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Kent council taking a trip Will tour Akron development

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Matthew Fredmonsky
June 25, 2008

By Matt Fredmonsky

Record-Courier staff writer

Some members of Kent City Council will take a field trip this evening and hold a less-than-formal meeting away from the usual confines of council chambers.

Council members are traveling south to the city of Akron for a tour of Spicer Village. The urban development project is part of a 50-block revitalization effort near the University of Akron and Summa Health System being done in collaboration with the University Park Alliance.

City and university officials cut the ribbon on phase one of Spicer Village in June. The first phase features 25 of 75 planned condominiums, which range in size from 1,121 square feet to 2,191 square feet and range in price from $170,000 to $339,900, according to a Web site maintained by the developer, ASW Properties.

The idea of the trip came from Councilman Garret Ferrara. Along with members of council, members of Kent's administrative staff, including Kent City Manager Dave Ruller and Economic Development Director Dan Smith, also will make the trip to study the initial outcome of the development partnership between the city of Akron and its university.

Kent Mayor John Fender, who plans to make the trip, said he is looking forward to gaining valuable insight on how the city and university worked together with a private developer in a mutually beneficial manner.

"Learning, basically, from their process," Fender said. "And also getting an indication of basically what they are going to get out of it, the city and the university. Hopefully there will be very similar results for our enterprise and development in Kent."

Councilman Wayne Wilson said he believes the Akron project to be a successful development model.

"I hope to find out if they've had any difficulties or pitfalls, anything like that to make our project the best it can be," Wilson said.

Councilwoman Tracy Wallach plans to attend the tour in Akron and is hopeful to examine the collaboration between the city of Akron, the University of Akron and the University Park Alliance.

"What I hope to get out of it is we're going to view a collaboration that has been succesful between the city and the campus, so I would like to see what they've done and talk to them about how they made this collaboration work, so that maybe we can work on a similar collaboration that will be successful in Kent," Wallach said.




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 3 Total Comments
3.
    Posted by streakinduck June 25, 2008
You know how you work with a university? You don't arrest every student that steps outside its campus. You fix streets so that its employees don't drive in on pothole-riddled roads. You encourage the growth of EVERY business, whether it is a yarn barn, petuli store, bar, or tattoo parlor. Unfortunately for the Council, they will spend all their time marveling at the projects rather than take an time to talk to the University's administration, the city's council, or any of the people who just had their house taken.

Yes, the short bus indeed.

2.
    Posted by Gary June 25, 2008
Once again the city of Kent is wasting our money--Garrett Ferrara can't even deal with his area so who would think he would have the best interest in his ward or other places. Have you ever tried to call Garrett--well don't even try as he will never will return your calls.
The citizens of Kent do not want to be joined any further with KSU--if these council members would get out in their wards and ask questions on how the REAL people of Kent feel--they would learn that most of the residents are against most of their lame brain ideas. But they are only out when they want reelected.

1.
    Posted by JUST THE FACTS June 25, 2008
GREAT IDEA & THIS TRIP CAN CERTAINLY OFFER SOME VALUABLE INFORMATION!

IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN EVALUATED WELL BEFROE THE CITY SPENT $1,300,000.00 PLUS ACQUIRING PROPERTY AND ANOTHER $100,000.00 IN OUTSIDE LEGAL EXPENSE PRESENTING THE CITY OF KENT ON-GOING EMINENT DOMAIN CASE.

HAS THE CITY EVEN ESTABLISHED A DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT WITH FAIRMOUNT DEVELOPMENT AND WHAT HAS THE CITY PROMISED TO BAIT THIS DEVELOPER.

SEND THE SHORT BUS FOR THIS GROUP!!

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