The Kent Central Gateway transit center, set to break ground in early October, has been delayed potentially until January.

UNTIL AT LEAST JANUARY… MORE CLEAR, SIMPLER.

Construction of the 375-car garage and multimodal MULTIPURPOSE

facility was expected to begin Oct. 1, but was delayed when PARTA and the city of Kent did not FINISH…CONCLUDE TOO FORMAL…

conclude negotiations with Car Parts Warehouse on Depeyster Street, said Bryan Smith, PARTA operations manager.

The transit center, which (LOOK AT THIS AS A CHANCE TO PUT ACTIVE VOICE INTO THE MIX…SO… WHICH WILL BORDER…) will be bordered by Depeyster and Main Streets, requires the demolition of the auto parts warehouse.

Tim Hensley, Car Parts Warehouse manager, said the auto parts store had not found another location of equal size to move to.

“I heard the city’s not helping out a whole lot in this aspect,” Hensley said. “Again, this is hearsay, but there’s a law that says the city is supposed to help us find a new location and they’re not.”

SO IS THERE A LAW? YOU DON’T TELL US…

COULD HAVE ASKED DAN SMITH OR BRYAN SMITH. AND, IS IT THE CITY THAT WILL GO FOR EMINENT DOMAIN OR PARTA? ASK.

Hensley said Warehouse owner Tony DiFiore had been searching for a new location for several months.

Hensley also said DiFiore had not agreed upon a price for the 9,375 square foot structure. Although he said he did not have access to all the details, Hensley said DiFiore had been offered a price far below its $297,000 market value. MARKET VALUE SAYS WHO? WHERE DID YOU GET THE MARKET VALUE?

DiFiore was unavailable for comment despite several attempts to contact him.

(job title- check AP)

Smith and Kent City Economic Development Director, Dan Smith, said the issue may have to be resolved through eminent domain.

(so, when you have two SMITHS, you use the whole name…)

Simply stated, Dan said, eminent domain gives government the right to claim private property for public use. He said he expects the city of Kent and DiFiore will be unable to agree upon a price without eminent domain.

Also part of prolonged negotiations, the city of Kent purchased the parking lot of Car Parts Warehouse’s neighbor, Kent State fraternity Phi Sigma Kappa.

Despite original concerns the fraternity would have to move as a result of their claimed parking lot, Phi Sigma Kappa president Matthew Speed said the brothers are in the process of purchasing new parking and will remain in their house.

Dan said the five-story PARTA structure will have three levels for car parking, bike racks and lockers, a PARTA bus station and retail attractions along the ground floor.

“We want to bring more people into Kent from outside areas and give them a chance to stay here,” Dan said.

Construction of the transit center will coincide with downtown redevelopment, including the construction of a hotel and conference center.

Despite the construction delay, Smith said the transit center is still expected to be complete by the end of 2011. If that deadline cannot be met, Smith expects the structure to be open no later than October 2012.

“Everything is still pretty much on schedule,” Smith said. “At the latest we’ll be open fall 2012.”