Art Spark...

My mention of the Haymaker Farmer’s Market interest in an art mural on the columns beneath the Haymaker Bridge earlier in the week sparked a fair amount of interest from folks.  People seemed to feel that the Market was on to something good and they were letting me know that we (aka the City) needs to do more to promote public art projects like this since art runs deep in Kent’s DNA — both formally with the art education programs and professional galleries like the KSU Gallery and the McKay Bricker Gallery, and at the other end of the spectrum with a glom of  indie artists randomly found around town doing their own thing in unexpected places (like streetcorners or at the Professor’s Pub). 

I tend to agree that the City needs to do whatever it can to advance the arts — both the formal and informal forms of creative expression.  I don’t make that statement to be politically correct or for some philanthropic agenda, rather if we’re serious about selling the Kent experience as an eclectic mix of characters, places and sensory stimuli then art has to be part of the community conversation and stake it’s claim at the alter of eccentric Kent.  The adjectives and descriptors of art — quirky, surprising, confusing, thought provoking, and even shocking — also happen to pop up when talking about many aspects of Kent so in that regard art resonates and even amplifies the Kent ethos (or milieu for the high brow artists among us.) 

Our efforts to market the Kent lifestyle is not unique to us — it’s the core of a lot of city development efforts.  Those bold Texans in Austin have taken it so far as to proudly adopt the tag line “Keep Austin Wierd” in a national campaign to be the world headquarters of everything odd.  You can’t help but admire the lengths they’ve gone to realize their aspiration — the video of the 6′4″ cowboy walking down the street in his raw hide boots and matching thong did me in but clearly they have no fear in embracing their unique sense of style. 

Another ambitious city that has embraced the off-beat is Asheville North Carolina.  They’ve carved themselves a unique place in the mountains of North Carolina that is equal parts hippie and hill-billy – and it works really well.  Great art, great street scene, great restaurants and a surprising mix of people of all kinds of dispositions. 

It turns out that Asheville is one of the sources of inspiration for the Kent art mural project that has been adopted by the Haymaker Farmer’s Market.  They’ve got their own infrastructure art thing going on.
 

 Here’s a few good links to learn more about the Asheville project

Asheville Story Archives

Kent still has a long way to go to catch Asheville but it’s nice to know that we’re in good company.

Get Your Passport Here...

One of the public services that the City Clerk for the City of Kent picked up on behalf of all our international travelers was providing passports.  That may not strike the casual observer as unique but passports are not a traditional city service — it turned out to be an opportunity that our City Clerk saw the need for and she has been filling ever since.

It may be a little thing but it’s an important little thing that helps us achieve all those cultural and economic benefits that I’ve blogged about this week related to Kent’s international scene.  International travel is a two-way street and she helps make sure that Kent residents and visitors have an easy way to safely get where they want to go and return home when they want.  Sounds small from the comforts of your lounge chair but when you’re 2,000 miles away from home it’s definitely not such a small thing.   

Last week the City Clerk sent around a notice that the US State Department was increasing passport fees.  She said that if you have a passport that needs to be renewed, the cost of renewal will increase by $35.00.  For first time applicants, the cost for an adult passport will be $135 and for those under 16, $105.  Currently, those fees are $100 and $85, respectively.  The US Dept. of State has not told us the exact date of these impending increase but she says that past experience tells her it is in the not-so-distant future.

Here’s the State Department notice:

International Students and Entrepreneurship...

On Monday I rattled on so long about the cultural value that international students, faculty and business people contribute to the Kent lifestyle that I ran out of gas before I got a chance to throw in my two cents on the economic value of those foreign born folks that call Kent home.  So I’d like to return to the topic of the current wave of immigration and the rather significant role it plays in our economic recovery.

The Kent State strategic planning summit focused more on the higher morale purpose of engaging international students in education and life long learning so we didn’t really dig too deeply into the economics but as much as I like group hugs, at the end of the day we still have to pay the bills and that leads us into a more practical discussion of what’s in it for us economically?  It turns out quite a lot actually.

I didn’t necessarily know all this heading into the Kent State meeting but I figured if I’m going to speak to a room full of academics I better do my homework and that’s when I discovered what an economic engine our foreign born neighbors have turned out to be.  Let’s look at the numbers.

__________________________________

1.  Economists predict that in the next decade 70% of our economic growth will come from small business entrepreneurs.

2.  The rate of entrepreneurship among immigrants living in the US is double the rate of native born entrepreneurship — 5 out of 1,000 vs. 2 out of 1,000.

3.  Economists predict that as manufacturing and labor intensive industries move off-shore the US economy will increasingly depend on high tech and scientific discovery.

