Thursday, May 12, 2011
It's unclear what will happen to the property now that the landmark building no longer stands
It took just a few hours to erase almost a century of memories this morning when crews demolished the Robin Hood Inn at the corner of East Main and North Lincoln streets this morning. When Kent Patch broke the news of the demolition plans, some members of the community tried to rally and persuade the owner, Christine Coven, to save the building from the proverbial wrecking ball. In the end, no one could save the iconic brick structure from tumbling into oblivion.
Crews flattened the bar that has been a staple in Kent for 75 years
Demolition is over, and the Robin Hood Inn, a bar that called the corner of North Lincoln and East Main streets home for 75 years, is gone. For video of the razing, click here: Demolition of Robin Hood Inn Changes Kent's Landscape Forever.
Sunday, May 1, 2011
Many want it saved from the wrecking ball, yet the property owner has the right to demolish it
Folks around Kent began to lament the loss of an iconic Kent bar when we broke the news Sunday that the owner of the Robin Hood Inn is planning to demolish the landmark structure. Mostly, people shared their fond memories of a place they cherished in their youth. But a small movement — mostly through online conversations — started to advocate saving the old building. Membership in a Facebook page, "Save the Robin Hood," climbed from 14 before we broke the news to 50 at last count. The page had seen little activity since its creation last summer when the bar closed. Proponents of saving the tavern point to a loss of similar historic landmarks in Kent. There are myriad such examples: the John Brown Tannery, the First Christian Science Church…
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Property owner's reasoning for obtaining a demolition permit unclear
The future of the Robin Hood Inn remains a mystery, but it's likely the 75-year-old landmark will be demolished. Repeated attempts to contact the building's owner, Christine L. Coven, have been unsuccessful. Coven obtained a permit to demolish the building from the city Thursday. The iconic tavern, most recently a bar and live music venue, is located at 503 E. Main St. near the Kent State University campus. Kent Economic Development Director Dan Smith said he's tried in the past unsuccessfully to reach Coven as people have approached the city with interest in opening a business or redeveloping the property. "We’ve had a lot of people over the last six months come in and ask about that site," he said. "I was working with someone who wanted …
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Monday, April 25, 2011
Kent and Kent State folks use Facebook to remember a landmark bar set for demolition
News of the pending demise of the Robin Hood Inn broke here on Kent Patch Sunday, and since then the story has gone viral — drawing lots of attention and comments on Facebook. At last count, more than 500 people recommended the story on Facebook to their friends. Here's a snapshot of comments and fond memories from those recommendations.
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Sunday, April 24, 2011
Owner has obtained permit to raze landmark bar near Kent State campus
The Robin Hood Inn may have a date with the wrecking ball. The owner of the historic, landmark bar near Kent State University has obtained a demolition permit from the city to bring down the 75-year-old structure at the corner of North Lincoln and East Main streets. City building officials issued a demolition permit for the bar at 503 E. Main St. on Thursday to the building's owner, Christine L. Coven. Coven could not be reached for comment. She has not submitted any plans for rebuilding on the property with the city. It's unclear why the bar closed quietly in the summer of 2010. The Kent Police Department had investigated the bar in 2009 after numerous underage drinking arrests there, but the closing was not the result of action by the …
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Leigh Peterson
7:43 pm on Monday, May 16, 2011
Very sad. They probably could have auctioned off the sign for charity, too. Shame. more ›