History Will Judge Kent's Redevelopment Efforts

It's easy to say that Kent's redevelopment will have a hugely positive effect on the city and .

After all, that's the goal. To improve both by strengthening physical and political connections between both entities and create a true "college town."

But we don't know what will happen. Of course, you can look at the examples that Kent State President Lester Lefton is fond of pointing to — Ann Arbor, MI, and Ithaca, NY — and see how a vibrant college town atmosphere can be a good thing for both town and gown.

Yet we don't know if Kent will indeed transform into a similar college town — with all its seemingly magical elements — until all the projects are complete.

Over the past five days, Kent Patch has examined different aspects of Kent's redevelopment in our series . Through this series, our goal was not to say whether all this construction and planning is good or bad. Our goal was to encapsulate each element in an easy-to-understand manner so that you, the reader, could make that decision.

Even then, it will take years for history to judge whether the championed "$100 million makeover" proves successful in its goal. Like Kent's historic moments before now, such as the now-infamous "bluegill luncheon" of 1910 or the 1970s renovation of the old Erie Depot, it will take years to judge the effect.

One project worthy of further scrutiny will be the actual, physical link to be built between downtown and campus. The Esplanade extension, in June, will see construction of a wide, sweeping pathway connecting campus with the downtown redevelopment projects.

The project itself, a $3.28 million effort, has already seen the university spend more than $3.8 million buying land since 2007 to make the extension possible. Roughly $7 million is a lot to spend on a project that will amount to little more than a very wide pathway with a few sculptures and fixed furniture along the way.

It's been likened to the yellow brick road, and it will be an interesting project to watch over the years to see if the freer flower of pedestrian and bicycle traffic between downtown and campus proves beneficial — and worth the cost.

Scroll down for our introduction and Parts 1-5 of Kent's Changing Landscape; Redefining a College Town.