The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation has announced investments totaling $8 million in support of efforts to revitalize public spaces in Akron, Ohio.

The investments include $4 million to reinvigorate Summit Lake Park by creating a trail around the lake, building a pavilion, and improving lake access for recreational activities; $2 million to redesign and rebuild Lock 3 Park in downtown Akron, including the addition of shade and seating to enhance its usefulness as a performance space and connecting it to Main Street; $1.35 million in support of the Downtown Akron Partnership, a coalition of property owners, business leaders, and public officials committed to promoting and building a vibrant downtown district; and $637,500 to restore and reimagine John S. Knight House, the six-bedroom Tudor-style house built for a young Jack Knight and his wife, Kitty, after World War I, as headquarters for the Summit County Land Bank.

"Access to quality public spaces is a competitive advantage to living and working in Akron," said Knight Foundation Akron program director Kyle Kutuchief. "The nearly $8 million in support from Knight for these seminal projects will elevate Akron's ambition for great public spaces and ensure that more residents in Akron will be able to access these spaces and be proud of them."

(Photo credit: Ben Krut/Gettyimages)