KSU Construction in High Gear...

Reading that Kent State University is buzzing with construction activity this summer is hardly a news flash but seeing it all on paper gave me a new sense  of appreciation for what a lot of construction works translates into on a building by building basis.   Wow.

KSU Summer Construction Schedule

CAMPUS-WIDE ENERGY CONSERVATION PROJECTS:

Kent Campus Classroom, Laboratory, Auxiliary Buildings and Utility Assets

Energy Conservation Project, Phase 1

In mid-November 2012, The Brewer-Garrett Company commenced activity on their Performance Contract services for energy conservation measures in Kent Campus classroom, laboratory and auxiliary buildings, Summit Street Power Plant and utilities infrastructure. This project impacts over 3.6 million square feet of buildings, plus parking lot and roadway lighting and campus utilities (electricity, natural gas, chilled water, steam, domestic water and sewer). The potential $50 million project has been limited to a $25 million Phase 1 and potential, yet to-be-determined value, future Phase 2. External special bond funding was approved by the Kent State University Board of Trustees and the Ohio Air Quality Development Authority; funding all-in rate achieved 1.25% with a very positive effect on project cash flow. Expectation for Phase 1 of this project is that the majority of the House Bill 251 energy use reduction goal of 20% will be met. Select envelope deferred renewal projects include: window replacements for: Administrative Services Building (March 11 – 15), Bowman Hall (May 13 – August 17), DeWeeseHealthCenter (December 2013 – January 2014), Dix Stadium (May 13 – August 2013), Library (May 2014 – August 2014), RockwellMuseum (March 11 – 29), Nixson Hall skylights (summer 2013); new roofs for: Bowman, Henderson, Moulton, and Nixson Halls (summer 2013). General project scope items include select lighting retrofits, replacements of air handlers, chillers, boilers, pumps, heat exchangers and domestic water heating systems, installation of piping system insulation, building envelope repairs, and comprehensive utility metering. On March 4, six groups of contractor teams started retrofitting of interior lighting at many buildings. A substantial amount of noticeable Phase 1 work and select exterior improvements are planned for: Bowman Hall, DeWeeseHealthCenter, MACCenter, SchwartzCenter, Ice Arena, Dix Stadium, and the Library. The SchwartzCenter cooling chiller and cooling tower were removed during the winter semester break 2012/2013. New units were installed between March and mid-April in time for cooling season. In the MACCenter gymnasium catwalk area, ten existing air handlers are being removed and new units installed during the spring/summer 2013. A complete campus exterior pole lighting project retrofitting to LED will be completed (summer 2013). The Summit Street Power Plant gas and electric utility contract/operation re-negotiation is also included in Phase 1. The project is utilizing House Bill 7 Performance Contracting regulations for payback of the project costs with guaranteed energy savings and possibly operational and avoided capital costs over a maximum 15-year time period.
Kent Campus Residence Services Energy Conservation Project

This project encompasses approximately 1,800,000 SF of twenty-six residence hall buildings on the Kent Campus to address the House Bill 251 energy use reduction goals. Potential construction installation cost is $20,000,000 resulting in $1,800,000 total annual guaranteed utility cost savings. The Brewer-Garrett Company commenced installation processes in June 2011 and on-going as work is being coordinated with other residence hall projects planned outside of this project’s scope. This project exceeds the 20% HB 251 energy reduction goals with 37% annual energy consumption savings and avoided greenhouse gas emissions. The project is utilizing provisions per Ohio Legislation HB 7 for payback of project cost with guaranteed energy savings over the allowed 15-year payback time period. In addition, substantial deferred renewal items are being addressed: replacement of single-pane, original windows at Prentice, Verder, Dunbar, Lake and Olson halls; installation of air handling equipment in Beall/McDowell Center, and caulking, tuckpointing, lintel repair and replacements on the building envelopes. A student room energy conservation control system is being implemented throughout; this strategy will automatically reduce HVAC and electrical usage when rooms are unoccupied. Envelope repairs and windows replacements in Dunbar, Prentice, Verder, Lake and Olson Halls and envelope repairs at Tri-Towers Rotunda and Engleman Hall have been completed. Temperature controls in student rooms are operating in Centennial Courts A-F, Stopher, Johnson, Lake, Olson, Korb, Engleman, Beall, Prentice, Verder, Dunbar and Allyn halls. Room automation at Tri-Towers and the Eastway Complex has been delayed in effort to coordinate the work with other planned renovations in those buildings. The Tri-Towers Complex domestic hot water heaters have been replaced and the system is currently being upgraded to replace storage tanks in the towers with master mixing valves. Retro-commissioning of the hall’s HVAC equipment is being performed to correct any deficiencies and ensure efficient operation. A total of 2,051 water conserving low-flow sink aerators and approximately 1,600 reduced flow showerheads were installed in all of the residence halls. To reduce electricity consumption, lighting retrofits were completed in Stopher and Johnson halls, Centennial Courts A-F, Verder, Prentice, Dunbar, Engleman, Lake, Olson, Beall, McDowell, and Koonce, Leebrick and Wright halls. New motors with variable frequency drives were installed on the building heating systems in multiple resident halls. Kitchen hood controls were installed in EastwayCenter and Tri-Towers Rotunda that will automatically reduce exhaust flows by up to 70% when not required to capture heat and/or fumes from cooking. Condensate from steam heat recovery systems are in operation at Lake/Olson halls, Centennial Courts A/B, C/D, and E/F that save energy by extracting more heat from the condensate prior to sending it back to the Power Plant. The condensate heat recovery systems will reduce the steam required by buildings and help to provide more opportunities for waste heat recovery at the Power Plant. Utility meters have been installed in all of the residence halls and are reporting consumptions to the building automation system for billing. The foundation has been established for the potential development of a Web-based energy dashboard that could be accessed by parents, students and staff to promote energy conservation and review utility consumptions. Utility meter readings for individual residence halls will be used to promote and document energy conservation competitions between similar halls. This project is approximately 80% complete.

