There ya go Don off the handle again. Bet they left because they just don't like you. What other false promises did you give the inventers hall of fame. Maybe they were waiting for free parking.

I would put the inventers hall of fame with the fence on the Y bridged.

Another mayors folly.

Yet another failed downtown project that cost us millions of dollars. Wonder what the TRUE and FACTUAL story really is. I don't trust the ABJ back pocket reporting for nothing.

Come on Donny boy--that Inventors Hall of Fame should have been Hall of Shame--if you wanted to read about inventions, you could always go to the library. Sure there were a few "hands on" inventions, but they were geared more to the young people. The site that was chosen was also not too bright an idea--have you ever driven north on Broadway when the sun is high in the sky and tried to see where you were going--the glare was horrendous and now that a school is being put there--I can just imagine how many accidents are going to happen just at that intersection alone.--you could have put our money to much better use and used Central Hower. I am sick and tired of your childish behavior when you don't get your way--now you know why someone had the guts to challenge you in a recall election--you are just like a little kid that if you don't get your way--you run home. I have to agree there a a few smart ideas that you have come up with, but you sure don't too many smarts when it comes to spending our money. I have a question---why do you need all those deputy mayors to help you waste the taxpayers money? I would love to have a response in the ABJ to that question--have the staff writer do another article on that.

Didn't they need board approval to make this move? Aren't there any locals left on the board who recognize or care about this organization's debt to Akron? And I don't mean just in terms of dollars.

David Fink has been dismissive toward the people of Akron since he got here. He must be brooding that he only got as far away as Canton.

@ The city hall hero cried in his beer: ''It's a slap in our face, a spit in the face, an insult to me personally.''

I suppose it's never dawned on the city hall hero, that a good many taxpayers have thought the same thing about him when he proposed the idea of the Inventor's Hall of Fame, and it's subsequent cost to the taxpayers over the years.

where did all that money come from to buy the new location? 3.4 million is alot of money....someone should look at specialty realty for some answers!!!

Maybe they would have stayed had the recall worked?

"Akron Mayor Don Plusquellic reacted with anger. . ."

How many articles over the years contained that phrase regarding this childish idiot.

Good Move. . We will embrace it, here, in the Hall Of Fame County. . . We already have THEE Pro Football HOF. . .SWEET. . .

The recall proved at least one thing: The idiotic comments above don't carry nearly as much weight in the scheme of things as their authors would like to pretend.

I understand the Mayor's anger; It's passion. The city bent over backwards to assist the Inventors HoF organization. The least they could have done is consult the city prior to making a final decision on a move. I'd be POed, too if I were mayor.

Furthermore, the site they selected makes absolutely no sense. Lake Township in Stark County? A suburban office park? Wow guys, that really took some inventive thought!!

Given that we are at the end of the age of cheap oil, I would have expected something a lot less conventional from a group charged with honoring humanity's ingenuity. Maybe Peak Oil and Peak Technology & Intelligence aren't mutually exclusive?

Just further evidence of how the Mayor treats others....he bullies, sulks, shoots off his mouth. And the result is millions to the taxpayers. They didn't even talk to him about the move...a 'citizen' had to tip him off about what was happening right under his nose. Incredible. And even more incredible that the 'plan' for the remainder of this building isn't very far along after all this time. Shame on you Mr. Mayor...and your gang of YES men!

I went to the Inventors Hall of Fame...once. And that's the problem with...it's the type of place that if you go there once, you've pretty much seen what there is to see and you'll probably never end up going again. Maybe I'll go again when they induct the guy who invented the "ShamWow"

IHoF - see ya. don't let the door hit you... The mayor is right to be upset. Didn't even ask if Akron could help. Best of luck in stark county

I see the yellow belly journal won't let anyone comment on the real stories in the news today,again .

I agree Wile E....censorship at its most dangerous...unbelievable. Where's Marco when we need him....

Wait until Goodyear does this to us in 5 years when their lease is up?

Why didn't 'Mayor Whiz-Kid' lock the HOF into an ironclad, long term contract in return for the $38 million to build the facility, not to mention all of the taxpayer dollars loaned to keep the HOF afloat and the additional millions for the new Akron Schools (err... Community Learning Center) being put in there?

DO NOT FORGET...

