Kent has plenty of apartments built for college students. What city leaders say it needs are homes for working families, and a new project on the south side of town is pitching itself as a way to deliver them with a much smaller carbon footprint.
Urban Imperial Development plans to break ground next year on a 144-unit housing project after the Kent City Planning Commission approved it in September, Ideastream Public Media reported. The developer is billing it as Ohio's first carbon-neutral "eco-village."
The site is in the southern part of the city near the intersection of state Route 261 and state Route 43. The commission's Sept. 15 agenda lists the request from Tim Madden and Urban Imperial Construction LLC for a conditional zoning use certificate and site plan approval to build multifamily housing on a parcel along Currie Hall Parkway, in the city's C-R commercial high-density multifamily residential district. The item included a staff report, a presentation from the applicant and a public hearing before the commission acted.
Solar now, on-site power later
Madden, Urban Imperial's president, told Ideastream that features like solar roofs and electric vehicle charging stations will help the project keep a carbon-neutral footprint.
The bigger engineering piece comes in phase two. That's when the developer plans to add combined cooling, heat and power. In that kind of system, as Ideastream described it, a natural gas generator is the main source of electricity, and the heat thrown off while making that electricity is captured and used to heat and cool buildings.
Natural gas isn't usually what people picture when they hear "carbon neutral." Madden said the plan is to keep the carbon dioxide from reaching the air.
"There's a technology that exists to scrub the CO2 off of the exhaust and capture it," he said. "Then it can be reused for things where it doesn't get emitted back into the environment."
He also said that, in addition to providing voucher housing, he hopes the system, once it's running, will keep residents' utility costs low. That would be a selling point for families on tight budgets.
"We hope that this is a pilot project, or poster-child example, of how to develop an energy efficient net-zero residential neighborhood or community that could be replicated," Madden said.
Housing for families, not students
Bridget Susel, Kent's community development director, said the project meets both the city's climate action goals and its housing needs.
Susel told Ideastream that Kent is "over-inventoried" with student housing but needs more options for working families. The eco-village will offer two-bedroom units, and at least one-third will be set aside for voucher holders through the Portage County Metropolitan Housing Authority.
For tenants using vouchers, utility costs can make a real difference in what a home actually costs each month. That's why Madden's hope for low utility bills from the energy system matters as much as the solar panels on the roofs. If it works the way he describes, the project could become a model other Ohio developers look at.
So far, the developer hasn't released a construction cost, a detailed schedule beyond the planned groundbreaking next year, or how many buildings phase one will include. No general contractor has been named publicly, though the applicant listed on the city agenda is Urban Imperial Construction LLC. Those details, along with the timing of phase two and its energy plant, should come into focus as the project moves through engineering and building permits.
Why it matters for Contractors
A 144-unit project is real work in Portage County, and this one has a bigger share of specialty scopes than a typical apartment complex. Solar roof installations and EV charging stations mean work for solar installers and electricians with experience in larger service and charging loads. The phase two combined cooling, heat and power plant, with its carbon capture equipment, would call for mechanical contractors, pipefitters and controls technicians who understand central plants, not just rooftop units. The usual multifamily trades — site work, concrete, framing, roofing, drywall, plumbing and finishes — would still make up most of the job. With groundbreaking planned for next year, contractors interested in the project should start building relationships with the developer now and watch for bid packages.