PROJECTS UNDER CONSTRUCTION:

Child Development Center Outdoor Learning Laboratory

An Outdoor Learning Laboratory is being expanded and improved at the playground of the ChildDevelopmentCenter in order to enhance the mission and philosophy of the Center. Designed by Behnke Associates, Cavanaugh Building Corporation’s on-site work continues, as weather permits, and is scheduled to be completed by the end of May.
Clark, Fletcher and Manchester Halls HVAC and Student Room Improvements

In the Eastway Center Residence Halls Complex (Clark, Fletcher and Manchester Halls), the two-pipe heating-only system will be replaced with a four-pipe system capable of providing heating and cooling to student rooms. The flooring will be abated and the existing built-in closets will be removed. Corridor finishes and lighting improvements are also included in this project. Dynamix Engineering, Ltd. is the Criteria Architect/Engineer for this project. Turner Construction Company is serving as the Design-Build firm. On May 13, construction commenced in Clark Hall. During the summer of 2014, work will begin in Fletcher and Manchester halls.

Henderson Hall Parking Lot and Walkways

A new, 200-vehicle parking lot, designed by Knight & Stolar, Inc., is being built in the vicinity of Henderson Hall. Adjacent sidewalks and pavements need to be installed to continue service to Henderson Hall and to provide pedestrian circulation throughout the site. Perrin Asphalt Company’s work on the project commenced on May 1.
Library Roof Replacement and Parapet Repairs

URS Corporation designed this project to replace the Library’s tower and main building roofing systems. Work involves installation of lighting protection and fall protection, and the removal of old chillers and cooling towers no longer in service. On May 13, Terik Roofing, Inc. commenced construction.
Library Third Floor Renovations for the School of Library and Information Science

The School of Library and Information Science (SLIS) currently occupies an area on the third floor of the Library and the program has grown significantly. Additional space is needed to accommodate students and faculty. This project, designed by Payto Architects, involves interior renovations and systems upgrades to the approximately 10,000 SF of vacated space on the third floor of the Library. The program includes additional faculty office and research spaces, as well as instructional spaces. Stitle Construction Corporation’s construction activities are scheduled for completion in July.
McDowell Hall Elevator Modernization

All of McDowell Hall’s elevator equipment is original to the construction of the building, circa 1966. Modernization of McDowell Hall’s two elevators includes: replacement of the electromagnetic controls with a micro-processor control system; replacement of the AC to DC generator set with a variable drive AC motor; re-roping of each hoistway; constructing new elevator cabs on the existing slings; and installation of new lanterns and call stations at each floor. Elevator dispatch times and travel times will be shortened by new efficiencies in the micro-processor controls, taking advantage of updated technologies. This project was designed by Van Auken Akins Architects, LLC. On May 13, Stitle Construction Corporation’s commenced on-site construction.
McGilvrey Hall Building Envelope Restoration

Carl Walker, Inc. designed this project to replace McGilvrey Hall’s building roof systems and prepare for a major restoration of the building’s stone and brick facades. Work includes installation of lighting protection and fall protection, and removal of old mechanical equipment no longer in service. Hively Contracting Company’s construction work commenced on May 13.
Music and Speech Center D-Wing First Floor

Ceiling Replacement and Chilled Water Line Relocation

Chilled water lines in the D-Wing of the Music and Speech Center are being relocated from the ground floor to the first floor ceiling, the spline ceiling is being replaced with new two-by-two lay-in ceiling tiles, and the existing surface-mount lighting are being replaced with recessed, high-efficiency lights. The Standard Plumbing & Heating Company commenced on-site construction May 13 on this project that was designed by Pardo Consultants. To avoid disrupting daytime classes and business operations, noisy demolition and construction activities will be conducted during the third shift.
Prentice Hall Toilet and Shower Room Renovations

Prentice Hall was constructed in 1959 and houses 255 students in double-occupancy rooms. The shower and toilet rooms have had minor renovations, but in large part are original to the building. This summer, the shower and toilet rooms are being upgraded, the original systems and layouts replaced with new, private shower/toilet rooms similar to the facilities recently installed in the Tri-Towers, Lake/Olson and Eastway complexes. All failing piping, power and ventilation systems within the existing shower/toilet rooms are being removed and replaced and a new shower/toilet room complex for each floor and each wing of the building are being built. Domokur Architects is the Criteria Architect/Engineer for this project. Turner Construction Company is serving as the Design-Build firm. On-site work commenced on May 13.

Prentice House Relocation and Renovation

The May Prentice House, a residence of historical significance to KentStateUniversity was relocated due to the Esplanade Extension project and for future use by the university. Interior and exterior renovations are required to bring the building up to code for the university’s use. Rick Hawksley, Architect, dba Design with a Vision, assisted with planning and designing this two-phased project. Hummel Construction Company commenced work on May 6. A new foundation, basement and structural floor system is being built, new electrical, mechanical and plumbing systems installed, accessibility upgrades made, and interior and exterior improvements will be completed.
Recreation Field Pavilion

At the new Recreation Field, a new pavilion and secured field equipment storage building are being built for the convenience and use of recreation users and visitors. The pavilion will be comprised of a covered area with picnic tables for group gatherings, enclosed restroom facilities, electrical power and wireless Internet access. Site utilities, irrigation controls, field lighting and water well controls are being relocated from their current, temporary locations into the new building. This project was designed by Braun & Steidl Architects. DSV Builders, Inc., Synergy, LLC, and Becdel Controls, Incorporated were scheduled to commence construction on April 1; work on-site began on May 3.
Renovations and Additions for the School of Art

The School of Art currently occupies six different buildings on the Kent Campus: the ArtBuilding, Art Annex, Van Deusen Hall, SchwartzCenter, Olson Hall and the CeramicsBuilding. The intent of this project is to consolidate the school into two buildings and provide renovated and new spaces for their programs. The Art Annex is the university’s former central heating plant in which a two-phase renovation was planned to house several art programs. Phase one was completed in 2007 and this project will complete the second phase of renovations to provide approximately 32,000 SF. Recommendations to renovate Van Deusen Hall in lieu of the Art Building were approved, enabling the buildings to be linked together by the addition, thus creating space for the entire School of Art to be housed under one roof. Van Deusen needs significant renovations to accommodate the program space; the old Heating Plant section of the Art Annex will be partially demolished and rebuilt. In general, the project will provide new MEP infrastructure, interior finishes, and envelope repairs/replacement. This project will be registered with the USGBC for minimum Silver LEED certification. Payto Architects, Inc., the Architect of Record, has completed a study with several different renovation scenarios. Ozanne Construction Company is serving as Construction Management at Risk. The Ruhlin Company is serving as the Major Construction Program Manager, Doty & Miller Architects & Planners, Inc. is the LEED Process Consultant, and Four Seasons Environmental, Inc. is the Commissioning Agent. The construction manager, during the preconstruction services phase of the project, is assisting with evaluating and determining the final project scope based on estimates, schedules and constructability. Two early construction packages were bid in March and April to relocate existing utilities and perform abatement and demolition in the Art Annex and former Heating Plant. The utility work commenced during steam shutdown week, May 13, and continues through August. Portions of the buildings will remain occupied during the renovations.
Stockdale Dispatch Renovations

