KENMORE NEIGHBORHOOD ALLIANCE
1014 KENMORE BLVD, AKRON, OH 44314 www.betterkenmore.org

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Organizations Filed Purposes: KENMORE NEIGHBORHOOD ALLIANCE EXISTS TO ENGAGE ALL STAKEHOLDERS OF AKRON'S WARD 9 - THE KENMORE NEIGHBORHOOD - IN EFFECTING PHYSICAL, CULTURAL, ARTISTIC, RECREATIONAL AND BUSINESS REVITALIZATION. WITH THE EXCEPTION OF A PAID EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, WE ARE AN ALL-VOLUNTEER ORGANIZATION THAT EMBRACES MAIN STREET AMERICA'S FOUR-POINT APPROACH TO REVITALIZATION: A STRONG, SUSTAINABLE ORGANIZATION, PROMOTION, DESIGN AND ECONOMIC VITALITY. ORGANIZATION INVOLVES KNA CREATING A STRONG FOUNDATION FOR A SUSTAINABLE REVITALIZATION EFFORT, INCLUDING CULTIVATING PARTNERSHIPS, COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT AND RESOURCES. PROMOTION INVOLVES KNA POSITIONING THE KENMORE BOULEVARD COMMERCIAL DISTRICT AS THE CENTER OF THE COMMUNITY AND HUB OF ECONOMIC ACTIVITY. IT ALSO MEANS CREATING A POSITIVE IMAGE THAT SHOWCASES KENMORE'S UNIQUE CHARACTERISTICS, INCLUDING ITS RICH HISTORY AND MUSICAL ASSETS, AS WELL AS ATTRACTING PEOPLE TO THE DISTRICT ON A REGULAR BASIS. KNA'S DESIGN EFFORTS SUPPORT KENMORE BOULEVARD'S TRANSFORM

KENMORE NEIGHBORHOOD ALLIANCE (KNA) IS THE ONLY NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION DEDICATED TO REVITALIZING THE NEIGHBORHOOD'S BUSINESS DISTRICT, THE LARGEST NEIGHBORHOOD BUSINESS DISTRICT IN THE CITY OF AKRON. WE PARTNER WITH THE CITY, LOCAL NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS BUSINESSES AND RESIDENTS TO IMPROVE AKRON'S LARGEST NEIGHBORHOOD BUSINESS DISTRICT, THE KENMORE BOULEVARD HISTORIC DISTRICT. WE TAKE AN ASSET-BASED APPROACH TO REVITALIZATION.

FOR THE YEAR 2019, KNA MADE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ITS TOP PRIORITY. THANKS TO FUNDING FROM AKRON COMMUNITY FOUNDATION, WE BUILT ON OUR 2018 RETAIL STUDY BY COMMISSIONING KM DATE COMMUNITY PLANNING TO CREATE THE KENMORE BOULEVARD RETAIL REVITALIZATION STRATEGY. THIS STUDY AND GO-FORWARD PLAN FOCUSED ON FOOD AND BEVERAGE-RELATED BUSINESSES THAT WERE DETERMINED TO BE THE MOST PROMISING BUSINESSES FOR THE DISTRICT BASED ON THE COMMUNITY FEEDBACK AND RETAIL LEAKAGE DATA. BASED ON THIS DATA, OUR BOARD CAME TO THE CONCLUSION THAT IN ORDER TO MODEL AND ATTRACT THE TYPE OF DEVELOPMENT WE WANT TO SEE IN OUR COMMERCIAL DISTRICT WE NEEDED TO OWN COMMERCIAL PROPERTY. SO ON APRIL 19, 2019, THE ORGANIZATION PURCHASED A VACANT BEAUTY SALON AT 975 KENMORE BLVD. TO BE TRANSFORMED INTO A COMMUNITY HUB AND COFFEE SHOP. NOT ONLY WILL THIS MEET A SIGNIFICANT COMMUNITY NEED, THE RENTAL REVENUE FROM THE BUILDING WILL PROVIDE APPROXIMATELY 13,200-14,400 PER YEAR TO SUPPORT KNA'S ONGOING SUSTAINABILITY. IN ADDITION, THE COMPLETE RENOVATION OF THE BUILDING WILL CONTRIBUTE TO REVITALIZATION AND HISTORIC NATURE OF THE DISTRICT. THE BUILDING IS EXPECTED TO BE COMPLETE IN LATE 2020 THANKS TO FUNDING FROM THE KNIGHT FOUNDATION, HUNTINGTON AKRON FOUNDATION, GAR FOUNDATION AND AKRON COMMUNITY FOUNDATION. KNA WAS ABLE TO SECURE A MATCHING FAADE GRANT THROUGH THE CITY OF AKRON'S GREAT STREETS PROGRAM TO COMPLETELY RENOVATE THE BUILDING'S STOREFRONT, ADDING SQUARE FOOTAGE TO THE BUILDING AND OUTWARD BEAUTY TO THE DISTRICT THAT WILL SERVE AS A BEACON FOR INVESTMENT IN THE AREA. WE ALSO WORKED WITH THE CITY'S OFFICE OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ON TAX INCREMENT FINANCING THAT WILL PAY THE ORGANIZATION APPROXIMATELY 30,000 OVER A PERIOD OF 30 YEARS TO OFFSET ANY INCREASE IN TAXES DUE TO PROPERTY IMPROVEMENTS. ALTHOUGH SMALL, THIS INCENTIVE COULD SPUR ADDITIONAL PROPERTY IMPROVEMENTS BY PRIVATE DEVELOPERS. THANKS TO A GRANT FROM THE CARESOURCE FOUNDATION, WE STRENGTHENED OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH JUMP ON BOARD FOR SUCCESS (JOBS)AND FUNDED TRAINING FOR YOUNG, MOSTLY SINGLE MOTHERS TO CERTIFY AND PLACE THEM IN RESTAURANT- RELATED JOBS LIKE COFFEE SHOPS, CAFES AND RESTAURANTS WITH EMPHASIS ON EMPLOYMENT WITHIN THE NEIGHBORHOOD. WE ADDRESSED TRADITIONAL BARRIERS TO SUCCESS, PROVIDING CHILD CARE, TRANSPORTATION, FINANCIAL EDUCATION AND MENTORSHIP THROUGHOUT THEIR TRAINING. WE ALSO PROVIDE WAGE INCENTIVES TO KENMORE RESTAURANTS TO HIRE JOBS GRADUATES: PROVIDING 50 PERCENT OF THEIR HOURLY PAY FOR SIX MONTHS. THIS IMPORTANT ADVANTAGE CAN ENCOURAGE ESTABLISHMENTS TO INVEST IN VERSUS DISCRIMINATE AGAINST THE YOUNG, RACIALLY DIVERSE POPULATION IN OUR COMMUNITY.