4.  Immigrants represent only 10% of the total US workforce but they represent 25% of scientists and engineers, and 50% of the PhD’s in the US workforce.

5.  A reported 50% of the Silicon Valley Tech companies were founded by someone born outside of the US — by comparison 14% of Ohio companies were founded by an immigrant.

6.  The rate of patent filings from foreign born is double the rate of patents filed by native born in the US.

7.  Every year since 1980 immigrants have been more likely to be self employed entrepreneurs than native born US residents. 

8.  Since 1995 1 out of 4 US venture-backed start up company was founded by an immigrant.

9.  Researchers report that the annual economic impact that international students bring to the US each year is greater than $15 billion — they list Kent State international students as injecting $17 million to our region’s economy. 

10.  The greatest immigrant economic contributors are reported to come from Syria, Iran, Greece, Korea, Israel, Lebanon and Turkey. 

11.  Approximately 5% of the population in Northeast Ohio has advanced degrees.

12.  A reported 62% of foreign students that obtain their PhD’s here stay here to begin their business careers — 9 out of 10 Chinese doctoral students stay in the US, 8 out of 10 Indian students and 7.7 out of 10 Russian born students also stay in the US.

_________________________________

With shining stars like Alpha Micron and Kent Displays in our backyard we’ve touted high tech entrepreneurship as the economic niche that is in Kent’s wheelhouse and a walk through each of these companies is like a walk through Kent State’s international student hall of fame.   These small companies are growing fast and they’re full of foreign born graduates of Kent State from all over the world that now call Kent home. 

So the formula works — grab an emerging technology, hire a bunch of smart people from around the globe, think big, start small, test your business plan, commercialize, and then scale like crazy.  That life cycle usually takes a good 10 to 15 years and we know that Kent — thanks to our close proximity to the University and the cultural mix that comes with it — is ideally suited to serve that business niche.  And if that business niche is predicted to be the centerpiece of economic recovery we’re more than happy to be help fulfill that promise. 

River Access Project Update...

Last week the Kent Parks and Rec Director held a public meeting in the Riverbend neighborhood to review the concept plans for improving river access by converting vacant City park land into a new boat launch area.  The Parks and Rec design consultant attended the meeting, offered some initial concept images and took notes based on the feedback of the meeting attendees.  As you might expect the comments ranged from concerns with parking, lighting and noise to excitement over the prospect of a new outdoor recreational opportunity.    

John and his design engineer will now go to the drawing board and work to incorporate the elements of the public input into the specifications for the project as much as possible and wherever practical.  With that in mind John has provided me with some of the hand out materials from the meeting and he wanted to let the public know that they can continue to submit comments through March 30th.  Here’s what John sent me:  

___________________________________   

More Downtown (Riveredge Park) Drawings 

Overall Project Summary and Public Comment Form 

Thinking and Acting Global...

I had the opportunity to be a panelist up at Kent State last week in a strategic planning session that focused on international students and their impact in the Kent community.  I was joined by a couple of local business representatives and Portage County Commissioner Smeiles.  We had about an hour to discuss the challenges and opportunities for increasing international students in Kent and it was great to see parts of the University’s international action plan being scripted.   

Dr. Lefton has been advocating hard for expanding the international student presence at Kent State and for increasing Kent State’s presence internationally with campus offices spread around the globe.  It was clear from the time we spent on campus that his deans and faculty are taking this challenge seriously.  Kent State has a great tradition of international engagement but there’s no question that they are looking to raise the bar.   

Like most good strategic planning sessions the ideas were flowing and information was jumping around the room as the various players began to connect the dots of opportunities to develop action steps to include in their strategic plan.  As would be expected at an institution of higher learning most of the morning and afternoon sessions were devoted to academics but they carved a time slot for us just before lunch that was titled Enhancing Our Community:  Creating Cultural Context.   

I think that’s a perfect description for exactly what we are trying to do on many levels with the partnerships in downtown Kent — create the kind of cultural context that university cities are known for and leveraging that unique cultural context into our strongest asset that sets us apart from all those suburbany non-university cities around us.  We’ve got a lot of really great assets in Kent like the Cuyahoga River, a good school system, great parks, low crime, low cost of living, blah-blah-blah. 

I’m not diminishing the importance of any one of those assets but honestly those are must have’s that pretty much describe every other community too.  If you don’t have those things you’re not even in the game.  Sure, some places do parks better than us and we might do the River better than others but overall there’s barely a few degrees of separation on these community amenities — and a few degrees of separation isn’t even going to buy you a cup of coffee.     