Designed by Four Points Architectural Services, Stockdale’s dispatch center was relocated into a larger, more secured room. Renovations entailed complete demolition and reconstruction of the new center and installation of furniture systems for five dispatch workstations. The Cornice Co., Inc. has completed installation of the new dispatch center. Window replacements and HVAC improvements are continuing through summer.
Taylor Hall Building Envelope Restoration

Braun & Steidl Architects, Inc. designed this building envelope repair project to replace Taylor Hall’s upper and lower roof systems; perform concrete repairs to the structural building frame; and replace windows. Work includes installation of lighting protection and fall protection, and removal of old cooling towers no longer in service. On May 13, Panzica Construction Company commenced work.
Tri-Towers Residence Halls Rooms and HVAC Upgrades

Built in 1968, the Tri-Towers complex consists of two ten-story residence halls, one twelve-story residence hall and a central connecting building for dining and student activities. The complex houses approximately 1,400 students and has received two large-scale, but partial renovations within the last ten years. This project addresses deferred maintenance issues, including aging HVAC infrastructure, building envelope failures, interior room configurations and finishes that were not corrected as part of previous renovations and extending the life of the buildings for another thirty years. Domokur Architects is serving as the Architect of Record to assist with designing and providing project management for all phases of the project. The AOR contracted directly with Scheeser Buckley Mayfield for MEP engineering design. Four Seasons Environmental is under contract with the university to serve as the Commissioning Agent. Gilbane Building Company is serving as Construction Manager at Risk for this project. Construction is being scheduled over a two-year time frame, with the majority of work completed while buildings are unoccupied during the summer breaks of 2013 through 2014. Work in Wright Hall commenced on May 13, and work in Koonce and Leebrick will be completed during the summer of 2014. As weather permits, building envelope work continues for the duration of this project.
Tuscarawas Eugene Tolloty Technology Center Incubator

Northeast of the KentStateUniversity at Tuscarawas Campus, the Community Improvement Corporation (CIC) of TuscarawasCounty constructed the 170-acre TuscarawasTechnologyPark in 2008. Currently all roadways throughout the TechnologyPark are paved and all utilities have been installed with the roadways. The Eugene Tolloty Technology Center Incubator will be the first building constructed in the TechnologyPark; it will be located on the 7.8 acre “Development Area F”. KentStateUniversity at Tuscarawas will own the building and it will be managed and operated by the CIC of Tuscarawas County. The scope of this project is to construct a 25,000 SF business/technology incubator which will include approximately 15,000 SF of office, conference and laboratory spaces. The focus of the incubator is to provide start-up space to high-tech companies involved in research and development. Efforts will be made to attract information technology, computer animation, polymer research and development, biotech and nanotech research companies, advanced materials research companies, and other high-tech research and development companies. Construction will also consist of all site work associated with the building, such as utility extensions from the existing roadway, parking lot and exterior lighting, and landscaping. The master plan for the TechnologyPark identifies future construction of buildings to take place in clusters on various multi-acre parcels. The terrain is heavily rolling with portions of the land previously reclaimed from coal mining. 48 acres are set-aside for LEED-certified structures, and along with the remaining 112 acres, have restrictive covenants and building review standards for a quality-controlled, unified development. KentStateUniversity at Tuscarawas desires to meet LEED certification standards for energy efficiency and to submit for LEED certification. Funding for this project is made up of grants from the Ohio Department of Development Job Ready Sites, the Community Improvement Corporation of TuscarawasCounty; and the US Department of Commerce, EDA. Additional funding is provided by the Tuscarawas County University Branch District. Poggemeyer Design Group designed this project. On April 22, Jeffrey Carr Construction, Inc. commenced construction on-site and must be completed by April 2014.

CONTRACT AWARDS PENDING:

 Gym Annex Pool Adaptive Reuse Renovations

In the Gym Annex, the 10,000 SF former aquatics area, vacant for the past ten years, will be renovated to provide classrooms and laboratories for the School of Visual Communications and Design. The existing pool mechanical rooms and pool diving area will be converted to facility maintenance space and storage. Repointing of the existing masonry brickwork will be performed on the building exterior. The project scope also includes replacing the roof over the former pool area and the gymnasium north of the former pool. This project is critically needed to address temporary classroom space while major campus improvements are completed over the next three to four years. This project was designed by Braun & Steidl, Architects, Inc. The contract award is pending for the Apparent Low Bidder, Summit Construction Company, Inc. for construction bids that were opened on April 26.
Music and Speech Center Renovations to Lecture Hall D022

Music and Speech Center Lecture Hall D022 was planned for a future lecture hall and is currently vacant. This room needs to be utilized as swing space for other campus classes while major lecture halls are taken offline during the construction of the major bond projects. The existing shell space will be renovated into a lecture hall for multiple disciplines. The contract award is pending for the Apparent Low Bidder, Summit Construction Company, Inc. for construction bids that were opened on April 16.
Rockwell Hall Atrium and Lab Renovations

New lab spaces will be built-out in the existing atrium and third floor classroom areas of Rockwell Hall to accommodate additional program changes and class structure of the School of Fashion Design and Merchandising. Work involves a floor extension on the third floor to recapture the space at the atrium. The contract award with the Apparent Low Bidder, R. L. Hill Management, Inc., is pending for construction bids that were opened on April 18 for this project that was designed by Van Auken Akins Architects, LLC.
PROJECTS ADVERTISED FOR BIDDING:

Cleveland Urban Design Collaborative Expansion

The College of Architecture and Environmental Design will begin offering a Master of Landscape Architecture program that will be taught at the Cleveland Urban Design Collaborative (CUDC). The existing space is not large enough to support the additional students that will be enrolled in this new program. This project, designed by Westlake Reed Leskosky,  entails enlarging the CUDC space by expanding into the adjacent 2,500 SF unfinished tenant area with finishes and furnishings to create twenty-two additional student stations in the design studio. Contractors’ bids for construction will be opened on June 7.

