Community Corner

Construction on Kent State Hotel Could Start this Summer

95-room hotel, 300-seat conference center will open in late 2012

Construction on the could start later this summer following Monday night's approval of a variance for the project.

The Kent State Foundation, which is building the center with Columbus hotelier The Pizzuti Companies, is planning to open the hotel late in 2012 when the new opens.

Don Wheat, vice president for public and private projects for Pizzuti, said the hotel plans need one final blessing from the university foundation, and they expect to get that in June.

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"At that point, we're off to the races," he said. "We're hoping to start with some of the earlier construction late this summer."

Wheat said they're "very close" to closing the deal on a flag for the as-yet unbranded hotel, which has a budget of between $15 million and $16 million.

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The Kent Board of Zoning Appeals granted a variance Monday night for the project that represented the last public hurdle before construction can start. The variance allows the hotel — which will rise on the triangular-shaped lot framed by Haymaker Parkway, Erie and South DePeyster streets — to not front the building line along Haymaker Parkway. Instead, the building will front on Erie and Depeyster streets with green space and retaining walls distancing the hotel from the Haymaker Parkway right of way.

Wheat said the triangular shape of the lot presented certain challenges in designing the hotel.

"Specifically with the frontage along Haymaker," Wheat said. "From a programming standpoint, we wanted to create space that will support functions of the hotel and conference center by creating some breakout space. I think after taking a long careful look at it, that was the area we wanted to have outdoor space on the project."

The 95-room hotel and 300-seat banquet center will feature a main entrance for the hotel on South DePeyster Street with a main entrance for the conference center on Erie Street. The space along the Haymaker Parkway side of the building will offer outdoor patio-like areas for guests.

Elizabeth Howard, chairperson of the zoning board, pointed out the fact the very nature of Haymaker Parkway as a limited access highway by definition of the state created another challenge by prohibiting a driveway or entrance to the hotel along that side of the property.

"It’s functionally the back of the building, but it’s not the back of the building because (Haymaker is) the most-driven-on street," Howard said.  "They’ve got three fronts, but one of them they’re not allowed to use as a front."

Zoning board member Paul Sellman said a hardship for the project is the fact that, unlike most buildings, the hotel has three "fronts."

"I consider your street face to be the side facing DePeyster Street," Sellman said. "And you are meeting the (frontage) requirement there. And you are meeting it on Erie Street. This is, I think, why (we) have the tool to grant a variance."

The three board members present unanimously granted the 45.5 percent variance from the 70 percent minimum street frontage for Haymaker Parkway Monday night. Twenty-five percent of the lot frontage will stand along the parkway.

Wheat said the green space along Haymaker Parkway will allow planners to retain the tree canopy and landscaping along the street.

"One of the challenges of this site is it truly is a site where you see the building from all sides," he said.

The Kent Planning Commission , and the city's architectural review board signed off on the plans.

Wheat said the next step in the project is to finalize design plans and apply for building permits.


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