The owners of the Rubber Bowl are facing a new obstacle in their plans to reuse the former University of Akron football stadium.
The city of Akron notified Team 1 Properties this week that it cannot operate the facility as an entertainment venue under the current zoning.
The zoning allows for a “public recreation building” in a residential district, but Team 1 is a private entity and needs to seek an exemption, law director Eve Belfance wrote in a two-page letter dated Aug. 31 to the company.
Any exemption, or conditional use permit, would have to be approved by the council and Planning Commission.
Team 1 attorney William Corgan said Friday that he hadn’t seen the letter yet, but he questioned the city’s zoning stance.
“It seems a little weird to buy a stadium and then not be permitted to use the place as a stadium,” Corgan said. “As far as I know, nobody told Team 1 that if you buy this, you’re not going to be able to use it.”
Team 1, which purchased the facility in 2013, has been talking for years about turning the stadium into an entertainment venue that could host big concerts and events such as monster truck rallies. The company also is interested in bringing in a professional football team.
Despite the struggles in moving forward, the investors are still interested in breathing new life into the stadium, which has fallen into significant disrepair.
The facility, located on George Washington Boulevard next to Derby Downs, home of the Soap Box Derby, hasn’t been used for a major event since 2008.
“My clients have not given up,” Corgan said. “We’ll continue to see what we can work out until we either come to an agreement … or it’s going to die. They have been fighting for years but they still have fight in them.”
One of the issues is Team 1 doesn’t own the property around the stadium, meaning it doesn’t own parking space. The owners need help from the city with that problem, Corgan said.
He estimated that it would take about $11 million to renovate the stadium, but the investors don’t want to spend the money if the city will oppose their plans.
City leaders remain skeptical about the proposal.
Mayor Dan Horrigan said earlier this year that he’d like to see the facility torn down, an opinion shared by city Councilman Bob Hoch, who represents the neighborhood.
Neither has wavered from that stance.
“Either bring in the money and fix it up, or bring in your plan,” Hoch said Friday. “We’ve got to do something.”
The mayor said Friday that he hasn’t seen a definitive, written proposal and how a renovated stadium would benefit the city.
Corgan, though, said he delivered a “rough plan” to the city in June.
The horseshoe-shaped Rubber Bowl was built in 1939 and was owned by the city until 1971 when the facility was transferred to the university.
The school sold the property to Team 1 in May 2013 for $38,000.
Rick Armon can be reached at 330-996-3569 or rarmon@thebeaconjournal.com. Follow him on Twitter at @armonrickABJ.