Rouse's Market Fire Leaves West Akron Without a Grocery Store

Council members at the June 1 Akron City Council meeting expressed concern and gratitude following an arson fire at Rouse’s Market, a longtime grocery store in the Ward 3 neighborhood. Mayor Shammas Malik confirmed that an arrest had been made earlier that day with assistance from the U.S. Marshals Service. Manuel Ramirez-Molina, 36, was arrested. A Neighborhood Staple Lost Councilman Mark Greer, whose ward includes the affected area, described the market as a cornerstone of a community that has faced decades of disinvestment since the construction of the inner belt highway. “When we lose such a core staple like Rouse’s, it underlines how that continuing disinvestment really affects that community even more because nothing else is left around it,” Greer said. He noted that the area now qualifies as a food desert and called for targeted commercial investment along the West Thornton and Vernon Odom Boulevard corridors. City Points to Ongoing Investment Council President Margo Sommerville acknowledged the disinvestment concern while pointing to existing city investment in the area, including community gardens supported by the Akron Zoo and local organizations. She said the owners of Rouse’s have committed to rebuilding. Malik thanked the fire and police departments for their response and noted the quick arrest. He pointed out that many residents relied on the market not only for groceries but for money orders to pay rent and monthly expenses. “It is a beautiful neighborhood and the folks in that neighborhood deserve our support,” Malik said. Photo: City of Akron, Ohio Mayor’s Office Facebook page