“The area that the Innerbelt was built through [in the 1970’s] was a neighborhood, and it did tear up the neighborhood and divide families,” artist Hunter Franks said in an interview. “[It] created a disconnect between downtown Akron (Ohio) and other neighborhoods.”
For all that division, the Innerbelt hasn’t even served its intended purpose.
Once projected to carry 120,000 vehicles a day, fewer than 18,000 use the freeway today.
The city plans to shut down the Innerbelt in 2016.
What will Akron do with that space?
With support from Akron’s municipal authorities, Franks and his team decided to stage something like a town hall to discuss the freeway and other community issues…with dinner included.