Delays at Province Displace 168 Kent State Students

As expected, 168 students at are living out of hotel rooms instead of their new apartments to start the fall semester.

City building officials are still for Building 10 at The Province at Kent student apartments on South Lincoln Street.

The delay, caused primarily by the development firm Edwards Communities Development Company, which is managing and owns the project, means the building's 168 tenants are being temporarily housed in hotel rooms until the building can open for occupancy.

Bridget Susel, acting head of the , said city building officials were able to issue occupancy permits late last week for Building 6 and Building 8 at the apartment complex.

Those buildings, which housed a combined 152 tenants, also were behind schedule.

"It looks like they’re right where we had anticipated," Susel said. "Building 6 was cleared for occupancy, and so was Building 8. Building 10, Edwards was aware, as well as the city, that was not going to be ready on time."

Representatives for the development firm have not returned requests for comment.

Kent State officials confirmed last week that all 168 tenants effected are students at the university.

Susel said the occupancy permit for Building 10 could be issued, at the earliest, by the end of this week or some time early next week.

"They had part of that building complete, but we could not issue occupancy because ... We need the whole building ready," she said.

Today marks the start of classes at Kent State.

Kent Mayor Jerry Fiala said surprisingly his office hasn't gotten any calls about the delays from concerned parents or students.

"We’ve got these students coming into Kent, and I’d like to see them housed," Fiala said.