PROJECTS UNDER DESIGN:

Centennial Research Park Lab Improvements

Swing space will be needed during the science facilities renovations and research space is also needed for new hires. Van Auken Akins Architects designed renovations to CentennialResearchPark’s former 4,000 SF wash bay area, which includes installation of lab casework, window openings, new restrooms, HVAC, fire protection, electrical distribution and lighting systems. Construction documents are being prepared to advertise this project to bidders this summer.

Field House Locker Room Expansion

The Field House will be expanded along the south side of the building to provide locker room facilities for Women’s Softball, Women’s Field Hockey, Women’s Soccer and both Men’s and Women’s Track teams. Braun & Steidl, Architects, Inc. is the Criteria Architect/Engineer for this project. Regency Construction Services, Inc. is serving as the Design-Build firm. A groundbreaking ceremony was held on May 3. Within the next two weeks, utility relocation work should commence with construction to be completed in December.

Multiple Science Buildings Renovations and Addition

Two science buildings, Cunningham and Williams halls, will be renovated and an Integrated Sciences Building (ISB) will be built to increase academic and research spaces. Exterior envelope improvements will be made to Smith Hall. Renovations will address deferred maintenance needs, focusing on replacement of aging and failing infrastructure and systems and reorganization of the program spaces within the existing buildings’ general layouts, and at the same time, will establish state-of-the-art science facilities for teaching and research. Renovations of these buildings are being treated as a single project to provide a cohesive approach to science instruction and research space in these areas; this project will be registered with the USGBC for minimum Silver LEED certification. Additionally, all three buildings and programs will need to continue to operate portions of the buildings during construction. Sharing of temporary facilities in all three areas will be part of an overall sequencing plan for the construction period. The 93,000 SF Williams Hall, built in 1967, provides space for the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry. The 47,000 SF Smith Hall, built in 1968, provides space for the Department of Physics. The 93,000 SF Cunningham Hall, built in 1968, provides space for the Department of Biological Sciences. Cunningham Hall also includes an addition that was completed in 2001; work in this addition is anticipated to be modest and limited to systems that interface with the original building, such as building automation, security and fire alarms and re-commissioning of the HVAC system. Ayers/Saint/Gross, Incorporated, the Architect of Record, is designing and providing project management for all phases of the project. The Mechanical/Electrical/Plumbing engineering firm, Prater Engineering, is under contract with the Architect of Record. Turner Construction Company is serving as Construction Manager at Risk. In addition, separate consultants are under contract to assist Kent State on this project: The Ruhlin Company is serving as the Major Construction Program Manager, Doty & Miller Architects & Planners, Inc. is the LEED Process Consultant, and Karpinski Engineering is the Commissioning Agent. The design team completed the Program of Requirements (POR) and is starting the Schematic Design phase, while the Construction Manager is completing the POR estimate.
New Building for the College of Applied Engineering, Sustainability and Technology

In support of the recently redefined and renamed College of Applied Engineering, Sustainability and Technology, Kent State University intends to construct a new facility reflecting the level of sophistication envisioned with the college. The new facility is envisioned to be between 50,000 and 55,000 SF and two stories tall. The facility will house classrooms, labs and administrative and faculty offices. In addition, a portion of the building will be planned as shell space for future expansion as additional funding becomes available. The research activities of the college will be located in another building on campus. This project will be registered with the USGBC for minimum Silver LEED certification. Bostwick Design Partnership is serving as the Architect of Record; Hammond Construction, Inc. is serving as Construction Manager at Risk. In addition, separate consultants are under contract to assist Kent State on this project: The Ruhlin Company is serving as the Major Construction Program Manager, Doty & Miller Architects & Planners, Inc. is the LEED Process Consultant, and Four Seasons Environmental, Inc. is the Commissioning Agent. In early May, the utility bid package (1A) was issued by the CMR, to be followed by the site utilities, foundation and steel bid package (1B).
New Facility for the College of Architecture and Environmental Design

The College of Architecture and Environmental Design (CAED) is one of KentStateUniversity’s signature programs. Currently, the program is fractionalized with classroom, studios and faculty offices scattered across the campus in three separate structures that do not reflect the caliber of the program. Taylor Hall, located in the heart of campus, is the base of operations and the location within the May Fourth Historic District makes it impossible to modify the existing building in a constructive way. Therefore, the university has set the construction of a new building for the program as a facility improvement priority. The proposed building is programmed at approximately 120,000 SF and will include studios, classrooms, administrative offices and various shop and research spaces. The new building will be located on the Esplanade walkway extension, a path currently under construction between South Lincoln Street and Haymaker Parkway to connect the Kent Campus with downtown Kent. The connection of the building to its surrounding site will be an important part of the design and the project will include all sidewalks, parking lots, landscaping and utility extensions to the site and building. The university has identified three primary drivers of project: the building must be architecturally significant and representative of the stature of the CAED program; the building must be a model of sustainable design and energy performance; and the building must be affordable while accommodating all of the programmatic needs of the college. After completing the interview and presentation process, KentState selected Richard L. Bowen + Associates, Inc., in collaboration with Weiss/Manfredi to serve as the Architect of Record for this project. Kent State recently selected Gilbane Building Company to serve as the Construction Manager at Risk. In addition, separate consultants are under contract to assist Kent State on this project: The Ruhlin Company is serving as the Major Construction Program Manager, Doty & Miller Architects & Planners, Inc. is the LEED Process Consultant, and Four Seasons Environmental, Inc. is the Commissioning Agent. This project will be registered with the USGBC for minimum Silver LEED certification. Maximizing energy conservation is a critical component of the design goals to comply with House bill 251. Contract negotiations are underway with the A/E and CMR and the initial kickoff meeting for the design team has been scheduled for May 17.
Olson Center Rehabilitation for Undergraduate Studies

