I happened to be downtown on Saturday night, and it was buzzing. Lots of outdoor dining along Main St., an abundance of cabs, multiple areas of activity....Students want to live where the action is, and at long last, it's downtown.

I saw the framing of this building as it was going up. What a fire trap even though I am sure it meets all local codes.

This appears to be a win-win situation, for the students and downtown Akron.

Medina Reader

I agree- All I seen was wood, wood and more wood- Is this the "upgrade" they were talking about?? Hmmm.

@Tstarr and medina reader... you two have no idea what you're talking about. you have no idea how off base and uninformed you are.

i think the project looks great. downtown living is perfect for the college student. that is a far cry from spicer town, etc. of the 90's.

I offer all that now in my complex.
Thanks-up go the rents!

I think the cost for housing is ridiculous $500 - $800 for a room shared with another person.

whatever happened to affordable living? these kids have to maintain fulltime jobs to live in these new buildings.

@Bystander,
What exactly are they off base about? A building that size is normally constructed of steel & concrete, and I cant imagine how many loopholes were discovered in the code to get through that. The only reason that I can see for wood frame is so they can use residential contractors, which usually leads to sub-par construction.

Complain all you want about the cost. Is someone forcing you to pay the rent to live there? No? Then, shut your pie hole and get a life. Check out the housing costs at other universities' residence halls and private dormitories owned and operated by private developers.

The fact is that this place and every available on-campus dorm is filled to capacity with students on waiting lists. This guy is fortunate that UA is still trying to catch up with on-campus housing demands. Once the university does, this guy may be in a run for his money since students still want to live on true campus in letter and in spirit.

Another competing factor for the university is that their dorms are built using steel and concrete. Check out the ones going up adjacent to the UA Football Stadium. I'd feel much more secure putting my kids in an authentic UA residence hall as opposed to this one.

I don't care where the dorms or housing is located it is ridiculous to pay $500-$800 for a shared room. The cost have always been too high. I'm sure alot of kids will love it, though it's right downtown akron so they can get drunk and only have to worry about crossing the street to get home. I wonder what the grades of the students living there will be

This part of downtown is going to really be hoppin' over the next few years. Could you imagine if a bball arena was constructed across from the Aero's stadium and the Mayflower building was turned into dorms?

Having kids live in this new place is also safer than the dorms(in some ways). Most of the kids in my dorm last year took the Roo Express to go clubbing downtown anyways, so at least now they can be right down the street from their room. This area is going to quickly fill up with more and more students, and that's always a good thing. The more pedestrian traffic, the better.

The only down side is those kids are farther away from the new stadium. But hey, Akron Aeros, restaurants, bars, clubs...paradise...

Is the Mayflower Hotel still open?

A new Basketball arena belongs on campus and not across from Canal Park. The University is just begining to look like a real campus. Why make a big deal over the need for an on-campus stadium only to turn around and negate it by putting a UA arena downtown? It doesn't make sense. UA should not end up looking like Tri C. The UA campus needs to keep its integrity and autonomy and it needs to continue to improve its campus's visual appeal. Downtown doesn't look on campus and people will not identify the arena with UA if it is located on Main Street. The city will end up hijacking it and allow UA to evaporate back into the wood work like it does with E.J. Thomas Hall

If UA puts an arean downtown, it will be the biggest mistake it ever made.

The Mayflower currently operates as a HUD subsidized housing facility for low to no income individuals. It is basically a place for those who are homeless or almost homeless. I've been told there are plans to tear it down.

Man, am i the only one who likes seeing the post construction preview pictures all across downtown? I actually wanted to live in one of them, the ones by Northside Lofts going up that curve is a great location with access to alot of places, but that over head railroad track thingie needs to be hit with magic.

Suprised that the Mayfield flop house was not torn down awhile ago...

