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Kent State Kicks Off 2011-2012 United Way Campaign
Kent State kicked off its annual United Way campaign on Sept. 21, with the goal to raise $180,000 to impact the local community. The campaign will run through Dec. 2, with various fundraising opportunities for faculty and staff.
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University, City Come Together for Hotel and Conference Center Groundbreaking
Posted Sept. 26, 2011
President Lester A. Lefton addresses the audience during
the groundbreaking of the Kent State University Hotel and
Conference Center on Sept 19.
The project, part of the $100-million redevelopment of downtown Kent, Ohio, is a partnership between the Kent State University Foundation and the Pizzuti Companies of Columbus, Ohio
According to Lefton, the conversation of having a hotel in Kent has been in the works for 40 years. He highlighted the public-private partnership that is now making it a reality and emphasized the downtown redevelopment has been a team effort involving many organizations and individuals who are committed to it.
Pizzuti, who grew up in Kent and received his bachelor’s from Kent State, reviewed some of the features of the new hotel and conference center. It will have 95 rooms, 5,400 square feet for meeting space, an indoor pool and an exercise room. Pizzuti says the cost of the hotel and conference center is estimated in excess of $15 million. Though the hotel and conference center’s opening is listed as spring 2013 on a sign on the site, Pizzuti says he hopes to speed the opening date up.
