Developers are interested in building affordable senior housing because the Ohio Housing Finance Agency gives tax credits for such construction.  But the demand is there too.  Ohio’s population is older than most states and those citizens are trading on large homes in the suburbs for smaller,  low maintenance housing in the cities.

This week Summit County Council heard a proposal to raze the former Heminger Elementary School in Akron in favor of a new 40 unit senior housing apartments.

Council also heard about a larger plan in Tallmadge, one of Akron’s inner ring suburbs. The Testa Companies want to build a mixed use development with senior housing clustered on the site of the former Tallmadge Middle School. COO Joel Testa likens it to building the downtown that Tallmadge does not have.

“By tying into the (Tallmadge) municipal building and the police building, bringing some medical uses, bringing retail, bringing housing to it, creating a boulevard, creating some common areas,  we’re going to create a Main Street-style downtown, if you will.”

Testa plans to incorporate the one building still standing on the 8 acres site – a 3 floor brick school built in 1910. He calls it the “focal point” of the development. Testa is awaiting approval from the state. He hopes to start construction in December.