City of Akron Seeks Proposals for Former Fire Station 12 in Wallhaven

The City of Akron is soliciting proposals from qualified developers for the purchase and redevelopment of 1852 W. Market St. (Parcel Number 6717460), which is the location of the retired Fire Station No. 12 located in the Wallhaven Neighborhood of Akron. The City is interested in proposals that prioritize the adaptive reuse of the existing building.

The retired Fire Station No. 12 was built in 1952 and served the community for more than 70 years before being replaced by the state-of-the-art facility on South Hawkins Avenue. The property is in the Wallhaven neighborhood--named after the Wallhaven Hotel and service station as the first businesses in the area. Other businesses soon followed, including the original Swenson’s that still calls Wallhaven home.

Today, Wallhaven is a fast-paced retail district that supports a wide variety of business types such as hair care, a variety of fast-food options like Swenson’s, fine dining like Ken Stewart’s, clothing stores, banking, a pet store and more. The property is also centrally located between three grocery stores: Aldi, Acme Fresh Market, and Whole Foods Market. The Property is conveniently located along an Akron Metro route that runs West Market Street from Downtown Akron. West Market Street has traffic volumes of 23,000 vehicles per day. The Property is a 4-minute drive from I-77.

The RFP can be found at akronohio.gov/rfp. All questions should be submitted in writing to Development@akronohio.gov.

RFP Distribution                         October 1, 2025

Proposal Due Date                     November 5, 2025

Review of Proposals                  November 5-November 12, 2025

Award of Proposal                      November 17, 2025