But when you throw in 32,000 students and the amazing multi-cultural mix that comes with them you’ve got a potential game changer.  You get that mix right, and give people of all ethnicities places to gather, mingle, learn, live and play together, and you’ve just leap-frogged yourself to the front of the line of best places to live.  In today’s flat world having an international perspective and multi-cultural exposure is a huge advantage.  Typically, to get that kind of cultural experience you’ve got to pay the price of living in a big city where you also get lost in traffic and lost in the hectic lifestlye that comes with needing dual incomes to be able to afford to live there.  I know of what I speak because I lived in Washington DC for 12 years and the local high school proudly noted that over 90 languages were spoken in that school — it was the great mixing bowl — but you rarely had any time to enjoy it because you spent hours in traffic, hours in lines at grocery stores and hours recovering from spending hours in lines.     

To that extent it was like living in a museum — you were surrounded by some terrific amenities and unbelievable diversity but you couldn’t touch it or interact with the exhibits; to the point where began to feel like an exhibit yourself watching the world go by from inside the glass cage, just another rat in the maze.  Kent to the rescue.   

What’s different about Kent is how we’re able to do bundle all those big city cultural amenities into a small town package that leaves plenty of room for living.   Great works of art may end up hanging on display in museums but they’re made in the streets of places like Kent where life is hands-on.  Whether its sports teams or community building the key to success is leading with your strengths and in our case our quality of life — or what I call the Kent lifestyle — is the Kent advantage.  And in one way or another that Kent lifestyle is derived from having the 2nd largest public university in Ohio call us home.  

When you get right down to it we think that by cultivating our ecclectic and unique lifestyle we can make Kent the city of choice for anyone in Northeast Ohio who is looking to be in a place that is known for its energetic and diverse residents that want to connect to their community in a personally meaningful and enriching way.  That is the core strategy that the City is trying to put to work most visibly in the downtown revitalization effort but it touches upon just about everything we do. 

This morning I received an unsolicited email from a Kent resident that affimed the value of the Kent lifestyle in real world terms, not in fancy advertising phrases — which is exactly why I liked it so much. 

_________________________________  

Advocating the Arts...

Kent’s got it’s straight lines, crooked lines and curved lines but my favorite parts are at the edges – that’s where things get interesting.  Whether we’re talking about the cast of characters that call Kent home or all the haircuts and clothing styles prominently displayed by students of the fashion design school or even the tatoo parlors and muscle cars that are favorites of Kent’s biker crowd.  Any way you twist it,  Kent is a lifestyle choice. 

Sure, Kent is a City but that misses the point – it’s a lifestyle first and a City by default as a lifestyle gathering hole.  People choose to live in Kent because it’s got room for everybody.  If you like living a outside the lines then Kent is your kind of place.   Where some communities seek depth within a narrow range of life styles, Kent goes wide, celebrating the edges of convention. 

Unabashedly honest, unapologenic, unmistably Kent.  That’s the heart and soul of the Kent brand.  That’s our point of origin; where Kent is a verb and a subculture.   If Kent had an anthem it would have to begin with the line from Blinded by the Light – ”Momma always told me not to look into the sun.  But momma, that’s where the fun is…”  

Fulfilling that lifestyle promise isn’t easy because you have to keep it real, you can’t be a poseur, and you have tolerate things that may be disagreeable to you because that’s Kent.  In a world full of choreographed, spoon fed look alikes, Kent’s a breed apart and *&#! proud of it.  Kent’s the undiscovered moments that sneak up on you and last a lifetime.    

One of the great aspects of living life on the edge of the envelope is the artistic qualities that pervade the community in spirit and in form.  Kent and Kent State University have a rich art legacy and fantastic galleries that while located on Main Street are anything but main stream.  What started me down this Kent path less traveled today was the announcement I heard on NPR today that reported the 10th annual national ceramic cup juried art exhibition that will be on display at the Kent State Downtown Gallery from March 5th through March 27th.  I had one of those, seriously? ceramic cup juried art exhibition? national?  only in Kent moments.   

Sure enough, NPR doesn’t lie, here’s more details on this only in Kent event: 

Annual Juried Cup Show to Open at Kent State’s School of Art Downtown Gallery

The 10th Annual National Juried Cup Show will be on display March 5-27 at the School of Art’s Downtown Gallery in downtown Kent, Ohio. The juror, Dean Adams, is currently an Adjunct Faculty in Ceramics/Foundations at Montana State University. Mr. Adams exhibits nationally and internationally and has participated in many artists/ residencies, including the Archie Bray Foundation, The Banff Center and the Watershed Center for Ceramics. He is also a founding board member for the LH project on Oregon.