OlsonCenter, located along the University Esplanade and adjacent to the Memorial Athletic and ConvocationCenter, was constructed in 1961 as a dining facility, but was converted to offices in the early 1980s. Building renovations will address the growing list of deferred maintenance issues, but more importantly, will enhance the building facade facing this highly-visited section of the campus. The Department of Undergraduate Studies is located in the OlsonCenter; the UndergraduateStudiesCenter for Excellence tutoring and other operations are located in the SchwartzCenter and the Library. Undergraduate Studies is responsible for assisting undecided students with degree and career planning; assessing the basic skills of all entering freshman students; providing tutoring services that promote student learning; and providing support tools and resources for low-income, first generation and precollege students. At 28,000 SF, the former kitchen and dining hall areas that currently house Undergraduate Studies and two departments from the School of Art will be transformed into a modern, student-focused tutoring and exploratory advising center. With its prime location in the center of campus, students could easily access tools to help them achieve success at KentStateUniversity, including group tutoring, walk-in tutoring, online tutoring and scheduled tutoring. The art programs, currently located on the north side of the building, will be permanently relocated into the new art facility once it is completed. Domokur Architects is assisting with designing this project. Investigation of existing building conditions and programming are underway. The project is entering the Schematic Design phase as the Program of Requirements estimates are being completed. This project will be registered with the USGBC for minimum Silver LEED certification. Maximizing energy conservation is a critical component of the design goals to comply with House Bill 251. Separate consultants are under contract to assist Kent State on this project: The Ruhlin Company is serving as the Major Construction Program Manager, Doty & Miller Architects & Planners, Inc. is the LEED Process Consultant, and Four Seasons Environmental, Inc. is the Commissioning Agent.
Prentice Dining Hall Renovation

Kaczmar Architects is assisting Dining Services to program options for a new dining facility to replace the Prentice Café which serves the north campus area. Recommendations and preliminary estimates were provided by the architect in April.
Schwebel Room Improvements

Bialosky + Partners Architects is working with Dining Services to plan improvements to the Schwebel Dining Room located on the third floor of the StudentCenter.

Safe Spring Party Season...

For as long as students have crammed for final exams, students have also celebrated the completion of the academic year with that other rite of matriculation – spring parties.

Spring weekends in college towns are notorious for year-end parties that begin as a well deserved break from the daily grind of student-hood but have an unfortunate tendency to mutate into something more spirited.

School spirit is a great thing but that’s not exactly the spirits filling up the cups at the parties which when consumed in large quantities often end in injuries, property damage and unfortunately arrests.

Spring parties are nothing new but the advent of social media has raised the stakes as a house party can combust into a flash mob in a matter of minutes, catching party hosts, landlords and safety crews off-guard and unprepared — all of which is a bad combination for safety.

Despite our best efforts, spring parties in Kent have made headlines for attracting party crashers from as far as Akron and Cleveland, filling up the City’s jail with out-of-town offenders and giving the Kent community a black-eye.

That is why we are proud to report that this year’s spring parties in Kent broke with tradition and were remarkable for what didn’t happen — there were no arrests, no fights, no property damage, and most importantly, no calls to parents to explain why their son or daughter was in the hospital.

The key measure of success for the Kent Police Department during the spring party season is how many people get hurt from parties that took an unexpected turn for the worse.  By that yardstick, Spring 2013 was our best year ever.

Our partnerships with KentStateUniversity officials have been instrumental in educating and informing the student body, and the partnership continues to test out new and better ways to keep students, residents and visitors out of harm’s way.  But this year’s success goes beyond the City and KSU, it includes the contributions of the fraternity houses, rental property owners and apartment complex managers who worked with the City to spread the word to their tenants to party smart, stay safe, and end their college years with graduation rather than academic suspension.

It is the Kent Police Department’s duty to serve and protect it’s citizens and every day they put themselves on the line to fulfill that mission.  Police Chief Michelle Lee reports that leading up to the spring party season she hoped for the best but prepared for the worst, lining up law enforcement officers from around the region to join her for a long day devoted to keeping problems from spinning out of control. Thankfully, Police services were unnecessary and their days ended early and uneventfully.

We know that it takes a community to keep the spring party season safe which is why Chief Lee and I wanted to extend our appreciation to the entire community who took a stand for safety this year and helped make sure that everyone got home safe and sound.  On behalf of the City of Kent and the Kent Police Department we want to express our gratitude to the many volunteers, students, administrators and community members that helped make the Spring 2013 party weekends safe and enjoyable for everyone.

It’s been great to celebrate all of the grand openings and ribbon cuttings in downtown Kent but keeping Spring 2013 safe for everyone may be our best accomplishment as a community yet.

Bump in the Road...

Nothing says Spring better than tulips, daffodils and pot holes.

Unfortunately, with temperatures staying colder longer this year, the local asphalt plants waited to fire up their burners so fresh hot mix asphalt was harder to come-by, leaving mostly cold patch to fill winter’s damage to City streets — which is at best a temporary band aid.

By this point, pot holes are in full bloom with most of the cold mix having long since popped out of the pot holes, leaving a bumpy reminder of the havoc the freeze-thaw cycle does to City streets.

The City bought equipment last year that will allow us to heat limited amounts of our own asphalt so that we can extend the hot mix season but it took some learning to get that up and running so we haven’t been able to get to the level of pot hole productivity that we’d like yet.

The good news is the hot mix plants are producing now, and we’re buying and filling as fast as we can.

With Summer right around the corner we’re geared up to spend over $1 million paving the following streets:

- Crain Avenue (Water Street to Willow Street)
- N. Depeyster (Main Street to Crain Avenue)
- Fairchild Avenue (Major’s Lane to Hudson Drive)
- Franklin Avenue (Cherry Street to Summit Street)
- Majors Lane (Main Street to Fairchild Avenue)

And, thanks to a little higher than expected income tax revenues last year City Council voted to put an additional $178,000 in extra street seal coat repairs on the following streets:

• Verona Avenue (north of Adamle Drive)
• Robert Drive
• Delores Drive
• Allen Drive
• Hudson Road
• Longcoy Avenue
• Majors Lane (north of Fairchild Avenue)
• Stinaff Street
• N. Chestnut Street (north of Fairchild Avenue)
• Randall Drive
• Cuyahoga Street
• Harold Street
• Short Street
• Grove Ave

Besides the annual rite of pothole patching and paving, anyone that has driven down Mogodore Road between Stow Street and Cherry Street probably had the misfortunate of being greeted by a railroad crossing in dire need of repairs.