@bilbo

First of all, I definetly see where you're coming from. Dealing with the Rubber Bowl was hard enough, and you're afraid of a similar situation with a downtown arena. But you are certainly within the minority among the zip faithful on this issue. I also understand what you mean by a lack of connection between the arena and campus. For years, people from the region would travel to the rubber bowl to watch games, and most would come away with the assumption that the stadium is a good reflection of campus. In the 90's, that may have been true. But now campus is gorgeous, and the new football stadium will help show that to visitors. Having the football stadium on campus is also a great way to enrich student life. Much more so than a basketball arena could(not that it wouldn't).

Now, remember, the Rubber Bowl was a good haul up the freeway from campus. Putting the new arena downtown would make it within walking distance from campus. This is a far different situation from the RB.

Truthfully, many of the downtown parking spots that will be used for the new stadium would actually be right across the street from where I proposed the arena should be. That, and all the downtown parking already available makes parking less of an issue than the new stadium.

To be continued...

Unfortunately it does look like 22 Exchange is being built from mostly wood rather than the usual cinder block. Look at the new residence hall being built behind the new stadium and all you will see is cinder blocks. Enough said.

@Bystander wrote: ....@Tstarr and medina reader... you two have no idea what you're talking about. you have no idea how off base and uninformed you are.

Medina Reader has the credentials and knows what he is talking about. My business is construction. Millions of dollar construction projects that involve yards and yards of concrete, tons of steel, miles of electrical cable, sub contractors, federal, state and local building codes as well as fire codes.

The in-vogue low cost wood frame construction used for multi-story buildings such as this one are fire traps waiting for death to happen.

While I am not a fan of UA. The UA dorms are ten times or more safer because of their traditional concrete and steel construction.

all wood construction . . . . . cheap, cheap, cheap . . . . . . oh, but granite countertops . . . . my, isn't that nice and they are fireproof . . . . . . . that kind of construction should not be permitted downtown.

rmk, akron

Observed 2 Amish kids framing walls on top floor four saturdays ago. No hardhats ( unless made of straw), No safety harness ( they were within 5' of edge of building 2 stories high). No safety glasses, ( using Pnuematic Nail Gun). No regard for safety much less workmanship. Must have to work on weekends ( State of Ohio Safety Offices are closed). My son asked me, "What are they building ?". I replied "A Rats' Nest!

murfed....good job starting you son off with negativity at a young age. im sure he'll grow up to be a "glass is half empty" ohio.com blogger just like you.

pete... as a residant physician at a local hospital my son is concerned and not the least bit negative.

@UAEngineering - I'm not talking about distance here. I'm talking about visual association with the campus. Yes, UA is becoming a legitimate and good looking campus, but that doesn't mean it should stop that process and growth. Having an on-campus stadium is great but it's not enough. UA deserves and can accommodate and on-campus arena as well. An on-campus arena will enrich student life too, perhaps not as much as a stadium but even if that is true, that's no reason to not build the arena on-campus.

Also, these private dorms are a nice off-campus addition but let's keep some perspective. They will accommodate 200 to 300 students once complete while there are 3,000 to 4,000 students living on the true campus. Why lament the lack of access to the stadium for these 200 to 300 off-campus students and then have no problem with creating that same lack of access to an arena for the 3,000 to 4,000 on-campus students?

A downtown arena will water down student enthusiasm and confuse the people of NE, Ohio into thinking the arena has little to no connection to UA. As I said, E.J. Thomas is suffering from this same malady and a downtown arena will suffer it even more.

With a great basketball team, one would thing it even more important to be on campus. And, when you look at other successful campuses and universities, they have their arenas on campus and for those who haven't they take the opportunity to replace obsolete off-campus arenas with new on-campus ones. Self-contained campuses have more prestige and credibility than those that are scattered and splattered all over the inner city.

UA needs to continue looking like a real campus and not move in the opposite direction by putting a major people attractor away from its success. As far as I'm concerned a downtown arena is just as bad as the Rubber Bowl. It comes off as gimmicky and scheme-like by serving downtown politicians more than the university community. I'm not in the minority on this.