There will be a reception on Friday, March 5 from 5 until 7 PM. 

City Council Update on Downtown...

Last Friday I provided City Council with a short synopsis on the status of the various elements of our downtown redevelopment efforts and given all the interest that the $20 million stimulus award generated throughout the community I thought it would be good to share it as a blog post as well. 

 1. PARTA Multi Modal Project – Following the $20 million award announcement from last week, a meeting has been set up for the engineers from all the respective agencies to begin to work through the $21 million grant application to figure out what aspects of the original request need to be cut out in order to stay within the $20 million budget.   A meeting has also been set up for next month (March) for the engineers to meet with the grant administrators/engineers from the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) to begin to discussions on the grant terms and agreement.  PARTA reports that their real estate representatives continue to work through the federal process for the land acquisition required for this project.  Kent State has set up a web link for the grant award at http://www.kent.edu/news/announcements/success/mulitmodaltransportationcenter.cfm, the City is updating our capital projects page to include PARTA project information, and PARTA is also planning to add a web information source for the project on their web site as well.

 2.  Downtown Redevelop Blueprint – With the recent progress made on agreeing to the esplanade extension with Kent State, receiving the Multi-Modal Center grant award, finalizing of the Collective Intent Agreements with the private developers, and the completion of the Phoenix Project, we felt it was a good time to go back to the downtown redevelopment blueprint and update it accordingly.  We have met a number of the existing business owners along Main Street to discuss their plans for expansion and we have offered the services of our planning consultant to reflect those plans on the revised downtown blueprint.  As part of this effort we plan to re-convene the public stakeholders committee in the next month (March-April) to provide an update and receive feedback.  The members of the former Kent State University Citizens Advisory Transportation Committee will also be invited to the stakeholder meeting since they were active in the multi-modal project design and advocacy.  

3.  Development Agreements – I believe we will be in a position to have the Collective Intent Agreement signed in the next week so we have engaged the legal staff to prepare the Development Agreements that will serve as the legal documents for the downtown projects.  To that end we have also had a couple of meetings with the School District to begin to discuss the use of Tax Increment Financing (TIF) for the project.  Our tentative target dates for the Development Agreements and TIF Agreements are the Summer of 2010.   We have advised the private developers to plan to attend the March Planning Commission meeting for a conceptual presentation of the various elements of the project.  We would expect the developers to submit their site plans for formal Planning Commission review in May 2010.  

4.  City Property in the Development Block – We are working to set a March closing date to purchase the last remaining parcels of private property from Mr. Arthur.  In addition, we have contacted Dominion Gas to begin outlining a plan to get their gas sub-station relocated out of the block.  Dan Smith has talked with the tenants of the currently rented properties in the block and advised them that we they need to begin to make preparations to find new business locations this summer so that we can proceed with our plans to initiate more building demolition perhaps as early as Fall 2010.  We are currently having the buildings evaluated for any special environmental handling in preparation for demolition.  The City and the University have drafted terms for a land exchange agreement and we have employed an appraiser to prepare the necessary land transaction documents. 

Snow Ban In Effect...

This is probably the 4th or 5th time this winter that we’ve had to put a snow emergency in effect so I know it’s old news at this point but I still feel an obligation to let you know that thanks to the latest round of snow squalls the Public Service Director  has declared a snow emergency in effect at 9 am February 26th – which means we need your help to move any parked vehicles off the streets so that the plows can safely clear the streets.  The parking ban on City streets will remain in effect until further notice.  Here’s the official announcement:

NEWS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

February 26, 2010

THE DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC SERVICE FOR THE CITY OF KENT HAS ANNOUNCED A SNOW EMERGENCY PARKING BAN BEGINNING TODAY AT 9:00AM, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 26TH, 2010.

THE PARKING BAN IS BEING PUT INTO EFFECT TO ALLOW CITY CREWS TO CLEAR SNOW AND ICE FROM CITY STREETS DURING THE CURRENT STORM EVENT. THIS PARKING BAN WILL REMAIN IN AFFECT FOLLOWING THE STORM TO ALLOW CITY CREWS TO CONTINUE SNOW REMOVAL EFFORTS. AN UPDATED NEWS RELEASE WILL BE ISSUED TO INFORM THE PUBLIC AS TO THE STATUS OF THIS PARKING BAN AND WHEN IT WILL BE LIFTED.

DURING A SNOW EMERGENCY, PARKING ON ALL CITY STREETS IS BANNED TO PROVIDE FOR SNOW AND ICE REMOVAL. A SNOW EMERGENCY EXISTS DURING ANY 24 HOUR PERIOD WHEN TWO OR MORE INCHES OF SNOW ACCUMULATES.

