City of Akron narrows options for new police headquarters to these 3 sites

The city of Akron has narrowed the location of the proposed new Akron Police Department headquarters to three sites: 80 W. Bowery St., 178 S. Forge St. and renovation of the department's current home, the Harold K. Stubbs Justice Center, 217 S. High St.

Here's what we know about the three options:

• 80 W. Bowery St., first constructed in 1950, is owned by Akron Children's Hospital. It has already been "prepared for renovation," according to a Monday news release from the city of Akron.

• 178 Forge St. housed the former Wonder Bread and Continental Baking Co. plant before the building's demolition earlier this year. If the address were to become the new police headquarters, property owner University of Akron would still use space along Forge Street, university spokeswoman Cristine Boyd told the Beacon Journal in April.
• The Stubbs building is 58 years old and has seen better days, with the city of Akron noting in its Monday release that the building's "deterioriating condition" and "layout of available space" "presents significant difficulties for the functioning of the Akron Police Department."

“It is critical that we ensure a long-term, safe, effective work environment for the Akron Police Department and today’s announcement brings us closer to that goal,” Akron Mayor Shammas Malik said in a prepared statement. “I believe we have identified potential options for the future of our police station, and I look forward to engaging with our community and stakeholders over the next several months as we make a final decision and determine the necessary financing.”

The short list of thee sites stems from a request for proposal process that resulted in 23 submissions from public, private and nonprofit groups and the city bringing its selection down to 10 sites in April.

“The mayor and I have a vision for our Police Department that is focused on community policing, retention and recruitment, and violence prevention,” said Akron Police Chief Brian Harding. “This step in determining the future of our police station is a critical one in helping us achieve our goals. We look forward to a station that our team is proud of as well as a space that is welcoming for our community. I’m excited for the future of our department and our station.”

Patrick Williams covers growth and development for the Akron Beacon Journal. He can be reached by email at pwilliams@gannett.com or on X, formerly known as Twitter, @pwilliamsOH.