Kent Presbyterian Church to build new living-learning community

The Kent Presbyterian Church of Kent, Ohio broke ground for a future apartment complex in December of 2017.  Construction on the fully furnished, five story building is set for early 2018 and will house 384 residents.

The living-learning community is expected to be ready for students for the 2019-20 school year.

The idea stemmed from an old farmhouse that was previously located on the church’s property in the late 70’s.

“I think that spurred some thoughts, ‘what if we had something like that?’ something that could hold a few students,” said Senior Pastor Aaron Meadows.

“There was a push needed to put this plan in motion, in our system the leadership, the congregation and the larger body of presbyterians has to support it,” Meadows said.

The larger body of Presbyterians is also known as the regional governing body of the congregations in the Akron and Youngstown areas.

At one time, a small 18 bed complex was in the works but did not come to fruition.

In 2004, when Meadows joined the church, a bigger version was presented but did not become much more than an idea.

“In 2007,  a group in California presented the idea once more by displaying their success with the same kind of learning community, this then pushed for the congregation was on board,” Meadows said.

From there it became much more serious and they worked with the city council to get zoning approved.

“We interviewed a number of development partners over eight years and this particular partner really understood the project and our goals better than anyone.”

“Our ‘task force’ was involved in planning the location of the project, approximate size, initial financial and market viability, design on the first rendition of the project, Meadows said, “The language developed for a change in the zoning code and the interviewing and selection of our development partner.”

Stacia Yaniglos, a church elder, is one of the members on this task force that has put in hard work and support to make this happen, Meadows said.

Yaniglos expressed her interest and excitement for the project not only for the church but for the university.

“My excitement for the project is that it’s an opportunity for mission. It’s something that is needed in the university community just from a very practical standpoint in terms of proximity and parking,” Yaniglos said.  “It also gives us a chance to connect with the campus community.  Even in ways, like residents to interact with different scholars.”

The living learning community comes into play with the ability to host different professionals for educational programming as well as a space for creativity.  Most of which is still in the works of development.

“I think that we will be the most competitive on the market.  We have a couple of close competitors, but no one really on campus.  You have the center of campusacross the street and that is attractive to students.  The Rec. Center is roughly 500 feet away from our parking lot.”

“The cost will likely be comparable to other apartments in the area, considering they will be Class A apartments.”

Class A apartments are considered to be less than 10-years-old, new and upscale.

Rachel Lieberman, a Senior Kent State student, who worked as a leasing consultant for 345 Flats between May and August of 2017, attests to how difficult it is being a brand new housing complex in a college town such as Kent, where competition is high.

“From experience with 345 Flats, we had to work on our image for a while,” she said. “Considering it was the newest complex in Kent.” 345 Flats is still within its first two years of complete construction and opening.

The biggest issues potential tenants have with new complexes include price ranges, utilities and appliances provided, and community image.

“The challenge for this new community that they’re going to be building up, is they need to find their mission statement I suppose, and who they want to market towards,” Lieberman said.

She says that when working for 345 Flats, one of the largest challenges for a new housing complex, was finding a target group of people which had the most potential for renting their apartments.

According to the Kent State University housing website, “Living-Learning Communities at Kent State University are on-campus housing based communities of students living together,” who share the same academic, or other special interests.

Despite the Church’s new housing complex being built off-campus, the location will be close enough to the Kent State Student center and the middle of Kent’s campus for it to be considered nearly on campus.

Lieberman, who also lived in the Education, Health and Human Services living-learning community on-campus her freshman year, said, “I did have a bigger sense of community because the people I was living next to, all of my neighbors, they were taking the same classes, having similar experiences.”

Lieberman acknowledges that being around other students like her, helped her to excel in the classroom with regards to her grades. “It helped me in some cases, I feel, grow as a student.”

Many living learning communities here at Kent attempt to promote positive work ethics and relationships within these groups by promoting the application of “in-class instruction with focused out-of-class learning experiences.”

Living in a living-learning community for Lieberman, helped promote her grade substantially as compared to when she first moved off of campus. “I didn’t necessarily have neighbors who were studying the same materials as I did, Lieberman said. “I definitely felt a disconnect at first.”

According to a 2015 study by the university, students participating in living-learning communities had higher retention rates, as compared to those who don’t.

The Presbyterian Church of Kent, established in 1959 by just 20 people at Kent State University, attempts to bridge relations between the Church and University even through to today.

With multiple student services and event opportunities, the Church provides ample occasions for University students to become involved with the Presbyterian Church, its ministries, and the community they serve.