THIS WINTER SEASON, RESIDENTS AND BUSINESSES ARE REMINDED TO CLEAR PUBLIC SIDEWALKS OF SNOW AND ICE ABUTTING THEIR PROPERTIES.

City of Kent, Ohio
Eugene K. Roberts

Kent State Construction Projects Update...

The Kent State University’s Architects Office periodically sends out an updated list of all the projects that they have underway and in the planning stages for the Kent campus and all the regional campuses.  I’m lucky enough to be on their distribution list and I’m happy to share the update here. 

CONSTRUCTION ALERT  February 2010

From the Office of the University Architect

Risman Plaza Construction Commences Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Construction to renovate Risman Plaza is scheduled to begin this week and work will progress around the plaza in sections throughout winter, spring, and summer until the end of August. The plaza will be enhanced to become a more inviting space for students, faculty and staff to meet, study, relax and attend events.

Beginning Tuesday, February 23, 2010, work will begin on the new Risman Plaza Transit Shelter (located on the south side of the Kiva). The construction crew will install fencing around the perimeter of the jobsite. Work on this portion of the project is anticipated to continue through the remainder of Spring Semester. Although it should not disrupt pedestrian or vehicular traffic, please exercise caution while traveling around the plaza and observe construction detour signage to avoid this construction zone.

Updates will be provided to you as this project progresses and moves around to other sections of the plaza.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

UPDATE ON DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS: JANUARY 2010
Spring and summer heavy construction activities are quickly approaching as project designs are being finalized and construction documents are being assembled to advertise for competitive bidding. Across Kent State’s eight campuses, here are the major facility and infrastructure improvements being administered by the Office of the University Architect:

PROJECTS UNDER CONSTRUCTION:

Ashtabula Health and Science Building
The newly-built, two story, 55,000 sf Robert S. Morrison Health and Science Building opened for Fall Semester 2009 at Ashtabula Campus. The new facility houses the Nursing Program, Occupational Therapy, Radiation Technology, science laboratories, general classrooms and offices. At the west end of campus, a new student parking lot was added to accommodate the new building. Commissioning and punch list items need to be completed.

Centennial Research Park Roof Replacement
The original roof over Centennial Research Park will be replaced this winter. Work commenced in December and continues through winter.

District Chilled Water Expansion Phase II
Currently under construction, this project involves addition of VFDs to the system, along with replacement of three-way valves with two-way valves. Work involves updating controls, wiring of the VFDs, and installation and removal of valves, piping and hardware. Construction is scheduled to be completed early spring in time for the cooling season.

Electrical Distribution System Upgrades – Medium Voltage Loop 8B
The medium voltage loop 8B (Nixon, Terrace and Verder halls and Art Annex) and the electrical power metering system were upgraded and connected to the Power Plant. This project is at the punch list stage and is nearing completion.

Geauga Student Parking Lot Improvements, Phase 2
At Geauga Campus, phase 2 parking lot improvements involve installation of a detention pond for storm water management. Work commences on-site in April and will continue through June.

Heer and Harbourt Halls Roof Replacement
The roofing systems on Heer and Harbourt halls will be removed and replaced. Construction commenced in late December and continues through spring.

McGilvrey Hall Labs 131B and 341 Renovations
The fume hood systems in McGilvrey Hall labs 131B and 341 will be renovated to be compatible with chemicals proposed for use by a new faculty member. These renovations include, but are not limited to, new acid-resistant fume hoods and exhaust systems. On-site construction commences on February 1.

Music and Speech Center Renovations and Additions – Roe Green Center
Music and Speech Center is being renovated and additions built to address space and program needs for the School of Theatre and Dance. One addition will provide a new lobby and black box experimental theatre on the Theatre Drive face of the building; this will also provide an enhanced entry area for students and event patrons. On the west side of the building, another addition is being constructed to provide three new dance studios and support space to relocate the Dance Program out of the MACC Annex. The Theatre addition is closed-in with all exterior building work complete. Construction continues inside with drywall, rough electrical, heating and cooling system work and the closing-in of the control room and support areas. The new Theatre lobby is enclosed with plumbing and electrical work commencing, followed by drywall and finishes to be installed in the spring. The Dance studios and support areas are ready for wall finishes and painting, while the locker and restrooms are nearing completion, since the ceramic tile has been installed. This project is on schedule to be completed this May.

