Monday, May 16, 2016
Site layout of 400 acre former Goodyear Headquarters.
Today our staff visited Akron to gather information on a new neighborhood within the 400 acre site that was Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company’s former headquarters. This massive facility, which covers several city blocks with multi-story brick buildings, became available for development when the Fortune 500 company moved into new offices in 2013 after a century in their old digs.
One of the first components of this multi-year project was the construction of 100+ apartments known as The East End (opened June 2015 and 93% occupied!). Rents range from $1,800 to $2,800 per month for one to three
bedroom units. Some market rate apartments have lower rents in order to insure that those with more modest incomes round out the diversity of the building. Streetscaping (bricked sidewalks, iron arches over the street) will add a sense of place, as will the commercial storefronts and restaurants the developer is lining up (think coffee shop, independent chef-run restaurants and boutique shops to fill 17,000 SF on the first floor of the massive building).The building has interesting amenities carried over from the Goodyear days including two racquetball courts, a workout facility, a beautiful community room and a huge gymnasium that is actively used by Akron sports leagues. Apartments have in suite washer, dryers and free onsite storage (a rare amenity!). A giant sized tire, from The World of Rubber Museum, remains in a corridor of the 4th floor of the building.
Another “tiring” tour! An over-sized reminder of the legacy the Sieberling’s invention (vulcanization) and Goodyear’s impact on NE Ohio.
Adding to the live+work+play mix are two theaters – the Goodyear Theater (1,400 seats) and the Goodyear Hall (3,500 seats) will host events that include concerts ranging from indie rock to country. The intimately sized spaces are filling a niche for artists who want to play smaller venues to connect with their audiences (versus mammoth arenas with 20,000 seats). Smashing Pumpkins recently played a show here.
EA staff inside former bank building at Goodyear headquarters.
Plans for the point of the building that sits at the intersection of Goodyear Boulevard and E. Market Street (a former bank building with an incredible vault) are a restaurant, a soaring space with 30′ ceilings and the giant arched windows. Stay tuned for more details.
If you want your recruits and new employees to be educated, acclimated and connected in NE Ohio to insure you are attracting the best possible candidates and then keeping them here, call Executive Arrangements at 216.231.9311.