As Akron’s original settlement, Middlebury was once a thriving city hub with abundant industry. The neighborhood was characterized by small businesses, resources, and relational networks. Over time, Middlebury has seen extensive disinvestment as industry disintegrated and built environment decisions focused on market imperatives over resident welfare. Corporate models and chain-stores, with bottom lines unable to filter throughout the residential areas that mattered most, took precedence over small entrepreneurs. Ultimately, this triggered alarming rates of transiency and decreased opportunity for homeownership. What was once a place of community ownership has become an area where the majority of investment is realized outside of the neighborhood. This has led to a decline in population, high unemployment rates, concentrated poverty, depreciating home values, the oldest housing stock in all of our City, and lack of social capital. Middlebury has become one of many case studies for rust belt neighborhoods that have long suffered disinvestment.

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