Mayor Don has NO LONG TERM AGREEMENT FROM GOODYEAR and has NO SPECIFIC EMPLOYMENT LEVEL AGREEMENT FROM GOODYEAR in exchange for the nearly $1 BILLION in taxpayer funds that are being invested in the new Goodyear Headquarters project.

If Plusquellic screwed up on the details of the Hall of Fame, somebody better be double checking to see if all of the i's are dotted and t's are crossed with IRG and Goodyear.

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@Ignorance Kills who posted:

I understand the Mayor's anger; It's passion. The city bent over backwards to assist the Inventors HoF organization. The least they could have done is consult the city prior to making a final decision on a move. I'd be POed, too if I were mayor.
=====================

Perhaps the HOF's decision to move completely outside the Akron City Limits and the JEDD is a reflection from the "Real World" of what it is really like to try to work with "THE DON".

I hope that the 20th grocer that Plusquellic has tried to entice to come to Highland Park takes a real close look at how "Donnie-Boy" treats the businesses and organizations that are strong-armed to come to Akron when they don't fall into lock-step with his vision and direction.

==========
Hall of Fame officials looked at about 60 properties before finding the one that best suited their needs: a complex with 40,000 square feet of warehouse space and 20,000 square feet of office space at 3701 Highland Park St. NW. It bought the property in April from Specialty Realty for $3.4 million.
==========

Does anyone else find it a bit suspicious that this land purchase, to move the HOF and its 40 permanent jobs (as well as additional seasonal and part-time positions) out of Akron happened in April, but didn't come out until AFTER the RECALL vote?

What a fiasco. The real story here is that we have spent multi million dollars on a structure that I think we didn’t need. Reidinger Middle School (by St Mary’s) is one of our newest buildings and they are turning it into an elementary. That structure could have housed this new program. Also, we just cut 5 schools off the rebuild/remod list. Someone needs to be sacrificed for this one. You gotta wonder who is watching this building plan and more importantly reviewing the planning assumptions for the school building program? Seems the planning assumptions about number of students were a bit too rosy. Given that we have bands of thugs beating up taxpaying families in Akron, I think we need to revised those assumptions still further downward.

==============
The city also formed a new organization with the University of Akron, school district and hall of fame called the Partnership for Invention and Creativity that is to turn the bulk of the building into a math and science resource center for area students.

What that means is unclear.

''The concept is still under discussion,'' said Maryann Wolowiec, project manager for the new school. ''It's not very far along. We hope to have something in place by the time the school opens.''
==============

Let's not forget that this partnership for the "STEM" school was to generate a $5 million endowment fund.

APS Superintendent David James was quoted on May 29, 2009 by AkronNewsNow.com and WAKR (but not by the ABJ) as saying:

"They've been able to raise just under $1-million so far, but he remains optimistic the endowment will be fully funded once the school is open and operating."

So now it turns out that there is an over $4 million deficit in the school's endowment.

The hits just keep on coming! Thanks Mayor Don!

Where's all the Mayors rear kissers?: How come they haven't come on here yet in the Mayors defense? After all they claim that they don't always support him. If mayor Don wasn't soooo busy running around with these trips to China and this Mayors council he's on maybe he could have read the Canton rep which did a story about the move a couple of weeks ago. I work full time and go to school yet manage to read both the ABJ and Rep. Guess he's not so liked after all when nobody in his admin. has enough sense to read a local paper.

Don't compare the IHOF with Goodyear. Goodyear could have left years ago yet they stayed in Akron with as much employment as they could. Lets not chase them out as well. IHOF would have stayed if someone went and paid some money to see what its like. No customers, no business, no need to stay.

Remember when Cleveland move their minor league team from Canton to Akron. They did so because the folks in Canton went to less and less games. Now the Aero's are seeing less and less fans coming to the games. No customers, no business, no need to stay. Maybe Akron University will buy the empty Aero's stadium for the Zips baseball team....more to follow I'm sure.

Recall the mayor again right overtax voter. come on this place wasn't that profitable. who cares let them leave.

It's all about the money. There are not enough workers or cheap raw materials in akron to make massive corporate profits. Don't expect any industry to locate here unless we're willing to work at chinese wages. The good times are gone we becoming a third world nation.

