BY JENNIFER CONN AKRON PUBLISHED 5:28 PM ET APR. 04, 2023 (link to story)
AKRON, Ohio — By fall 2024, Lock 3 Park in downtown Akron is planned to look and feel more like a true central park than it does today.
Phase I of the Lock 3 Vision Plan begins this month, transforming the city-owned community gathering space into a mobility friendly destination with shade trees, different styles of seating, performance spaces and several other amenities.
To celebrate the launch of the project, estimated at $17 million, the community is invited to a groundbreaking, set for Thursday at 2 p.m. at Lock 3 Park, 200 S. Main St.
The project is a partnership between the Ohio & Erie Canalway Coalition, the city of Akron, Akron residents, the Knight Foundation, Summit County government and Akron Civic Commons.
The Lock 3 Vision Plan is a component of the Akron Civic Commons project, which the Ohio & Erie Canalway Coalition has led since 2016, said Ohio & Erie Canalway Coalition CEO Dan Rice.
Akron Civic Commons aims to revitalize and connect public spaces, focusing on three miles of the Ohio & Erie Towpath Trail, including Lock 3 and the smaller Locks 2 and Lock 4, which have already undergone significant transformation.
The park’s renovation also dovetails with Akron’s Main Street Corridor Project, a roughly $45 million project to update 1.4 miles of roads and walkways through the heart of the city, which was completed in late 2021.