@Mitch
“I don't care where the dorms or housing is located it is ridiculous to pay $500-$800 for a shared room.”

I do not think it is exorbitantly high. They are suites where each person has an individual bedroom with a connected private bathroom (check out http://www.22exchange.com/ and you can see the floor plans). Then there is a common living room, dining rm/kitchen, etc. I am pretty sure the Exchange St Residence Hall is designed with all individual bedrooms as well. In addition, as others have pointed out, no one is being forced to live there and pay that amount, so the fact that it has already filled up would indicate the price is not out of line (basic part of capitalism).

ok he's concerned you're the negative one. is your son concerned about the way the amish have been working for 100's of years? i dont understand how no regard for saftey = much less workmanship. i have a friend who is a building inspector. (not around here) and i have been told by him and other people i know who have had homes, garages, etc. built by the amish that they always do very good work.

i wouldnt be the least bit concerned about moving into this building. i live in a house now that is all wood. actually the only time i ever lived in something that wasnt basically all wood was when i was in the army.

and as for affordable living. since when has any on campus housing been affordable? i really would hope though that those prices are utilities included.

isn't this the building that was going to be condos that nobody was willing to buy?

@sweetums - No. This building was conceived and constructed from the start as a pivately owned residence hall for UA students only. You are thinking of the townhouse/condos being built south of the campus. Those do not require one to be a UA student and yes may be converting to rentals in stead of purchased condos.

@Mitch, pricing is right inline with dorm housing and newer apartments in the area. for the amenities offers and location, they will always be full at that rate.

I am no expert on the building materials debate (wood v. steel), but isn't it dangerous to have the living quarters made entirely of wood when there are restaurants operating below?

I should also mention that the issue of parking is a false one. Parking is not an issue for an on-campus UA stadium with a capacity for 30,000 people and certainly won't be for an on-campus UA arena with a capacity for far less than the stadium's (even if it seated 15,000 people). And as far as providing on campus student enthusiasm goes, an on-campus arena will be in use and available to the student body all year round and not so with the stadium. So, I'd say an on-campus arena is just as crucial to student participation as an on-campus stadium. And, ZippyEm - I thought the same about restaurants operating below these suites.

I too questioned the construction materials used. Though not an expert on the buildin' codes, I thought apartments structures like that one, had to be comparmentalized.

Bilbo, I think y'all missed the recent article where Akron U stated that they needed more parkin' and were addin' a gravel lot for that purpose until they could construct or add on to what they have now.

why do I keep seeing people say "shared room"? These apt are 2-4 bedroom apts. Decent price for what you get! Lived in a crappy UA house off campus, nasty place and it was $450 and I did not get even half of what these students can have. I would do it if I were still in school. Plus, most of these kids that will live there have families that are able to afford it...so no pitty for the rent. They get their own room, unless they choose to split the cost of the room it sounds like.

My husband, who has spent his career in the construction field, was quite surprised when he saw this complex in the early building stage. His first reaction was also one of concern about fire safety. Let's hope this place is safer than it appeared.

Looks like a fire trap to me--all particle board.

Hahahahahah. An article touting the SUCCESS of a project related to the University of Akron AND Downtown, and all most of you can do is gripe about the construction materials?!??!?! PREDICTABLE, but still somehow amusing.

Okay, so the building ain't exactly Fort Knox. But I'd take my risk there any day over the asbestos-laden roach motels on Grant St.

Oh, you beautiful, cranky souls!

Betamax - No, I did not miss that article at all. What does that have to do with the price of Tea in China? If anything it ads to my argument that there is/will be enough parking space for an on-campus arena (15,000 people), just as there is/will be for an on-campus stadium (30,000 people). UA is working on an addition to the Exchange Street Parking Deck as we speak.
Those who are advocates for a downtown arena are in the minority and are not in favor of it due to parking issues. Again, parking is a contrived issue when it comes to an on-campus arena.

