AKRON, Ohio — Piece by piece, demolition crews tear down the remnants of the iconic Akron Rubber Bowl.
It's the culmination of a long goodbye after the University of Akron moved out in 2008.
Earlier this year, the state awarded more than $6.5 million to help Summit County clean out its blighted buildings.
Crews are expected to complete demolishing what's left of the Rubber Bowl over the next five months.
But it's what fans heard, witnessed and experienced inside the 35,000-seat stadium that made it a mecca of memories for the community.
"There was something for everybody all the time," said Mike Fulton, grandson of Rubber Bowl co-founder Bain "Shorty" Fulton. "It brought a lot of people together."
Mike Fulton walked us through his grandfather’s vision all those years ago.
It was an idea that came about because the nearby airport needed dirt.
"The airport was swampy at that end of the runway and he talked them into filling that in with dirt from the hillside right there," Fulton said. "Once they got the hillside dug out so far, then he proposed a stadium."
Mike Fulton pointed out how his grandfather traveled around the world visiting other stadiums to help inspire the design.
The Rubber Bowl opened in 1940 and its early days highlighted everything from rodeos to Easter services.
In a letter, Shorty Fulton's shared his thoughts on the Rubber Bowl:
“The completion of the 35,600 seat municipal stadium on the airport gives us one of the finest recreational areas anywhere in America, attracting a million people annually to the entire development.”
Consider Christopher Esker, the online archivist for anything Rubber Bowl; he oversees the "Akron Rubber Bowl Memories" Facebook group.
"There was no end to the things they did there," Esker explained. "It was a community space for anything. Ten percent of the [Akron] population could fit in the bowl at any one time."
The Concerts
Over the years, the list of acts stopping in Akron reads like who’s-who at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame: Simon & Garfunkel, The Rolling Stones, Stevie Wonder, Jefferson Airplane, Metallica, The Eagles, Tom Petty, Van Halen, Aretha Franklin and Bon Jovi.
"I did go to a concert there that was a triple billing of The Grateful Dead, Tom Petty and Bob Dylan, which was the strangest concert I’ve ever been to," Esker recalled.
News 5 was there in 1986 for that concert, which was only taking place in four cities across the country. One reporter recalled how the ambiance felt like a revival of the 60s and 70s.
The Football Games
For former Massillon, University of Akron and Ashland University football coach Lee Owens, the Rubber Bowl held a mystique that made it memorable.
"The fans are right on top of you," he said. "You’re right there and it's close, it's steep, and when it's full, it's loud. When the lights would come on and you walked in and you started playing, it just really made it special."
Massillon Tigers as ... semifinal loss to St. Ignatius in 1991 at the Akron Rubber Bowl.
For decades, the site was home to the City Series championship for Akron high school football teams, making for plenty of memorable Turkey Day games.
The University of Akron played its games there from 1940 until 2008 and several NFL games also took place there.
"The Rubber Bowl was always the temple for football," said Owens, who coached at the University of Akron from 1995-2003. "Whether you’re high school in the city series or a playoff team in the area or the Akron Zips in the Acme Zip Bowl, it was the place where football was played."
Our communities are freeing up space for new investments, businesses, & housing opportunities through @OhioDevelopment's Building Demolition & Site Revitalization Program. Learn about the 599 new demolition projects for blighted buildings across Ohio ➡️ https://t.co/4He4ILm61N pic.twitter.com/jbIJ5fzyDF
— Governor Mike DeWine (@GovMikeDeWine) January 31, 2023
The Rubber Bowl's demolition is one of hundreds of sites being torn down through the state's demolition and site revitalization program.
Clay LePard is a special projects reporter at News 5 Cleveland. Follow him on Twitter @ClayLePard or on Facebook Clay LePard News 5.
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