Get a sneak peek at Akron's new rubber-worker statue - Crain's Cleveland Business

Akron is giving folks a glimpse of a future project that will honor the city's past.

Akron Mayor Dan Horrigan on Thursday, May 28, released new pictures of a statue of a rubber worker being created by Northeast Ohio sculptor Alan Cottrill. The 12-foot bronze statue will serve as nod to Akron's Rubber City heritage and stand in a new roundabout at Main and Mill streets that's part of the city's overhaul of Main Street. An unveiling is planned for early September, the city said.

"This statue will stand as a lasting testament to the sacrifices of every worker in the tire and rubber industry in Akron," Horrigan said in a statement. "These men and women — who served as janitors, engineers, office staff and laborers — became the bedrock of the Akron community, and helped our nation win two world wars. These workers built and sustained our city for generations, and their stories and legacies live on in us. We are excited to watch this project come together and we look forward to dedicating it in a way that honors their memories."

The design of the work, of a rubber worker hand-wrapping a tire, was inspired by the image on the cover of the book "Wheels of Fortune," by David Giffels and Steve Love.

The statue is expected to be fully bronzed by the end of summer. The first phase of the Main Street project — unhampered by the COVID-19 pandemic — is still on schedule to be completed in July, a news release said. However, the crisis has slowed the delivery of the statue's granite base.

Cottrill, the artist, found a silver lining in the slowdown the pandemic has created.

"One of the unexpected benefits to the COVID-19 pandemic has been the amount of uninterrupted time I've been able to commit to this project," Cottrill said in the release. "I've been able to completely focus my creative energy on this historic statue during an equally historic period in time. This statue represents all the men and women who worked in the rubber factories and who helped Akron grow and prosper. I'm looking forward to the unveiling of the final piece which will stand in tribute to them."

The statue isn't the only upcoming project to honor the city's rubber heritage. The Rubber Worker Stories Project, a complement to the statue, is collecting audio and visual stories from workers and their families. The stories will be housed in the University of Akron's Rubber Industry Archives, and an interactive kiosk with the storytelling will be installed near the statue, the release stated. Stories also will be available online.

Organizers are selling commemorative bricks to help fund the project. To learn more about sharing a story or purchasing a brick, go to AkronStories.com.

The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation has extended its funding to the Akron Reimagining the Civic Commons project.

The city has been granted $1.6 million to continue projects to revitalize public areas in the Summit Lake neighborhood, develop the Ohio & Erie Canal Park and work on a plan for the surrounding areas of Locks 2, 3 and 4, according to a news release.

The funding is part of $10 million the Knight, JPB, Kresge and William Penn foundations have awarded to civic commons projects in 10 cities across the country, officials said.

In Akron, the efforts are designed to show how strategic investments can "advance engagement, equity, environmental sustainability and economic development in cities and neighborhoods," the release stated.

"More important than physical improvements, Akron Reimagining the Civic Commons 2.0 sends a signal that all Akron residents, regardless of your race, income, education or experience, deserve great public spaces," said Daniel M. Rice, president and CEO of Ohio & Erie Canalway Coalition, in a statement.

The Akron Zoo announced Thursday, May 28, that the Summit County Public Health Department (SCPHD) has inspected the park and approved its Responsible Restart Plan.

Officials said the approval will allow the zoo to reopen once Gov. Mike DeWine's office gives the go-ahead.

The zoo's reopening plan covers things such as social distancing, timed ticketing, a one-way path, regular disinfecting, reduced touchpoints, wearing of face coverings by staff and special hours for high-risk visitors, a news release said.

"We have worked in partnership with the SCPHD to ensure we can safely and responsibly reopen, and we are pleased they have approved our plan," said zoo president and CEO Doug Piekarz in the release. "The Akron Zoo is an outdoor park in every sense of the word, but unlike other parks, which have been allowed to remain open, we have the ability to control admission through timed-ticketing. We also employ veterinary medical professionals who are skilled at preventing disease transmission as part of their regular duties. With them, we have designed a zoo experience that provides greater measures of safety than are presently available in other park settings."

Let's block ads! (Why?)

https://www.crainscleveland.com/sue-walton-blogs/get-sneak-peek-akrons-new-rubber-worker-statue

2020-05-29 08:00:00Z
CBMiX2h0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmNyYWluc2NsZXZlbGFuZC5jb20vc3VlLXdhbHRvbi1ibG9ncy9nZXQtc25lYWstcGVlay1ha3JvbnMtbmV3LXJ1YmJlci13b3JrZXItc3RhdHVl0gEA

Bagikan Berita Ini