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Kent State buys two more city properties University continues with its plans to expand Esplanade walkway into downtown; already spent $1.4 million

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Matthew Fredmonsky
March 18, 2010

By Matt Fredmonsky

Record-Courier staff writer

Kent State University continues to expand its presence in the neighborhood just west of campus as efforts to extend the Esplanade pedestrian walkway into downtown move forward.

The university's board of trustees agreed to purchase two more properties in the neighborhood during a board meeting held this week.

Extension of The Esplanade -- the on-campus portion of The Portage Hike and Bike Trail -- into downtown Kent is part of an overall redevelopment framework for downtown that the university, city and Portage Area Regional Transportation Authority have spent the past two years crafting with two private developers.

KSU purchased the property at 116 S. Willow St. for $145,000 from Linda and Michael Dussel, and the university bought a parcel at 325 E. Erie St. for $125,000 from Michael Smith.

President Lester Lefton said the purchases are part of the university's commitment to strengthening the physical connection between the city and university.

Plans for the Esplanade call for multiple connections of the walkway into downtown Kent, but the primary pathway will run from campus near Erie Street to Haymaker Parkway. Construction is scheduled to begin in 2012 with the trail opening in the fall of 2012.

Tom Euclide, the university's executive director of facilities planning and operation, said the route the path will take through the neighborhood has not yet been defined. The path's direction will depend largely on property acquisition.

The university so far has spent more than $1.4 million on at least 10 properties within the area since 2007.

Board of Trustees Chairman Patrick Mullin said the funds for the latest two buys came out of university allocations for property acquisition.

"And we have more set aside," Mullin said.




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    Posted by cabbie March 18, 2010
While I encourage a safe path for students to walk into downtown Kent, I question the amount of public money used (1.4 million so far) to create fancy sidewalks for students. Nothing for more classroom space (desperately needed) or parking that is becoming a premium for faculty/students, but a sidewalk!! Where are we headed with this kind of wasteful spending?

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