Mayor Horrigan Announces Upcoming Upgrades to Ed Davis Community Center and Perkins Woods Pool
City of Akron Press Release
From the desk of City of Akron Press Office
Published: 07-27-2022
Akron, Ohio, July 27, 2022 — Today, Akron Mayor Dan Horrigan announced Perkins Woods Pool (899 Diagonal Rd.) and Ed Davis Community Center (730 Perkins Park Dr.) will soon be receiving much needed upgrades. Utilizing funding from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), Perkins Woods Pool is scheduled to break ground on renovations this fall, with Ed Davis Community Center following in early 2023.
Perkins Woods Pool upgrades will include a replacement of the pool including the addition of a 15-foot slide, climbing wall, a shallow water play space, 25-meter lap lanes, and shaded seating area. The existing bathhouse will be renovated. Ed Davis Community Center upgrades will include a new gymnasium with more seating, an indoor walking track, a teen room including e-sports, an outdoor playground, an upgraded kitchen, improved lighting, exterior upgrades, and much more.
View the Perkins Woods Pool site plan here. View renderings at www.akronohiorescue.gov.
In 2019, the City of Akron Recreation and Parks Bureau presented the results of a community needs survey as well as a Strategic Plan to Akron City Council. The survey had over 1,500 responses from community members. That plan prioritized upgrading community centers, playgrounds, and both outdoor pools. In 2020, the city performed an assessment on each of the community centers, ranking them from best to worst. The three centers most in need of upgrades were determined to be Ed Davis, Patterson Park, and Reservoir Park.
In February 2021, the city held virtual community engagement meetings for each of the three centers to ask the community what changes they'd like to see. That feedback has been used to create the upgrade plans for Ed Davis Community Center. Community outreach was also performed for Perkins Woods Pool in 2020 including a survey which had over 500 total responses.
“Creating and maintaining fun, safe, accessible public spaces is necessary for any community to thrive,” said Mayor Horrigan. “The upgrades at both Ed Davis Community Center and Perkins Pool will revitalize these spaces for our residents to enjoy for years to come. By taking the community’s thoughts, feedback, and ideas into account during the planning process, we’ve ensured that these spaces will meet the community’s needs and wants.”
The public will have further opportunity for input at a community engagement open house at Ed Davis Community Center on Thursday, August 11 from 5 – 7pm. There will be renderings and representatives from the city, PRIME AE (architect for the community center), and Brandstetter Carroll (architect for the pool) to answer any questions about the upgrades. Residents will also get to vote on two exterior design options for the community center. For those not able to attend in person, a survey is available online to gather votes.
Initial cost estimates for the Perkins Pool upgrade are $5.5M and cost estimates for Ed Davis Community Center are $9.4M. The majority of the cost will be covered utilizing ARPA dollars with the rest coming from Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds and general operating funds.
As designs are advanced at Reservoir Park Community Center, Reservoir Park Pool, and Patterson Park Community Center, additional community outreach will be performed.
For further information, contact:
Stephanie Marsh
Chief Communications Officer
Phone: 330-375-2754
E-mail: [email protected]
