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The future of downtown Kent? Meeting Thursday to discuss redevelopment proposal

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Matt Fredmonsky
July 8, 2009

 

 

By Matt Fredmonsky

Record-Courier staff writer

Redevelopment plans in the works for downtown Kent will be the focus of two upcoming public meetings to give residents and business owners a chance to discuss several projects.

Three key components will be at the center of the discussions.

The first project involves plans by the Portage Area Regional Transportation Authority to build a multi-modal transit facility. The estimated $12 million complex would include a bus transit center, vehicle parking and retail establishments. The multi-modal facility is currently in the design phase and a final location has not been set, but the project would be located in the area of Haymaker Parkway, East Main, South DePeyster and Erie streets.

Bryan Smith, planning director for PARTA, said the agency is working closely with city and university leaders to come up with a design that works best for all parties.

“There is definitely retail being planned in the design to be part of the project, absolutely,” Smith said.

The second proposal, arguably already underway, involves Kent State University’s plans to extend The Esplanade — the on-campus leg of The Portage Hike and Bike Trail — from the northwest corner of campus along Erie Street to Haymaker Parkway. The university recently bought two properties in the area.

The third major project to be discussed is a proposed hotel and conference facility, which city and university leaders are hopeful to locate in the area bordered by Haymaker Parkway, Erie and South DePeyster streets. Little detailed information about the hotel, including a study about its potential for occupancy, has been released.

All three proposals involve Haymaker Parkway, a busy state thoroughfare, and would lead to infrastructure changes in the area.

Kent City Engineer Jim Bowling said the city would handle most right of way and utility construction, including working with ODOT for curb cuts into S.R. 59, a signalized intersection at Haymaker Parkway and Erie Street and developing a median with pedestrian crossings.

Bowling said Erie Street would receive a complete makeover with wider sidewalks and bike lanes as part of the redevelopment.

“Our goal is to make it a complete street that serves vehicles, pedestrians and bicycles equally,” he said. “That’s the kind of stuff we’ll be talking to the public about.”

The public meetings are set for Thursday at 7 p.m. in the Kent Free Library and July 14 at 7 p.m. in Kent City Council chambers.

Kent Economic Development Director Dan Smith said the public meetings provide a good opportunity for residents to come in and learn about the projects, interact with planners and provide feedback. 

“The important thing to remember about all this too is it’s still fluid,” Smith said. “Things could move around in the development block as we try to coordinate a hotel conference center, office space (and) retail as well as continue to investigate a location for the courts. We feel we have a plan that accommodates everybody in a win-win fashion.”

 

 

 

Previous Articles:

KSU to purchase two properties for $267,000 University looks to expand physical link with Kent

June 9, 2009

http://www.recordpub.com/news/article/4604015

 

Kent renews bid for state stimulus funds City, KSU officials pitch development projects

April 21, 2009

http://www.recordpub.com/news/article/4570642

 

Kent redevelopment talks continue No formal agreement yet for downtown hotel, conference center

March 22, 2009

http://www.recordpub.com/news/article/4551366

 

Sorting out a ‘crazy quilt’ of projects Speaker details downtown plans at Bowman Breakfast

March 20, 2009

http://www.recordpub.com/news/article/4550289

 

Progress, trouble for project Kent bridge, transit plans are nearly finalized

March 17, 2009

http://www.recordpub.com/news/article/4547649

 

Hotel study results to be released Cleveland-based firm partnering with KSU, Kent on downtown project

Nov. 16, 2008

http://www.recordpub.com/news/article/4467704

 

Third time a charm for Kent hotel? Officials optimistic downtown development will go forward

Aug. 3, 2008

http://www.recordpub.com/news/article/4182212

 

Kent still in talks about development Planning for downtown project could take months

July 31, 2008

http://www.recordpub.com/news/article/4166591

 




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   Next 10 Comments of 16 Total Comments
16.
    Posted by Zippster July 9, 2009
moroniohio writes "Yeah people forget the "hotels" that failed in Kent were hardly hotels at all, not to mention they were locally owned and had to compete with the much nicer national chains in Streetsboro and Brimfield that had far better advertising among other things. Holiday Inn > Inn of Kent. The failure of those is really irrelevant to this new one. "

Someone please correct me if this is false, but from what I've been told, a few years ago, the City of Kent enacted some sort of "bed fee" to any hotel/motel in city limits. If a room was rented for the night, the city charged them $5-10 per bed in the room, per night. Instead of increasing their charges, University Inn and the Inn of Kent decided to convert into apartments. When both were still motels, anyone visiting me preferred to stay in them, since they were in town. Sure, the ones by I-76 in Brimfield are nicer, but nothing beats proximity.

Anyway, if this 'bed fee' story I heard is true, their failures as hotels is relevant to a proposed new one. I wonder if it was done to run both University Inn/Inn of Kent out of renting rooms per night, and if that same fee will apply to the city's pet hotel project?