DURING 2019, KENMORE NEIGHBORHOOD ALLIANCE OFFICIALLY KICKED OFF OUR POPULAR KENMORE FIRST FRIDAY EVENTS, ATTRACTING HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE TO THE KENMORE BOULEVARD HISTORIC DISTRICT EVERY MONTH. TO REINFORCE KENMORE'S BRAND AS A MUSIC DISTRICT, WE HIRED LOCAL MUSICIANS TO SERVE AS STREET PERFORMERS, OR "BUSKERS," IN FRONT OF PROMINENT BOULEVARD BUSINESSES. WE ALSO ORGANIZED LOCAL VENDORS, FOOD TRUCKS AND NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS TO ENGAGE THE PUBLIC ON THE SIDEWALK. THESE POPUP EVENTS WERE ESPECIALLY HELPFUL FOR SHOWCASING POTENTIAL BRICK AND MORTAR BUSINESSES LIKE KICKSTAND COFFEE AND LIL BIT CAF, ENABLING THEM TO BUILD A FOLLOWING IN PREPARATION FOR THEIR OPENINGS IN 2020. IN ADDITION, WE WERE ABLE TO RAISE MORE THAN 5,800 IN SPONSORSHIPS TO PUT BACK INTO THE COMMUNITY AND RAISED AN ADDITIONAL 1,500 IN TABLE FEE, RAFFLE AND BEER SALES. WE ALSO FUNDED TWO HOLIDAY EVENTS: HOLIDAYS ON THE BOULEVARD SHOPPING AND ENTERTAINMENT EVENT IN PARTNERSHIP WITH KENMORE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, AND OUR FIRST BOO ON THE BOULEVARD, WHICH INCLUDED COLLABORATION WITH BUSINESSES, RESIDENTS AND NEIGHBORHOOD ORGANIZATIONS TO PROVIDE A SHOP-TO- SHOP TRICK OR TREAT NIGHT IN THE HISTORIC BUSINESS DISTRICT. BY PARTNERING WITH KENMORE KIWANIS, WE WERE ALSO ABLE TO RELOCATE THEIR ANNUAL CHILDREN'S COSTUME CONTEST TO ONE OF THE DISTRICT'S KEY BUILDINGS, THE RIALTO THEATRE, GIVING FAMILIES ONE MORE REASON TO VISIT THE BOULEVARD. WHILE EVENTS MAY NOT HAVE BEEN OUR MOST EXPENSIVE INVESTMENT, IT WAS ARGUABLY OUR MOST IMPACTFUL ONE. WE ESTIMATE THESE EVENTS BROUGHT 1,500 PEOPLE TO KENMORE BOULEVARD AND CREATED A RHYTHM THAT CAUSED RESIDENTS AND VISITORS TO BOND TO THE HISTORIC DISTRICT, THE BUSINESSES AND OUR ORGANIZATION, SOMETHING CRUCIAL IN DISINVESTED LEGACY COMMUNITIES SUCH AS OURS.

KNA'S DESIGN & BEAUTIFICATION COMMITTEE DID A VARIETY OF CLEANUP AND BEAUTIFICATION ALONG THE STREET AND ALLEYS OF KENMORE BOULEVARD. WE MOWED VACANT LOTS, CLEANED UP LITTER AND ALSO ADDED BANNERS TO THE CITY'S LIGHT POLES TO SHOW TRAVELERS AND RESIDENTS THAT THEY HAVE ENTERED THE KENMORE BOULEVARD HISTORIC DISTRICT. POLE BANNERS, MURAL CLEANUP. IN ADDITION, WE MADE GOOD ON OUR PROMISE TO AWARD THE WINNER OF THE 2017 KENMORE IMAGINEER MURAL CONTEST PAYMENT SUPPLIES TO CREATE A KENMORE-THEMED MURAL ON ONE OF THE DISTRICT PROPERTIES. WE PARTNERED WITH THE UNIVERSITY OF AKRON ART BOMB BRIGADE AND NEIGHBORHOOD RESIDENT AND MURALIST CALEB ARONHALT TO CREATE A 1,200 SQUARE FOOT MURAL THAT SAYS "KENMORE, OH" ON THE SIDE OF A WELL-KNOWN DISTRICT BUSINESS. IT SERVES AS A CREATIVE HUB AND "SELFIE SPOT" FOR MUSICIANS AND PASSERS-BY AND A POINT OF PRIDE FOR RESIDENTS.

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