mayor Dan Horrigan led a ceremonial groundbreaking.
There's a projected 12-18 month window for construction, with the new building and amenities becoming available for public use in late 2024 or early 2025. The new building will include meeting rooms, an art/gardening room, a game room and a new outdoor playground. There will also be a multipurpose room that will allow for indoor recreation including volleyball, pickleball and basketball.
The art/gardening room was a popular request, Incorvia said.
"The international community here do a lot of gardening, and responded they wanted to see an area where they can garden and learn new techniques," he said, "and that's what we will do at the new center."
The playground area will move closer to the splash pad, which was installed in 2021. A new parking lot will be built in its place, while the existing lot will be repaved.
The basketball and tennis courts as well as the softball field will remain open to the public for the duration of construction. The splash pad will temporarily close.
The new center will be one floor to maximize accessibility for all ages and abilities. An additional entryway from the new parking area off Patterson Avenue will complement the accessible pathway and entry point from the existing parking lot.
"Revitalizing our public spaces is vital to our city’s future,” Horrigan said at the Thursday ceremony. “I know the renovations being done here will make this center more accessible to residents and will become a cherished community asset for many years to come.”
Most of the community center groups and activities have been moved into other places in North Hill, and will return to the center once construction is completed, Incorvia said.
"Some groups are at the libraries, some are at churches; the idea is to keep the programs going while the building is down so they don't dissolve," Incorvia said. "The groups may get smaller, but hopefully they don't dissolve. We're going to eventually add new programming on top of the ones that are coming back as well, just thanks to the additional space we will have."
The new 12,400-square-foot community center (and increase of 8,300 square feet) features a full-time supervisor and will be be staffed by as many as 12 seasonal employees.
The next center slated for renovations will be Reservoir Park Community Center in Goodyear Heights, with bids expected to go out in early 2024.
Reporter Anthony Thompson can be reached at ajthompson@gannett.com, or on Twitter, @athompsonABJ
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Work to begin soon on replacing Patterson Park Community Center