Real universities build their arenas on campus. Pseudo-universities do otherwise. If UA makes the huge mistake of putting its arena downtown (est. $68,000,000), it will be impossible to unring the bell or should I say funeral toller.

all of you building code experts apparently are talking right out of your arse... the size and type of material are all interchangeable depending on how you separate the building. it is not that uncommon to build something this large out of wood. even in mixed-use situations like this. that being said, concrete and steel would likely last much longer, but would've driven the cost up too much. is it better to build out of wood than to not build at all is the real question.
neither akron or summit county would allow a building that is non-compliant.
so quit making your assumptions on fire-safety without any knowledge to base it on.

also - just be happy that a decent looking development is being constructed in your downtown during a recession.

geez....

Also, UA is adding more parking for more reasons than having a new stadium. That temporary gravel lot will be reservied for UA trustees and those with luxery seating. The students and the rest of us won't be permitted to park there. UA will always have a need for more parking. It won't stop with the additions they are now making.

correction: The students and the rest of us won't be permitted to park there DURING GAME TIMES.

@bilbo, I agree with you on most of your UA points. And now I've thrown up in my mouth a little.

So Bilbo, where do you suggest we put the arena on campus?

UAEngineering - It's not a question of where on campus an arena can be built. Opponents, of the current on-campus stadium location such as Akron's mayor tried throwing that "question" at UA when in the planning stage of the stadium. I think UA answered that question quite well. The idea of a downtown arena isn't being considered due lack of room for an arena on campus. To argue that point is as dishonest as arguing the unavailability of parking for an on-campus arena.

That said, I have a few suggestions for the location of an on-campus arena but UA administrators are in a better position to answer your question than I am. If there is a will, there is a way. What we need here is the "will". UA's Dr. Proenza, Ted Curtis, the Department of Development, Athletics and Institutional Marketing have never once discussed the ability or inability to have an on-campus arena. To discuss that non-issue is changing the subject and avoiding the principal of why it is so important to have an on-campus arena. UA knows that on-campus locations for the arena already exist. The problem is that the mayor and some of his cronies are once again demanding that UA become downtown's personal welfare department since the citizens of Akron have made it clear they do not want to pay for a downtown arena. Again, this isn't about ability to have an on-campus arena. It's about underhanded politics. The university has a vision. Downtown has ephemeral agendas. The mayor threw a fit when UA announced the stadium location. And now he's ready to throw another tantrum over a university arena. He sees UA as his personal piece of toilet paper. By the way, I'm voting against his recall. So, my agenda is not that I'm out to get the mayor. I want what's best for the campus and its major customers, UA students. When UA starts looking like a real campus, it's better for the city and region in the long run.

Minna Wade - Just swallow. I'm sure you know how to do that.

how rude

rude begets rude Minna

So who birthed who, me or you?

@ Bilbo

I had more to say about the arena, but for some odd reason it wouldn't let me...whatever.

Personally, I don't see the advantage to putting the arena on campus. Downtown will be greatly revitalized by an arena. And to think that this arena would make UA the mayors personal buttwipe? That's stupid. If anything, this makes UA's push into downtown more apparent.

Let's face it, Akron is becoming nothing more than an exaggerated college town. And there is nothing wrong with that at all.

On a side note: Most big urban schools with major basketball arenas have them downtown.

You look at it differently than me. You think we should polarize campus from downtown physically(which I agree with). But you're a fool if you think we as the University can just allow the rest of the city to rot. That's not how it works. UA's responsibility as an urban university is to help the city prosper. A downtown arena wouldn't take away from the beauty of campus, but will help downtown grow. Believe it or not, what's good for downtown is good for UA.

I don't really care where UA decides to put the arena, but I think that downtown is the most viable. Would on campus be preferred? Yes? And if UA can find a way to buy up some property and put a new stadium on campus, then more power to them. I hope it happens.