The City has contacted the Shelly Company to perform a fix for that railroad crossing and I’ve been told that it will be a two-step repair process.  Step 1 will be a temporary repair which will by completed by May 7th, and Step 2 will be a permanent fix which would be done in mid-June.

In the meantime, if you care about the under-carriage of your vehicle, my advice is to avoid that section of Mogadore Road until after May 7th.

Paid Parking Downtown...

Second Hand Retail...

Earlier this year the Kent Police Chief, Michelle Lee, presented City Council with recommendations to tighten the City’s regulation of second hand retail shops, e.g., pawn shops, thrift stores, etc.

The new regulations put more burden on store owners to gather information and keep records of the transactions that occured at the point of re-sale, in order to give the Police a paper trail to trace in the event of possible stolen goods.

Whenever you propose to tighten regulations on a certain business sector you better be prepared to justify it, defend it, and show the value of it — and the Chief was ready to do that.   It took a couple rounds of meetings between Chief Lee and the local store owners to find common ground but over time they came up with terms that they mutually agreed to which Council subsequently adopted into law.

Chief Lee reported this week that as a result of the new administrative tracking requirements included in the updated regulations Police investigators were recently able to crack two burglary/theft cases that involved over $20,000 of stolen goods.

The new regulations created some more work for the store employees but when you bust-up two felony cases it’s a small price to pay.

Kent Gratitude...

Maybe it’s the beautiful spring weather, or the opening of the PARTA parking garage, or the sight of structural steel for the new courthouse popping out of the ground, or the color of the new esplanade pavers that stretch as far as the eye can see from campus to downtown, or tracing the arc of the cranes as they swing the masons into position to put the finishing touches on the exterior of the new Kent State hotel, or listening to the excavators buzzing about like bees leveling off the foundations for the new Bricco’s restaurant building, or the relatively quiet and safe College Fest that passed uneventfully last weekend.

It’s all of those things that make me grateful to be in Kent Ohio and working with such a great group of people, inside and outside of City Hall.

There’s a bit of a sense of adventure that comes from re-discovering Kent in both it’s oldest and newest forms.  Some of that feeling comes from ducking and dodging all of the heavy equipment that is shaking, rattling and rolling to the left, the right, underfoot and overhead — but it’s also turning a corner that you’ve turned 1,000 times before to find an unexpected new shop or a renovated store front welcoming you to come inside and see what treasures lie within.

I am grateful that some of the new ingredients added to the downtown mix have re-inspired old fans of Kent and introduced a whole new generation to what makes small-town downtowns so special.

I suppose this post sounds a bit like a Chamber of Commerce ad but I’m OK with that because I’m a big fan of the Chamber and the exceptional work it does for the greater Kent community under the stewardship of Chamber Director extraordinaire Lori Wemhoff.

One small step that the Chamber made possible 50 years ago was serving-up a new town-gown (Bowman) breakfast that for the last half-century has redefined the meaning of a power-breakfast, showcasing all the good that can happen from breaking bread together and sharing a little morning fellowship between neighbors and friends.

One breakfast led to another and 50 years later Kent finds itself in the prestigous position as being honored internationally as the shining star for the best in town-gown relations.

Last week I shamelessly rattled on about Roger Di Paolo’s Bowman Breakfast speech where he served as tour-guide down Kent’s nostolgia lane and thanks to the Chamber I am pleased to let you meander with Roger yourself with a little help from YouTube.

Here’s the video link to Roger’s talk for anyone that missed it in person:  Roger Di Paolo Spring Bowman Breakfast Speech 2013.

Kent Construction Value...

Even a casual look around Kent reveals a lot of new investment.

New commercial buildings.  Restored historic buildings.  Renovated commercial buildings.  New apartment complexes.  New commercial research buildings.  The list goes on — and there’s more to come.

From a strategic perspective, the City Council joined the staff in taking a leap of faith 5 years ago choosing to make investments in the downtown at a time when popular opinion favored sitting tight and holding on rather than trying to be a spark.

At that time the City had just wrapped up an 18 month Blue Ribbon Panel budget analysis that included a warning that while doing nothing sounds appealing to the wallet, the cost of doing nothing may be great – so the Panel members helped ring the bell early on for smart, strategic investments.

In hindsight, the Panel and City Council made a great call.  The staff helped make the business case for the downtown project and structure deals that stretched resources and managed the investment risk as much as possible — but at the end of the day it was still a risk.

There’s no guarantees in economic development but local leaders felt it was a risk worth taking to keep Kent moving forward rather than falling behind, and the staff pointed to examples in other cities where city investment led to more investment, turning a declining community into a rising city.  Council pulled the trigger and set us off on this crazy downtown adventure race.

Our mantra that investment begets more investment sounded great on paper but it still led to many sleepless nights as deals hung in the balance more often than I care to recall.  Seeing the concrete and steel rise out of the ground brought some early relief but there’s nothing like ribbon cuttings and waiting lines in new restaurants to finally bring a sense of ease with the tough decisions that had to be made.

Better than that, I had a chance to see the numbers tabulated from our Community Development Department for the value of commercial construction completed last year.  It was a whopper — $53 million.

For comparison, from the years 1999 thru 2010 commercial construction investment in Kent averaged $6.5 million a year.  Then from 2011 thru 2012 commercial investment skyrocketed to an average of $55 million a year.  That’s an increase of 745%, at a time otherwise known as the Great Recession.  Wow.

Here’s a look at the figures:

Unfortunately construction value doesn’t equate to a dollar for dollar increase in the property tax base, and the City only gets about a nickel on the dollar for property taxes, so all this new investment won’t solve our City budget challenges but we’re banking on the fact that this is commercial construction, and with commercial construction come new jobs, and new jobs will definitely help the City’s tax income base grow over time and keep the City budget afloat.

Internet Sales...

With the rapid growth in internet sales and customer comfort levels with buying items directly from the web, the City has been riding the cyber-sales wave with our annual surplus property auction — and it’s paid off in leaps and bounds in our auction revenues.

As a category on the City’s ledger, “surplus” City property refers to all those items that one way or another find their way into our storage and have either exceeded the service life assigned to them for in-house use or aren’t items that the City has a particular use for, e.g., confiscated personal property from criminal activities.

