AKRON — An Akron neighborhood that suffered major damage in a June 2023 fire is taking big steps toward a comeback, and a local business owner is helping lead the transformation.
The fire destroyed part of a building on W. Exchange, severely damaging retail space, apartments, and the former Lee Angelo's Pizza. After months of cleanup, the building sat empty. Now, it is the centerpiece of an ambitious community-driven vision to bring new energy back to the area.
The new idea is called "The Yellow Brick Road Entertainment District." Akron Honey owner Brent Wesley is taking charge. His Akron Honey production room sits beside the large green space where the fire destroyed a piece of Akron history.
"There was a building here that was over 100 years old, it was the home of one of the original Isaly's," said Wesley.
Wesley's vision is to turn the green space into a public market. A place where local restaurants can host pop-ups, families can shop for fresh groceries, and stay awhile, "this will be a pop-up public market, meaning that it would have different activities that you would typically see in a public market, but it will transition from one thing to another," said Wesley.
For Wesley, the idea is more than business; it's restoring the neighborhood, "the folks who've been here for a really long time, they've seen the changes, they've felt the pains, they've felt the fears, and now they're really feeling the spirit of that comeback story."
Another piece of the project is the former home of Lee Angelo's pizza, apartments, and retail space. Akron Architect Nicole Dumont purchased the property and is moving her all-female architecture team in.
"I plan on moving my architecture firm NR Design into about half of the building. We are renovating the kitchen space to be rented out for caterer, ghost kitchen, food prep, another small business in the area," said Dumont.
Dumont plans to transform the apartments into flexible workspaces anyone can use. Her team will also renovate the former pizza shop kitchen for public use. Dumont said, "what better to move our firm into a building that needs another life, in a district that's also doing this rebirth process."
Currently, drivers on W. Exchange have no reason to turn into this neighborhood, characterized by its yellow brick roads. But with new businesses, fresh public spaces, and a new identity, Wesley hopes for change.
"There's really no reason to stop, there's no reason to slow down, or even slow stop, get lost in the neighorhood, and that's what we're trying to fix. I feel like this neighborhood deserves a lot more," said Wesley.
The City of Akron has expressed support for the project. NR Design expects to move into its new office space by January 2026. By August 2026, Wesley hopes the public market and surrounding space will be vibrant enough for drivers to do a double-take, and then spend the day!
