Legacy Impact
Impact That Rebuilds What Was Lost
Restoring Inter-generational wealth, rebuilding community identity, and creating economic pathways in Akron.
01 History
A legacy that shaped the city.
Akron’s Black community helped build the city’s industries, neighborhoods, and cultural identity creating spaces of ownership, connection, and economic strength.
Over time, many of those spaces were removed through urban renewal and infrastructure development, displacing families, businesses, and community anchors that had defined Black Akron for generations.
From a thriving cultural district on Howard Street to neighborhoods divided by highway construction, these images show what was built, what was removed, and what must now be restored.
Howard Street Parade (c. 1940) – The Horace and Evelyn Stewart Photograph Collection, University of Akron Archives. Innerbelt images – Akron Beacon Journal.
Before
Sherbondy Hill — commonly known as Lane/Wooster — a thriving Black community with homes, businesses, churches, and cultural institutions.
1969
The red zone marks everything destroyed by Innerbelt construction — displacing generations of Black Akron families and erasing the economic and cultural center of the community.
01 History
What Was Taken
What was lost was not just property. It was the infrastructure of a thriving community — the gathering places, the business corridors, and the institutions that passed wealth, identity, and culture from one generation to the next through Sherbondy Hill — commonly known as Lane/Wooster.
In 1969, Innerbelt highway construction carved through the heart of Black Akron. Homes were demolished. Businesses were shuttered. Churches were razed. The economic and cultural foundation of the community was dismantled — not by decline, but by design.
The Legacy Building Project exists to restore what was taken. Not to memorialize the past — but to rebuild the foundation that was stolen from it.
"This project is not about building a structure.
It is about restoring community."
This was not growth. It was removal.
Displacement
From Howard Street to Wooster Avenue
The impact of the Innerbelt extended beyond a single corridor. From Howard Street once a thriving cultural and business district to neighborhoods along Wooster Avenue, entire communities were reshaped by highway construction.
Records from the Akron Department of Planning and Urban Renewal indicate that at least 737 households were displaced during the first phases of construction. However, those figures do not account for later phases completed in the 1980s.
At least 737 households were displaced. The true number is likely far greater.
Former city employees, residents, and historians agree that the true number of displaced families and businesses is likely significantly higher, representing not just physical loss but the disruption of generational stability, ownership, and community continuity.
Source: Akron Beacon Journal, “Akron Innerbelt history and racial inequity” View full article →
The Legacy Building Project exists as a direct response to that loss.
Restoration
What Returns
The Legacy Building Project restores presence, ownership, and opportunity in the same community where it was removed.
Rebuilding Generational Wealth
Creating pathways for ownership, entrepreneurship, and long-term economic stability.
Restoring Community Identity
Reestablishing cultural presence and preserving history in a permanent, visible space.
Creating Economic Opportunity
Connecting workforce development, education, and business growth.
02 Preservation
Preserving What Must Not Be Lost.
This project restores continuity by creating a permanent institution where history is preserved, shared, and expanded across generations.
Archives
Documenting stories, records, and lived experiences.
Exhibits
Curated spaces that bring cultural narratives to life.
Education
Programs that connect past, present, and future leaders.
03 Innovation
More Than Preservation.
The Legacy Building Project is designed as an innovation platform — supporting entrepreneurship, workforce development, and long-term economic growth.
Entrepreneurship Hub
Supporting business creation and economic mobility.
Workforce Development
Preparing talent for emerging industries.
Technology Integration
Connecting innovation with real-world opportunity.
Founding Campaign
We are currently securing founding partners to anchor the first phase of this project and establish a lasting cultural institution in Akron.
$10,000
Supports youth programming, cultural workshops, and community engagement initiatives.
$50,000
Funds program development, exhibits, and educational experiences that preserve and activate cultural history.
$100,000+
Helps build core infrastructure, innovation spaces, and long-term institutional capacity.