Tuscarawas Performing Arts Center
A new Performing Arts Center is being constructed at the Tuscarawas Campus. This new facility is located adjacent to the existing Founder’s Hall and includes a 1,100 seat theatre, classrooms for the art programs, offices, stage and stage support areas. Installation of structural steel and underground utility work and rough-in of interior utilities continue. The educational wing, theater tower, the main house, the lobby, and back-of-house areas are all under construction. Completion is expected late fall.

Verder Hall New Hydraulic Elevator
Verder Hall’s original elevator will be removed and replaced with a new, roped, hydraulic elevator in a new hoistway shaft on the exterior of the building. Contracts were recently awarded and on-site construction will commence on May 17.

CONTRACT AWARDS PENDING:

Centennial Greens and Manchester Field Lawn Irrigation
Lawn irrigation systems will be installed in order to water Centennial Greens and Manchester Field. The contract award is pending for the irrigation bids that were opened on January 21.

McDowell Hall Toilet and Shower Room Rehabilitation
Due to aging infrastructure, plumbing systems and fixtures in the bathrooms of McDowell Hall will be rehabilitated. Architectural finishes, electrical and HVAC work in these areas will also be replaced. Contract awards are pending for construction bids that were opened on December 16 and the General Trades Contract re-bids that were opened on January 21. Construction is scheduled for completion during the summer.

Risman Plaza Renovations, Phase 1
This project is the initial phase of a multi-phased project to improve the university’s landscape and hardscape. The primary focus of the construction for this phase will be the Risman Plaza and surrounding areas. Renovations will include improvements to landscaping, paving, lighting, site furnishings, drainage and pedestrian walkways. The contract awards are pending for construction bids that were opened on January 12.

Trumbull Library Fire Alarm Upgrade
At Trumbull Campus the fire alarm system will be upgraded with a new, addressable, voice-type system in the Link Building, Library, and Technology addition. The contract award was approved by the Controlling Board and is now awaiting the release of construction funds from the Office of Budget and Management. Work is anticipated to start mid-spring semester and continue into summer.

PROJECTS ADVERTISED FOR BIDDING:

Williams Hall Lab 223 HVAC Improvements
The HVAC system in laboratory 223 of Williams Hall will be upgraded. Contractors” bids for construction will be opened on February 16.

Kent Student Center Masonry Repairs
The masonry overhang at the third floor balcony level of the Student Center is in need of repair. Poor detailing in the original design has led to failure of the bottom edge of this overhang, and a reinforcing lintel will be retrofitted over the 280 ft. length. Contractors’ bids for construction will be opened on February 22. Work will begin in the spring as soon as weather permits. Until repairs are completed, the outside balcony will be closed.

Residence Halls ADA Improvements
Construction will commence this summer to bring specific areas of Centennial Court, Prentice Hall, and Beall Hall into compliance with current Federal ADA requirements that will provide better accessibility in those areas for students and staff. Contractors’ bids for construction will be opened on February 23.

PROJECTS UNDER DESIGN:

Child Development Center Reroof and Research One Shingled Roof
Existing shingles on the roofs of the Child Development Center and the Research One Building will be removed and replaced with new roofing systems which include ice guards, venting, fall protection equipment and roofing accessories. A design firm is assessing the extent of the ceiling repairs and insulation supplementation and/or replacement.

East Liverpool Classroom Building Restroom Renovations
Three sets of men’s and women’s restrooms in the Classroom Building will be renovated. Restrooms will be modified to conform to the current ADA codes, with new floor and wall tile, ceiling and lights, plumbing fixtures and toilet compartments, countertops and toilet accessories.

Geauga Student Parking Lot Improvements, Phase 3
At Geauga Campus, phase 3 of this project involves parking lot improvements and construction of a transit center to the south parking areas. This work will be bid and constructed during summer.

Kent Multimodal Transportation Center
Kent State, the city of Kent and the Portage Area Regional Transportation Authority, via a Federal Transportation Administration grant, conducted a planning study for construction of a Multimodal Transportation Center in the city. The proposed center incorporates parking, mass transportation, pedestrians and bicycles into one central facility designed to promote and increase transit, pedestrian and bicycle access to the university and downtown Kent. This project is in the schematic design phase.

Library Main Floor Renovations
The circulation desk area and main entry lobby at the first floor of the Library will be renovated. Currently under design, construction is anticipated to commence in May.

MAC Center Athletic Academic Resource Center Expansion
An addition has been funded to expand the existing MAC Center Athletic Academic Resource Center. Architectural and engineering firms are currently designing this project.

