Kent City Council voted 7-2 in favor of approving a property exchange agreement between Kent and the Portage County Board of Commissioners on Wednesday, which will allow the building of a new courthouse on the current Jimmy John’s property.

There was a previous dispute on who would be paying for the demolition of Jimmy John’s because it wasn’t addressed in the agreement. Ward 4 councilman John Kuhar said that he didn’t think the taxpayers of Kent should have to pay for something that should’ve happened already.

“We need a courthouse in Kent, that’s correct,” he said. “But I don’t think we should be the ones footing any of the bill for it.”

The relocating of the Kent courthouse is one of many construction projects Kent has taken on to expand and develop the city. Jimmy John’s plans on moving into the space that Spin-More Records was previously in and opening the new shop in June. The owner of Spin-More’s said that the lease on the building ended two years ago.

Contact Ozie Ikuenobe at [email protected].