Allerton apartment demolition to start

Alicia Balog

Kent State has closed and will demolish six buildings of the Allerton Apartments September through December as part of an ongoing phaseout of the university’s housing complex.

Brian Hellwig, assistant director for residential safety and security, said the demolition of buildings E, F, J, K, L and M is the second phase of eliminating the Allerton complex.

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“The first phase, we closed buildings L and M and relocated those students to other housing within the complex,” Hellwig said.

Four buildings — E, F, J and K — were closed this summer. According to a press release, building E was used as a storage unit while buildings F, J and K housed 46 apartments.

Hellwig, who manages the apartments, said residents from the affected buildings who wanted to stay in the Allerton complex were relocated to apartments A, B, C and D.

He said he has not heard any complaints from residents at this point.

The university announced their intention to close the apartments in 2010 because it was becoming expensive to maintain the buildings, which were constructed in two phases in 1962 and 1966, according to the press release. Two buildings were closed in July 2005 and demolished in July 2006.

The remaining apartments will be torn down in the next few years, Hellwig said, with all buildings gone by Summer 2015. At that point, he said, residents will need to find housing off campus.

“We’re confident we’ll be able to do that,” Hellwig said.

The university has no plans for the property after the apartments are torn down, he said.

“At this place, it’s just going to be green space,” Hellwig said. “So there is no additional plan at this time.

Hellwig said demolition should not affect traffic or busing in the area.

Contact Alicia Balog at [email protected].