The new Architecture building is receiving alot of hype on Kent State’s main campus. But there is another important new building in the works as well…and it’s just down the street, so why haven’t we heard about it? TV2’s Henna Thornberry has the details.

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The Kent State University Institutional Advancement building is taking over the corner of Summit Street and Lincoln Street.

There are many construction projects on Kent State’s main campus that will span over a few years, one of the most notable ones being the new School of Architecture and Environmental design. The architecture building is receiving quite a bit of attention yet few have heard about the institutional advancement building that will be going up right down the street.

Associate Vice President of Advancement Operations Cynthia Crimmins said that the building is not receiving as much attention because it will be an administrative building mostly for alumni not for students.

Associate Vice President of Facilities Planning and Operations Thomas Euclide said that the new building will compliment McGilvrey and Franklin Halls across the street with similar stone work. He also said the Office of the University Architect has the blue prints for the entire building.

Crimmins said the building is necessary for two reasons: the old one, located on Fraternity Circle, has been sold to one of Kent State’s Fraternity to be turned into their house and the new one. The second reason is that the new building will  combine three different offices that are currently spread across campus: administrative services, foundation and development and institutional advancement.

“I am excited for the building because it will promote collaboration,” Crimmins said.

The building will be about 34,400 square feet and will cost $20 million. It is being finance not through alumni support like many other of the construction projects on campus, but through the Portage County Port Authority. Kent State  has a 13 year lease agreement with the P.C.P.A. and can purchase the property then after the lease is up.