I don't think we disagree Bilbo, but most of the zips faithful(zipsnation.org) feel that downtown is the most viable.


And I hate how you saw IF UA wants a real campus. We already do. UA's campus is one of the best urban campuses in the state, hands down.

the foundation was done by union workers. the rest wasnt. cheap labor

UAEngineering - Here are the advantages/reasons why UA is putting an arena on campus.

1.) It's a university and it makes sense for a university to put its facilities, especially one as significant as an arena on the university's campus. It's a big fat DUH!!!

2.) It is not The University of Akron's job to revitalize downtown in such a direct manner. A university contributes, supports and honors its host community by being true to itself and recognizing its legitimate objectives, goals and mission. That is what gives a university credibility and strength. The University of Akron's job is to enhance the entire city of Akron, region and state by educating its population, engaging in research for the common good, partnering its academic energies with organizations and institutions that strengthen the infrastructure's ability to better serve the population and prepare for the future academic needs and desires of the population. Doing so is not letting downtown Akron rot and how dishonest of you to make such a stupid claim

3.) There is nothing advantages for the university to push into downtown. That is the LSD trip of a past and antiquated UA President.

4.) College towns, whether they are exaggerated or not still have integrity and autonomy from their downtown area.

5.) The only schools who have their arenas in the downtown area are those which are not taken seriously or the very few who have their arenas downtown because their entire campus is downtown. UA is not really downtown. It only is in the spin zone of parochial Akronites.

6.) UA has one of the best urban campuses not only in the state but in some estimations eventually the world. My point is that people like you see a little bit of success and you want UA to not only stop, but move backwards. My point and support for UA and the community and region is that UA need not stop the momentum that so many Akronites like to do. In the words of one UA contributor and leader, "you ain't seen nothin yet"

I forgot one other major point. An on-campus UA arena will enhance greatly UA's recruitment potential for students who want to excel in sports and students in general. When potential UA students and their families visit the campus to consider its possibilities, they need to SEE what the campus's physical structures and programs include. They don't need someone flapping their jibs about why a downtown structure is a part of UA even though it doesn't look like it. This position I am taking is precisely why UA is building its stadium conspicuously on campus. If UA were to put the arena where the mayor wants, their 68 million will have virtually no effect on recruitment of good basketball playing students and students in general. It's pretty much proven that on-campus arenas increase the winning patterns of the on-campus basketball team. Again, it is suicidal for UA to waste so many millions on an arena that will have very little effect on recruitment in sports and enrollment in general.

One last note, UAEngineering - You state that you don't care where UA puts an arena and I say that is because you don't care about The University of Akron and all of the potential it has for our community, region and state.

UA Engineering states - "Believe it or not, what's good for downtown is good for UA."

I choose not to believe that Akron Beacon Journal lie and cliché

Here is what to believe: What is good for The University of Akron is good for the entire city (not just the mayor's downtown), region and state. The "Urban University" mantra does not include UA prostituting itself for the egomaniacal aspirations of the mayor and county executive.

ah, showing your troll...er...true colors

I am more worried about the football stadium being ready, highly doubt it from what I see.

If they were to build a new arena, it will end up all the current facilities. They would not want to duplicate facilities at the far end of the campus for certain sports.

@top coog.

Give up at talking sense into some of these people. It's a lost cause.

@EdnaRomano, I heard the stadium is ahead of schedule.

Okay, you people are totally bonkers. The new apartments have NOTHING to do with the University--they're owned privately--they're just geared toward university of students, even NEOUCOM. Second, the whole first floor of retail was steel and the entire rest of the building has an over-the-top sprinkler system... I installed it so I would know. Lasly, do you think the government (federal, state or city) would let someone build something out of wood if it wasn't safe?! THAT'S WHY WE HAVE BUILDING CODES and framing apartments out of wood is absolutely the most common. I love when people who have no knowledge or expertise on something like this pretend to know what they're talking about.. you're all nuts.