Music and Speech Center Parking Lot Renovation
A study is underway to plan the renovation of the existing parking lot at the Music and Speech Center. The goals of the project are to rehabilitate the lighting, renovate or replace the existing parking lot pavement including curbs, walks and asphalt surfaces as well as improve pedestrian circulation through the lot.

New Facilities for the College of Technology – Programming / Site Selection
Constructed in 1951 and in need of complete rehabilitation, Van Deusen Hall houses the College of Technology and portions of the School of Art. An architectural firm assessed the current configuration and needs of the building and investigated the rehabilitation or the construction of a new facility for the College of Technology. The project design should achieve LEED Silver Certification and comply with House Bill 251 reduced energy consumption requirements. The final study was presented to the administration.

New Facilities for the Schools of Art and Visual Communication Design – Programming / Site Selection
Constructed in 1972 and at the end of its useful life, the Art Building houses the School of Art and the School of Visual Communication Design. An architectural design firm assessed the current configuration and needs of the building and investigated a complete rehabilitation of other campus buildings and/or the construction of a new facility for these two programs. The project design should achieve LEED Silver Certification and comply with House Bill 251 reduced energy consumption requirements. The final study was presented to the administration.

Schwartz Center Restroom Renovations, Phase 2
The centrally located restrooms at the south portion of the Schwartz Center will be renovated similar to the Schwartz Center Admissions Restroom Renovations Project. Architectural and engineering firms are in process of designing this project.

Stark Science Building
Until a new dean is appointed at Stark Campus and has the opportunity to participate in planning this project, designs are currently on hold to build a 30,000 sf building to support the Science Program. This building will accommodate science teaching and research laboratories and a portion of the east wing will be renovated to accommodate the expanding Nursing Program.

Stark and Tuscarawas Campus-Wide Energy Conservation Project
The Office of the University Architect and Energy Conservation committee selected an energy service company for a performance contract to enable Stark and Tuscarawas campuses to comply with House Bill 251 energy use reduction goals with provisions under House Bill 7 for payback of project cost with verified energy savings over a maximum 10-year time period. Acquisition of funding and negotiations with the energy service company are underway.

Stewart Hall Renovations for the Relocation of Information Services
This project involves planning, design and construction to renovate Stewart Hall for the consolidation of Information Services groups campuswide into one facility.

Summit Street Sidewalk Extension
The campus sidewalk along Summit Street will be extended from the C-Science parking lot southeast to the bus stop in front of the Parking Maintenance Building to provide safe access to the campus for off-campus students. Included will be alternates to extend the sidewalk and provide lighting to Sieberling Drive, Summit East parking lot. This project is under design.

Trumbull Classroom Building Lobby Handrails and Lighting
Handrails, ceilings and lighting will be replaced in the Main Lobby of the Kent State University at Trumbull Classroom Building to match the renovated area adjacent to the Lobby. This project will replace the handrails to bring them into compliance with the current building code. The lighting and ceilings will be upgraded to more energy-efficient and modern lighting fixtures that will allow for easier maintenance.

Trumbull Classroom Building Restroom Renovations
Two sets of men’s and women’s restrooms in the Classroom Building and 1 set in the Library-Theater Building will be renovated. Restrooms will be modified to conform to the current ADA codes, with new floor and wall tile, ceiling and lights, plumbing fixtures and toilet compartments, countertops and toilet accessories.

Trumbull Classroom Building Storefront Replacement
All entrance doors and storefront windows at the perimeter of the Trumbull Classroom Building will be replaced. This will improve building security at the entrances and improve energy-efficiency by changing the doors and windows to insulated glazing and thermally-broken entrance systems.

Trumbull Public Safety, Security, and Environmental Health Institute
A study was completed to provide a preliminary program and conceptual renderings for a Public Safety, Security, and Environmental Health Institute at Trumbull Campus. The building would be a multi-purpose facility used for educational and training purposes by the Trumbull Campus, the Trumbull Career and Tech Center, local fire and safety agencies, local public health departments, and non-profit organizations, and public utilities.

White Hall Parking Lot Improvements
Perimeter landscape and lighting improvements are being planned for White Hall R-16 parking lot. Currently under design, this project will be advertised for bidding late winter.

WKSU Renovations and Additions
The WKSU Broadcast Center is comprised of offices, broadcast studios, and broadcast support areas, including a media library, computer areas, and recording studio. This project will renovate spaces and new space will be added to the existing building to address changes in media, technology and the broadcast field. The level of funds raised will determine the schedule for proceeding with further development of the design and construction of this project. This project has been placed on hold.

