The city of Akron has once again decided to destroy more history; this time it’s the remains of the Rubber Bowl stadium and the Heisman Lodge. The Rubber Bowl started construction in 1939 as a WPA project, and opened in 1940. The stadium was mainly used for football, but also had many different performances from music groups and many tournaments. So many decades of memories were made here. While the Rubber Bowl was partially demolished in 2018 due to safety concerns, the part built into the hillside has still stood. The remaining part of the Rubber Bowl poses no threat to safety and needs to be saved. There’s a lot that can be done with the remaining part of the stadium such as an amphitheater, an outdoor music venue, etc. So much potential for the public to enjoy this once thriving place again. Tearing it down is a slap in the face to the workers who helped build this to feed their families during the Great Depression.

The Heisman Lodge is also coming down as well, it was built in 1934 as a shelterhouse for winter sports. The building is still solid and structurally sound, the stone craftsmanship is amazing. The city of Akron has neglected it and vandals have done some damage, but overall it’s definitely salvageable. The Heisman lodge would be great to reuse as a shelterhouse once again, and the space around it could become a park. Once again, many great uses for this beautiful building. These 2 Akron landmarks should be spared from demolition and be preserved for the next generation to view, as well as be repurposed into something for the public to enjoy!