Tired-A-Lot Studio
In 2017, Bridge of Grace Compassionate Ministries Center (BGCMC) launched Tired-a-Lot Studios to address neighbors’ desires for beautification and social offerings, creative outlets for a growing…
Read More »Center for Community Progress
Vacant Spaces into Vibrant Places
Creative Placemaking Project
Creative Placemaking Project
The Exchange House and Backyard
, Ohio
The Exchange House is located in North Akron, an international neighborhood home to people from Nepal, Bhutan, Iraq, Afghanistan, Congo, and more. Beyond providing a gathering space and lodging, the Exchange House is also working to build a coalition of multicultural leaders in North Akron.
The organization that initiated the effort was Better Block Foundation, a national nonprofit focused on design tactics that reactivate vacant spaces. With community support, Better Block identified a vacant building in North Akron as the future home of the Exchange House due to its centralized location and proximity to the main street corridor. With a $155,000 Knight Foundation grant, Better Block purchased the property and started rehabilitation. Shortly after purchase Better Block transferred ownership to the newly formed North Akron Community Development Corporation, which was charged with turning the Exchange House idea into a reality.
Exchange House’s ground floor now hosts cultural events in partnership with North Akron’s immigrant communities. It also houses a health clinic, martial arts class for kids, ESL classes, a worship space, and celebrations from birthday parties to weddings. In addition to event space rental fees, three Airbnb rooms upstairs generate revenue for the operations at the Exchange House. Visitors are encouraged to patronize local businesses that occupy the neighborhood’s main street, just one block away.
The North Akron Community Development Corporation leveraged the success of the Exchange House to activate other vacant properties in the neighborhood. The Backyard, adjacent to the Exchange House, was once an abandoned parking lot but now serves an informal gathering space with picnic tables, market stalls, a bonfire pit, and lounge furniture. The Backyard hosts community dinners, concerts, markets, and festivals.
Property Type: Residential Lot (no structure)
Project Type/ New Use: Art – Small Scale (e.g. painting; performance; visual), Live/Work Space
Project Purpose:
Duration: Permanent
Initial Cost: Over $250,000
Funding Source:
Organization Type: Nonprofit - Other
Implementation Partners:
City:
State: Ohio
Community Type: Urban
Project Photos
Last updated: October 2021 – Do you have additional information about this project? Please use the share your placemaking project form » to share that information.
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