Inventure place was a sham from the start and I don't hold a lot of hope for the magnet school either. UA needs to watch who it jumps into bed with. Set your clocks for when the city will turn this white elephant over to UA like they did the Rubber Bowl and falling down Polsky Building. These are the types of incestuous jesters the smoke and mirror artisans use to claim that the UA campus is downtown when in fact it is not.

UA has to be crazy for even considering a joint venture to put an arena downtown which is clearly off-campus. If they do, it's back to the days of Hilltop High and it's good bye to the "Landscape for Learning".

Sorry, that would be gestures. I was thinking of the city hall participants when I spelled jesters...Freudian slip I guess.

==============
@Nikki who posted:

Don't compare the IHOF with Goodyear. Goodyear could have left years ago yet they stayed in Akron with as much employment as they could. Lets not chase them out as well. IHOF would have stayed if someone went and paid some money to see what its like. No customers, no business, no need to stay.
==============

You seem to be completely missing the point.

1) If IHOF was not profitable, it is fine for them to move AS LONG AS THEY LIVE UP TO THEIR OBLIGATIONS.

The problem is that Mayor Don had such a viagra powered member about the project that he continuously handed over or committed TAXPAYER dollars to these folks, apparently without any strings attached. Now it is the TAXPAYERS who are taking it in the shorts due to Plusquellic's inept handling of the entire matter.

2) Plusquellic and co. have committed nearly ONE BILLION TAXPAYER DOLLARS to IRG and the Goodyear project with only a 5 year agreement (and NO staffing level commitment) from Goodyear.

$200 million per year is not a good return on taxpayer's dollars.

@nikki - The city will try to unload the baseball stadium onto UA like it does all of its junk. UA should respond, "thanks but no thanks. We have a campus for those types of facilities and we intend on staying here and not going downtown in order to avoid the city hall kiss of death."

"So now it turns out that there is an over $4 million deficit in the school's endowment."

And anyone want to guess where the city will get that $4,000,000? It's initials are: The University of Akron (aka. city hall's personal welfare department).

Canton felt the same way when the Canton-Akron Indians left for Akron.

I know that Akron stadium is a goofy place for a baseball stadium.

I have been a supporter of the mayor for many years, but his temper is an embarassment(sp.?). That said, these people at the IHOF are stupid. They owe us, and we should find grounds to sue for our money back. The hof has been a major disappointment to Akron. It is a boring place to go. What I would like to know is, what do we do with that ugly building?

I local man had hoped this would happen. Over six years ago the Inventors Hall of Fame never returned the pictures of my perpetual motion art machine or called me back on the phone. This machine was and still is a display of real hands on science. Akron art museum heres your chance the machine is for sale.

I local man had hoped this would happen.Over six years ago Inventors Hall of Fame never returned the pictures of my perpetual motion art machine or called me back on the phone.This machine was and still is a display of real hands on science.

I bet the mayor knew about this before the recall-just didn't want it to come to light before the voters! Never went there to see what was in it--no free parking, and when you have to pay 25 cents for 15 min. at a meter, can't see very much---why is it that we have to pay for parking --IHofF, baseball, Lock 3, main library? yea after 6:00 there is some free parking but who wants to be out late to see this stuff?

Inventors HOF has to be one of the biggest "who cares" projects ever. Should've let Philly keep it in the first place.

We enjoyed taking our kids to Inventure Place in the beginning years. But we started going less and then not at all because of the downtown crime factor.

Inventure Place was a place for kids and families, but there was no safe parking close to the entrance, and parking in the bowels of the parking deck next door was just ASKING to be mugged/beaten/raped/robbed. And it was not safe enough to drop the kids off at the curb so mom or dad could park the car and meet them at the doors.

So now it's going to be in an Industrial Park nobody's heard of, in Lake Township????? Who's going to go there???

This is what happens when POLITICIANS clamor to manage something--with other people's money--taxpayers' money.

WAKE UP AMERICA and Stop giving government more and more control of our money, healthcare and property!!

Ahhhh, karma. I guess it's a bit of payback for stealing the Canton Indians from us. If it's any consolation, I live in Canton, Lake Twp is probably closer to more Akronites than it is to me!