The items that make their way onto the City auction list often have plenty of life left in them so we try to find them a new home and at the same time create a small revenue stream to help the City budget.

We’ve learned a thing or two after decades of auctions and one of our biggest lessons was straight out of Adam Smith handbook on market capitalisim — the greater the you can drive demand for items with a limited supply, the higher the price point in the free market.

The internet has been a gateway to a larger audience for surplus items and as a result, our average revenues received on a per item basis has jumped from about $70/item using the old time auctioneer to $270/item through internet sales.

Nothing like a 285% increase in your sales figures to make your stockholders — or in our case, citizens – smile knowing that we’re not only working harder for them, we’re working smarter too.

Downtown Project Coming Together...

Tuesday, April 30th, marks the passage of a major milestone for the downtown redevelopment project — the PARTA transit center and parking deck will open it’s doors at 7 am and welcome customers for the first time.

That’s big news for all of the retail shops and restaurants that have been elated with the customer excitement over all the new stores downtown but they’ve been begging for help on getting those excited customers a convenient place to park.  That call will be answered complements of John Drew, General Manager of PARTA at 7 am on April 30th.

The PARTA transit center and parking garage is opening not a moment too soon as the warm weather has ignited a “new-phoria” for downtown Kent and nothing says welcome to the new and improved downtown Kent than a 365 space parking garage located in the heart of downtown that will be open around the clock and free of charge during the month of May.

There will still be construction going on in and around the PARTA center but the parking areas are ready to see some action.

Between PARTA’s opening, the rapid construction of the esplanade, and the new hotel preparing to open for business in June, the overall downtown redevelopment plan is really starting to take shape.

That feeling was validated when we got a chance to see a bird’s eye view of the how these pieces fit together.  See for yourself.

50 Years of Town Gown...

Technically, Kent State University has called Kent home for 100 years so we’ve actually got a century of town/gown experience, but last week we celebrated the 50th year of the Town/Gown Bowman Breakfast so I’m going with 50 years to match up with the title of the speech given by resident historian and editor of the Record Courier, Mr. Roger J. Di Paolo.

Roger offered a great personal view of the evolution of town/gown over the last 50 years with abundant local trivia that only Roger can provide.

Roger’s monologue did such a great job of capturing the state of town/gown relations that I asked his permission to reprint it here in the blog.  Ever gracious, he was happy to share it.

Enjoy.

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Roger’s Speech from April 16, 2013
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Three years ago, when the Kent Area Chamber of Commerce was celebrating its centennial, it was my privilege to address the Bowman Breakfast. This morning, as we celebrate another anniversary — the 50th anniversary of the Bowman Breakfast series, I’m back.

Sorry about that. But it’s my own fault. When we gathered here three years ago, I indulged in a bit of time traveling about what Kent would be like in 2013, and Lori Wemhoff told me I needed to come back to see how accurate my predictions are. So this is an accountability session. Plus Lori knows that I’ll work for food.

I’m pleased to be back, actually humbled. It’s an honor to be part of this celebration — and nurturing town-gown ties on a regular basis for 50 years is something to celebrate. And I’m happy to report that our bit of time traveling, for the most part, was right on target. Actually, I think we exceeded someof our most optimistic expectations. And I’m not to proud to admit that I was wrong about a couple of things … later about that. But I really don’t feel badly about those, either.

Three years ago, I spoke in praise of audacity — of daring to dare, taking a risk, going forward with bold dreams in the faces of the naysayers and forces of negativity. Some people seem to enjoy failure, or watching others fail, but there’s a case to be made that you can’t succeed without it.

Well, we’ve succeeded big time. We’re in 21st Century Kent and the view is incredible. Audacity has paid off.

Three years ago, when we gathered here in April 2010, Kent was just beginning to realize some of the dreams that so many had talked about for so long — the revitalization that true believers knew could happen, given the right set of circumstances and the right set of players. Acorn Alley had just opened and Ron Burbick was making plans for its successor. The plans were on the drawing board for what some were calling the Haymaker Block; the KSU hotel and conference center was in the works and so was PARTA’s transit facility. Except for Acorn Alley, though, the downtown redevelopment plans existed only in our minds — hard to picture for some of us, even when we tried (as I did when I spoke three years ago.)

Three years ago, Erie Street still looked like a tank trap with cars parked in the middle of it; the old Record-Courier office was standing empty; so was Kent Hardware — the old sign for the A&P that somehow managed to remain in its parking lot for 35 years after it closed was still there, too. The bar across from the Courier that had more names than anyone could remember, was still standing. Remember all that? It’s almost difficult to believe now — and let’s be honest, it’s difficult to believe just how bad that part of our downtown looked. I haven’t heard anyone say they miss any of it … except for Jerry’s Diner, and that closed in 1987.

What a difference three years makes. What a difference a bit of time, a lot of money, a huge dose of confidence and — as Dave Ruller and Dan Smith might attest — a few prayers makes. Today, as we celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Bowman Breakfast, a community event that has endured for a half-century that has seen this plenty of ups and downs for this community — we also can celebrate the birth of 21st Century Kent. And, rest assured, it would not exist without the cooperation of the city of Kent, KentStateUniversity and a strong business community led by the Chamber of Commerce. All of us – everyone in this room – are stakeholders in Kent. Nor would it exist without the belief that things CAN change for the better, as audacious as that may be.

We are the poster child for economic revitalization in the face of the worst recession in memory. We are the comeback community, the CinderellaCity. We did it. We did it together. We are proud of what we did. And we need to celebrate it.

Fifty years ago, in 1963, the Bowman Breakfast came into being after a speaker at the Kent Chamber’s annual meeting called for greater interaction between the city, the Chamber and KentState. George Bowman was retiring after nearly 20 years as KentState president, and if ever there was a leader who exemplified audacity, he was it. (That’s not to say some of his successors don’t share the same trait.) President Bowman transformed what essentially was a teacher training college in 1944 when he became president into a major state university, and he did it with a sense of vision that translated into near-continous construction of new classroom facilities and dormitories, a growing enrollment year after year and a commitment to academic excellence that encouraged some of the finest educators and public-spirited citizens to make Kent their home. President Bowman made a conscious effort to interact with the Kent community and encouraged the campus community to follow his example. Sustaining this series named in his honor — for a half-century, gathering nearly 300 strong — is an apt tribute to him.