15.
    Posted by kitmyers231 July 9, 2009
Well, the University has bought two houses across from, and two houses next door to the north toward Erie St., from my beautiful student rental at 224 S. Willow St. When the University bought the ones across the street, it was reported by the U that they didn't know what they were going to do with them.

The University has been lying through its teeth to the public for several years about it's plans. As a property owner in the Campus Link Project area, now known as the Gateway Project area, I have asked for specifics so I can know the intentions for my property.

Kent State: Do you or do you not want my property? Unlike the ones next door , it is inspected and licensed by the City of Kent. It will cost you dearly. I await your response, but if the silence of the past is any indication, I expect nothing from you.

I am a Kent State graduate and am ashamed of Kent State's administrative lack of complete openness.

Christopher Myers

14.
    Posted by streakinduck July 9, 2009
I hope there will be a soda shop where me and the boys can get some malts after work!

Seriously, where is the money going to come from? I don't really even mind the plan and have grown quite ambivalent to the prospect of this waste of money, multi-modal facility. I don't even care that we are basically copying anyone, and everyone we can find in the hopes that it works in our city. But where will the money come from? Until you show people the money, no one will ever take this plan seriously.

13.
    Posted by moroniohio1 July 9, 2009
Yeah people forget the "hotels" that failed in Kent were hardly hotels at all, not to mention they were locally owned and had to compete with the much nicer national chains in Streetsboro and Brimfield that had far better advertising among other things. Holiday Inn > Inn of Kent. The failure of those is really irrelevant to this new one. A decent hotel downtown definitely has potential to help downtown businesses more by providing a key ingredient: potential customers at close range. And as usual, the people complaining about it have no solutions of their own. Sorry, the status quo isn't going to help downtown or the city's budget.

My only problem with this development is adding another light on Haymaker Parkway for Erie Street. Haymaker does not need another traffic light. I'd much rather see Erie Street be more pedestrian friendly than anything. At least connect it to the bypass without a light!

As for the multimodal facility, a rail connection would require working commuter tracks, which Kent currently does not have and there are no regional plans to have them anytime soon. I would love to see a working train terminal in Kent, but I don't see it happening anytime soon.

And I agree with Andrew's comment: as much as I love history and saving old buildings, seriously, just tear down the old Kent Hotel building. Its time has past.

12.
    Posted by AndrewP July 8, 2009
Misstia, my family and I spent nights at both downtown motels, the most recent being the Inn of Kent, before I started my student tenure here.

I think a motel in the city of Kent would still be great...seeing as how families visiting their student/kids would still be "around" for the weekend, instead of somewhere like Stow, Hudson, Brimfield, Streetsboro.

And I know people echo my next comment...TEAR DOWN THAT CRAPPY KENT HOTEL!!

11.
    Posted by Ed1 July 8, 2009
A fool and his money are soon departed! What a shame the fools at city hall are able to depart with taxpayers money!

10.
    Posted by Fair Tax 1 July 8, 2009
bob4,

You missed my point, the City should have waited on an MOU with the developers before spending $2 million on land that today they probably would have spent $1 million to purchase. The rest of council should have listened to Kuhar when he brought up the point that the option to purchase McNasty's property was good through December. With the recession the City would have gotten the property for a better price.

Mr. Burbick is a smart man and saw a good investment in his property and would have done the project if Kent purchased the land a year ago or when when there was a firm commitment from developers

Oh yeah, McKay Bricker got their $500,000 from the City. I don't think they would have left Kent anyways!!!

9.
    Posted by bob4 July 8, 2009
It is not a fantasy to want a new hotel in downtown along with it's taxes and jobs. A place one could let their mom stay at not to mention the local businesses that a new hotel would support.

If the city didn't start buying the land in downtown would the Phoenix project have been built? Would McKay Bricker stayed in Kent or would they have moved to Stow, Hudson, or Aurora? The Phoenix building is over $6 million and Mckay Bricker has had to have spent over $500,000. Not small bucks in a recession. Downtown is looking good for a change.

8.
    Posted by Ed1 July 8, 2009
Is this a story about a fantasy Disneyland in Downtown Kent? I think it is just another fairytale from city hall and spun by the master fiction publication "Record Courier"

7.
    Posted by Fair Tax 1 July 8, 2009
Why are the City and University being so secretive about the hotel/conference center project?

The City purchased the lion's share of the land a year ago and absolutely nothing is going on down there. If Council had not jumped the gun in June 2008 and let the option expire on the land in December 2008, the City probably would have been able to purchase the land now for half the price. Instead, the City has lost a whole years worth of interest on a couple million dollars. That is what you get when you have Council of idealists with no business sense to realize the country was in a serious recession.

Why are they not discussing the associated mixed retail development? Can we find new developers with capital to move forward?

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