SELECTING FIRMS FOR: 

Facility Planning and Scheduling Services
Recognizing the importance of state-of-the-art facilities, Kent State University is poised to undertake an extensive program of improvement to its campus facilities. A previously-commissioned study identified approximately $350M in deferred renewal needs for existing buildings. Additionally, new facilities may be required to meet the programmatic requirements in some academic areas. The Kent State University Board of Trustees authorized the administration to pursue approximately $200M in bond funding to finance this initiative. The goal of this project is to work with the administration and facilities offices to provide an overall implementation plan for this enterprise encompassing campus planning, facility assessment, programming, estimating and scheduling/sequencing of the work. Specific building and renovation projects will be identified in this project and subsequent, separate Requests for Qualifications for those actual construction projects will be issued. The Office of the University Architect is currently reviewing qualifications of firms interested in this project.

Multiple Buildings Envelope Repairs and Roof Replacements
Building envelope repairs and roof replacements will be conducted on multiple buildings on the Kent Campus, as well as the Regional Campuses, over the next three years. The specific scope and budget of each individual project varies by building. Six buildings have been identified in current planning, but additional buildings may be added to the overall project at a later date. These buildings are: Smith Hall (1968), Science Research Lab Building (1986), Williams Hall (1967), Memorial Athletic and Convocation Center (1950), MACC Annex (1977), McGilvrey Hall (1940), and the Kent Student Center (1971). Due to the scope of the projects and schedule requirements, the university will select more than one firm to complete the proposed projects. The Office of the University Architect has interviewed firms for several roofing projects and is still in the process of selecting firms for other roofing projects.

Salem Building Expansions and Additions
Until February 5, the Office of the University Architect is accepting qualifications from architectural firms interested in assisting with designing this project. The Gymnasium at Salem Campus will be converted to accommodate the Nursing Program on the lower level and a shelled-out space on the upper level that will, in the future, be finished out to house the new science laboratories. New faculty offices will also be created on the lower level.
____________________

Project information can be found on the Office of the University Architect’s Web site at:  www.kent.edu/universityarchitect/

Please Note: Any significant changes that will impact pedestrian or vehicular movement on the Kent Campus will be posted as a top news story on Kent State University’s home page.

Jacqueline S. Mest
Contracts Manager
Kent State University Office of the University Architect
Suite 334 Lowry Hall, 750 Hilltop Drive, P.O. Box 5190
Kent, Ohio 44242-0001
voice: 330.672.7992 e-mail: jmest@kent.edu
switchboard: 330.672.3880; fax: 330.672.2648
Web site: http://www.kent.edu/universityarchitect/

Stonewater Drive New Traffic Signal Getting Ready ...

Here’s a short note from our City Engineer with an update on the status of the Stonewater Drive extension and the new traffic signal at Stonewater and SR 59 between Don Joseph Toyota and the Klaben Ford Dealership. 

______________________________________________________________________________________

The new signal at Stonewater and W. Main Street has looked complete for the last several weeks.  However, the preemption notification light has been on back order for several months. This light lets emergency vehicle drivers know that the signal registers their presence and need to travel through the intersection without stopping. On Tuesday this week (February 16) the contractor installed this small but vital equipment. The signal has gone through several performance tests and will soon be set into operation. The following schedule will be followed to get the signal into operation.

- On 2-22-10, Thompson Electric will be back to finish the remaining construction (hookup of the interconnect wire and telephone drop) and Pathmaster will program the controller, establish the video detection zones and program the audible pedestrian signals. By the end of the day on the 22nd, the traffic signal will be put into flash until 3-1-10.

- On 3-1-10, the signal will be switched to stop-and-go mode (normal operation) and the 10-day performance test will begin (this is the final test of the signal). On this day, the contractor will also remove the barriers from the bridge to allow through traffic to use Stonewater Drive. During the 10 day performance test, the signal must function without major deficiencies that would cause the signal to default to flash. We will be using temporary signs (“Stop Here on Red”) to indicate where traffic is to stop on West Main Street and Stonewater Drive. When the weather breaks, the temporary signs will be removed and appropriate stop lines will be marked on the pavement.

After passing the 10-day performance test, the signal can be subjected to final inspection prior to our acceptance.

The traffic cabinet is installed and the timing is set up.  We will be installing video detection (to activate the signal) at this and all future intersections.   Basically it is a “box” drawn on a video feed instead of the old loops cut in the pavement. When the cameras recognize a vehicle entering the “box” it notifies the controller that someone is in the zone. No wire loops in the pavement to be torn up during repairs or resurfacing.  The zones are able to be changed via a laptop and in the future from the Traffic Engineer’s Office at Engineering.

Currently only SR 261 and SR 43 have video detection.