I remember my hometown fifty years ago. I was in second grade at St.PatrickSchool. Downtown Kent was a thriving retail center with parking problems — sound familiar? I have fond memories of a downtown with three drugstores on the square –Jim Myers was behind the counter at Thompson’s, where he filed so many prescriptions of that green antihistamine Dr. Lang prescribed for my allergies that my parents should have owned stock in it. John Carson was across the street at Donaghy’s; he was a councilman and later would become an outstanding, although unappreciated mayor. Portage National Bank was on another corner; City Bank was down the street. Purcell’s, Standard Drug and other businesses were in the block on the fourth corner. I remember going to Lou Friedland’s for Jumping Jack Shoes, down the street on South Water was Kline’s Market, where Francis Kline would sometimes pause at the doorway in his white apron. Hahn’s Restaurant. I remember McCrory’s 5 and Dime, which sold just about everything and had a warped wooden floor with a wave in it; next door was W.T. Grant, which was a cut above McCrory’s. On the corner was Schine’s KentTheatre, where I saw Mary Poppins and My Fair Lady — I remember what it was like to leave there after dark and walk out in a blaze of blinding, pulsating light when the marquee was turned on. The Hotel Kent Ellis was across the street, and it still had paying guests.

I also remember the feeling of neighborliness, community, small town comfort that you experienced when you shopped in downtown Kent. Our merchants were our neighbors, they had gone to school with our parents, their kids went to school with us. We saw them in church; we knew them as individuals. They took pride in their businesses and they enjoyed helping one another. They realized that no business community can thrive in isolation; cooperation is key. When I read stories about the Kent Chamber in the 1950s and 1960s, I am struck by the “can do” attitude that seems so evident. These were men and women who believed in Kent — who loved it, in fact — and who worked hard to make it succeed.

Fifty years later, as we celebrate 21st Century Kent, we can be proud that that spirit has returned. You can sense it and you can see it. It’s present in gatherins such as this one. It’s present whenever the Chamber has a luncheon — OK, that’s also because Lori also throws a great party — and it’s wonderful to behold. Especially because, for some many years, that spirit seemed to be absent. I remember what Kent was like 30 years ago, when there were vacant storefronts on Main Street and I could cross it at the noon hour without ever worrying about traffic. And nobody complained about parking then, either. A dormant, defeated town is a sad thing — and it can be deadly, too, if that spirit persists. We were asleep for a very long time until we finally realized we needed to wake up or perish.

I love my hometown. I am an unapologetic civic cheerleader. I love going downtown, even when I have “no reason” to be there. I love how 21st Century Kent looks … the flags atop the Ametek building that teach us a lesson in geography every time we look at them, Davey Tree’s headquarters that reminds us that our Tree City is headquarters for a company that has been taking care of the environment, while based in Kent, Ohio, for over 100 years. The new businesses lining Erie Street: Laziza, Georgio’s, whose $5 pizzas are a lazy single dad’s salvation, and my personal favorite, Tree City Coffee, where I’m trying to get my boss to let me open a satellite office. There are so many others: Popped, Off the Wagon, Last Exit Books. I love seeing families with small children — kids in wagons and strollers walking around on Saturday and Sunday, taking in the sights. I love seeing students — the lifeblood of this community, which we sometimes forget — enjoying themselves downtown and realizing that there’s plenty to do there even when it isn’t dark.

As we celebrate our 21st Century revival, we need to celebrate — and thank — those who took the leap of faith and invested their time and treasure there. We also need to remember those who stuck with downtown Kent for so many years when there wasn’t a great deal to celebrate; who stayed in business when times were tough. And we need to ignore those who seem to revel in failure, who gleefully point to temporary setbacks and vacant storefronts and thrill to an “I told you so” mentality. We listened to them for too long and they paralyzed us — for nearly 40 years. We’re not going back to sleep again. More than bricks and mortar, restaurants and retailers, we celebrate a new sense of community – or perhaps a rediscovered sense of pride in Kent.

We can look forward to many more reasons to celebrate. I can’t wait to spend a night in the new hotel on the site where I worked for nearly 14 years. I’m excited at the design for the new architecture building — I want to see what it’s like from that lawn three or four stories above downtown Kent. The new courthouse on East Main will be a vast improvement over what used to be there, and with a bit of luck, may stimulate other improvements there. The Esplanade will finally put an end to the Haymaker bypass being Kent’s DMZ — and the poet and preservationist in me is thrilled to see the May Prentice house being used for the WickPoetryCenter. It says something, too, that Kent will have a PoetryPark helping to bridge the campus and the community.

Oh, almost forgot. It turns out I was wrong about a couple of my predictions three years ago. I said we’d be gathering in the Lefton Balroom in the new KSU Hotel. Well, that was a bit premature. I also said we’d enjoy a beautiful spring day and walk along the Esplanade — I was off a couple of months on that.

And there was also that crack about the old hotel — “still around the corner. Well, you can’t have everything.” I was REALLY wrong about that one, and I’m so happy that I was. I tell people that I used to pray to St. Jude when it came to impossible causes, but now I offer a plea to Ron Burbick and Doug Fuller. More than anything else in downtown Kent, the rebirth of the old hotel as Acorn Corner is the most incredible element of our CinderellaCity. Three years ago, had I said we’d be enjoying dinner there — and waiting in line to eat, as a matter of fact — you could have caled me certifiable. That’s the true Kent Miracle.

One hundred years ago, in April 1913, the people of Kent were anxiously awaiting the opening of KentStateNormal School. Their audacious dream had come true, and they looked forward to welcoming students and visitors with a mixture of pride and, frankly, a bit of anxiety. There undoubtedly were some who wondered how Kent was going to pull off being a college town, and I’m sure there were some — Kent being Kent — who were just waiting for it to fail.

One hundred years ago, Kent rose to the challenge of being a college town. I’m proud to be a KentState alumnus, as so many of us are. And this campus is beyond the wildest dreams of even the most visionary, optimistic civic cheerleader of 1913.

One hundred years later, as we celebrate a half-century of fellowship between the city, KentState and the Chamber, we not only rise to the challenges of the future — we embrace them and we exceed them. We have both feet planted firmly in the 21st Century and it’s an exciting place to be. Be proud. Celebrate. We pulled it off.