Kent to receive $800,000 from the state for downtown road repair
March 8, 2012
Also at Council:
City council approved a request from Jimmy John’s co-owner Chad Maag for $15,000 to assist in the relocation of the restaurant. It was approved with two stipulations — the restaurant has to be out of its current location by June 1 and will relocate in Kent.
City council approved a motion to pass an interior maintenance code, which will allow for the regulation of health and safety conditions in both rental and owner occupied houses. The motion was not passed with emergency, and will be up for discussion at the next council meeting.
Kent City Council approved an agreement with the Ohio Department of Transportation Wednesday night to fix roads downtown.
Under the agreement, ODOT will give the city a $500,000 grant from the Jobs and Commerce ED Program Fund to repair Erie and Depeyster streets as well as alleys No. 4 and No. 5. The city is also anticipating a $300,000 contribution from ODOT’s Roadwork Fund for a total of $800,000 from the state.
City Manager Dave Ruller said he has been working with the state over the last four months to reach an agreement to continue downtown development.
This grant will help to offset estimated project costs of $3.8 million for the road repairs. The city will also receive an Ohio Public Works Commission grant of $780,000.
The city will commit $2.22 million to the project.
Ruller said the state wanted the funds to be used quickly and approved the decision for the work to be done to heavily traveled roads downtown.
Contact Britni Williams at [email protected] and Rachel Hagenbaugh at [email protected].
