Community pride got a boost along Kenmore Boulevard this week with the Akron business district’s placement on the National Register of Historic Places.
Tina Boyes, executive director of the Kenmore Neighborhood Alliance, says the designation is rejuvenating pride among residents.
Boyes says the organization has been working toward the designation since 2018.
“We have a lot of people who live here that can trace their lineage in Kenmore back four and five generations," Boyes says. "A lot of them, through tough times, have been determined to stay and make the community better.
"I feel like this is just paying homage to them, and they deserve it. This neighborhood, these residents deserve to be proud of where they live.”
The designation also makes properties in the area eligible for federal and historic tax credits, as well as tax credits from the state. Kenmore is also considered an “Opportunity Zone,” which means people who invest in neighborhood businesses can defer capital gains taxes.
"We may be at the start of our revitilization," Boyes says, "but hopefully this is something they [residents] can cling to and say, 'Hey, better things are coming very soon.'"