I will miss The Inventors Hall Of Fame being in Akron; I hope Stark County can help it come back to life. I hate going anywhere in Akron as you have to pay to park and walk a long distance. We loved going there; you always learned something. They needed more people to watch the displays to make sure they were working correctly and not be broken by unruly kids. It was fun going there for the kids and adults too and we had a membership for the family. We were waiting for them to come back but thought having the school there was not going to work for the HOF.

this comment really doesn'thave to do with the IHOF as much as it does relate to some of the reasons people won't come downtown--free parking. The city of Barberton doesn't have 1 single parking meter and all of their parking lots are free--come on Akron --wake up and smell the rubber(oops--sorry there isn't even that smell anymore.) We need more parking in downtown Akron for all the festivities going on during the summer i.e Akron Aeros games, hamburg festival, Italian festival, rib burn off etc. Why not build a FREE parking deck across from the Aeros stadium(also for the use of the Aeros employees that have to walk from Cascade parking deck)? Donny boy--you need to get your head out of you know where and listen to your constituants instead of some highly paid(our money) person that is only got his hand in our pockets. You might have won the recall but you sure haven't won the hearts of the public.

@Independent,dragonlady,sick n tired
You guys have the real reasons for this: CRIME and PARKING DISTANCE WALKING. It's bad enough to have to PAY to park to do do just about anything in downtown Akron, then after paying to park you get to walk some distance to your destination while looking over your shoulder, even in daytime,for people who would do you harm. Apparently, these threats take all forms in Akron, from one to six individuals riding around in vehicles looking for victims, to guys on bicycles riding so slowly they might fall over, to groups of up to thirty or forty leaving on foot from some event or club who act like savages. Compare this to parking,for free,in a nice suburban office park and walking a short,safe distance without worrying about getting robbed,beaten,of killed.

There IS a local site where comments can be posted on the Firestone Park event,which is run by people whose ethics have not been compromised and who know that freedom of speech is not something they have a right to take away from their readers by denying them the means to comment on a story.And more importantly,were it not for this site and it's breaking of the story, ohio.com might have NEVER even REPORTED on this, but they had to finally had to put out a story on it(with no comments allowed) because akronnewsnow broke the story. Ohio .com shows the Akron Beacon Journal logo which would make you think they would have journalistic integrity and not try to CENSOR any news story that affects the readership in such an important way. They have lost their way and need to be taught a lesson that censorship and denial of people's comments on important issues have no place in a free society. Ben Maidenburg must be spinning in his grave.

@nblancett, you neither have nor deserve any rights here. Someone else has built this gathering place for their own purpose (primarily to earn money through advertising) and there are no "rights," constitutional or otherwise, that apply to you here. The owners have extended you the privilege of visiting, even though you have reciprocated that hospitality with rudeness.

So shut your pie hole.

nblancett - You are out of line. Go back to grammar school and learn about the constitution. A newspaper is a private entity and not a government one. We are not guaranteed freedom of expression in a private forum. And Ben Maidenburg would tell you the same if he were alive. So would John S. Knight.

Canton Bachelorette - You're delusional. No one has stolen you Indians. The owner chose to move them because Canton wouldn't support them.

The big mistake is not moving the Inventor's Hall of fame out of Akron but only moving it to Stark County. When the Hall was built in Akron it made sense since Akron is home to many inventions. But the inventors and their industry are now all gone. The Hall needs to be moved somewhere like DC. Let's face it Akron is dead.

Well it is refreshing to see property rights defended on here! The Beacon is private property (actually public corporate private property), but it's supposed mission is news, firstly that which affects the community, and I would think as a logical extension, it is the community forum.

Of course they have no obligation to provide this, but they do, and that is where the problem of censorship comes in. Despite a policy where they do provide a discussion forum for stories, they make a decision to limit discussion on certain topics. Yes, it is their right, and sometimes perhaps even their duty, but call it what it is.

The interesting part comes when it is coupled with editorial silence on an issue.... this certainly reeks of a whole new level of public debate censorship.

All of this begs the question, would this same policy prevail if the roles in this story were reversed?

blkswn - good point and at least you're not accusing the publication of violating your constitutional rights. Editing this page is no different than when a newspaper edits letters to the editor which includes not publishing a letter at all. It's acceptable censorship no different than acceptable and legal discrimination.