From the 10/31/05 Ravenna Record-Courier:

 

 

Reality of Kent ‘downtown village’ clearer

Tentative agreement set with landowners in city

By Diane Smith

Record-Courier staff writer

 

A year after developers approached the city of Kent with a proposal for a “downtown village” Right Dimensions appears to have assembled all the property it needs to make the project a reality.

 

Community Development Director Charley Bowman said the California-based development group has reached tentative agreements with all the parties who still own land in the downtown block being eyed for the development. That includes the Ricciardi family, which owns several of the parcels in the block bordered by Haymaker Parkway, South Water, DePeyster and Erie streets.

 

http://www.recordpub.com/article.php?pathToFile=/archive/10312005/news/&file=_news2.txt&article=1&tD=10312005

 

From the 12/7/05 Daily Kent Stater:

 

 

Developers request extension in Downtown Village project

by Ryan Loew

December 07, 2005

 

Developers of the Kent Downtown Village project want more time before the multimillion dollar redevelopment of a downtown block can happen.

 

Right Dimensions LLC, a California-based developing company with ties to the Kent area, has requested a six-month extension on its memorandum of understanding with the city.

 

http://www.stateronline.com/vnews/display.v/ART/439669a8c7ceb

 

From the 2/5/06 Ravenna Record-Courier:

 

 

Kent complex gets new backers Eyeing work in downtown area

By Matt Fredmonsky

Record-Courier staff writer

 

The development firm behind the proposed Kent downtown village project has gained some new investment backers.

 

Right Dimensions president Andrew Lombardo said the firm’s partnership with Catlin Properties of Sacramento, Calif., and Contrende Company of Chicago is going through a transitional phase.

 

“Now is a period of time for them to get to know the full aspects of the project,” Lombardo said. “Once we get through the transition we will be able to determine an appropriate time table.”

 

http://www.recordpub.com/article.php?pathToFile=/archive/02052006/news/&file=_news3.txt&article=1&tD=02052006

 

From the 6/7/06 Ravenna Record-Courier:

 

 

Right Dimensions investor backs out

Future of downtown Kent revitalization project questioned by city officials

By Matt Fredmonsky

Record-Courier staff writer

 

A key investor in the Right Dimensions development firm for the proposed “downtown village” in Kent has backed out of the project.

 

Two development firms - Catlin Properties of Sacramento, Ca., and Contrende Co. of Chicago - had jointly invested in the retail project. Their partnership, Catlin Contrende, has pulled its funding and resources from the proposed downtown village.

 

http://www.recordpub.com/article.php?pathToFile=/archive/06072006/news/&file=_news1.txt&article=1&tD=06072006

 

From the 6/8/06 Ravenna Record-Courier:

 

 

Group seeks extension for Kent ‘village’

Right Dimensions wants time after losing backer

By Matt Fredmonsky

Record-Courier staff writer

 

The attorney for Right Dimensions, the group leading the development of Kent’s proposed “downtown village,” asked Kent City Council for an extension of the agreement to develop the project.

 

Council took no action Wednesday on the pending June 16 expiration of the memorandum of understanding between the city of Kent and Right Dimensions. Instead, council left the matter at the administrative staff’s discretion to decide if council time should be scheduled before June 16 to allow representatives from Right Dimensions to address council. City staff recommended Wednesday that council not grant Right Dimensions an extension of the memorandum.

 

http://www.recordpub.com/article.php?pathToFile=/archive/06082006/news/&file=_news2.txt&article=1&tD=06082006

 

From the 7/30/06 Ravenna Record-Courier:

 

 

Kent’s ‘downtown village’ in limbo

By Matt Fredmonsky

Record-Courier staff writer

 

The city of Kent and Right Dimensions continue to be at odds over the future of the proposed “downtown village” redevelopment project.

 

Kent City Manager Dave Ruller said the city will continue to look for a partner who can deliver the final product - a redeveloped block of downtown Kent.

 

“To my mind, there is no project anymore,” Ruller said.

 

http://www.recordpub.com/article.php?pathToFile=/archive/07302006/news/&file=_news1.txt&article=1&tD=07302006

 

From the 8/15/06 Ravenna Record-Courier:

 

 

Developer: Kent can buy property for $858,317

Right Dimensions offers buyout; city eyes options

Matthew Fredmonsky

August 15, 2006

Record-Courier staff writer

 

If the city of Kent wants Right Dimensions out of downtown, city leaders are going to have to spend more than $800,000 to do so.

 

At least that is what Right Dimensions President Andrew Lombardo has said.

 

In e-mailed letters addressed to members of the city administration and Kent City Council during July and August, Lombardo wrote if administrators plan to go forward with developing the block of downtown bordered by Haymaker Parkway and Depeyster and South Water streets, then the city must buy out the California development firm and its properties.

 

http://www.recordpub.com/news/article/129834

 

From the 8/27/06 Ravenna Record-Courier:

 

 

PHOTO: Damage

 

Developer: Damage to Kent home intentional

Matthew Fredmonsky

Record-Courier staff writer

 

Damage done to a house by Kent city personnel in the downtown area has one property owner upset over the citys handling of the incident.

 

Right Dimensions President Andrew Lombardo is alleging that city personnel intentionally misdirected Kent firefighters to conduct a training exercise at 129 E. College Ave. Lombardo said the roof of the home was damaged.

 

In June, the Kent Fire Department practiced ventilation techniques by cutting two rectangular holes in the roof of the tan-colored home.

 

http://www.recordpub.com/news/article/130568

 

From the 8/28/06 Ravenna Record-Courier:

 

 

Developer seeks records from Kent

Wants data about homes used for fire training

Matthew Fredmonsky

Record-Courier staff writer

 

A downtown Kent property owner is requesting information be released from the city regarding damage inflicted to his property by the Kent fire department.

 

Right Dimensions President Andrew Lombardo has made public records requests with the city for all existing communications regarding damage done to his properties on East College Avenue by the Kent fire department in June.

 

http://www.recordpub.com/news/article/130625

 

From the 8/29/06 Ravenna Record-Courier:

 

 

Kent council, developer still at odds

Matthew Fredmonsky

Record-Courier staff writer

 

Some members of Kent City Council, the city administration and Right Dimensions are at odds over situations regarding damaged property and the state of the downtown redevelopment project.

 

At an Aug. 16 meeting, council members Ed Bargerstock and Carrie Gavriloff both expressed concern over the amount of information City Manager Dave Ruller has provided to council about the proposed downtown redevelopment project.

 

http://www.recordpub.com/news/article/130671

 

From the 9/7/06 Daily Kent Stater:

 

 

PHOTO: The house at 129 B E. College Ave. has been declared unfit for habitation by Kent's health commisioner. In addition to broken doors and windows, gas, water and sewer services have been disconnected.  SEAN DAUGHERTY | DAILY KENT STATER

 

Abandoned homes

Developer must decide what to do with run-down houses

Seth Roy

Issue date: 9/7/06 Section: News

 

Houses with broken windows, chipped and peeling paint, leaky roofs and boarded up doors are hardly ever hot topics.

 

But three former college rentals on the 100 block of East College Avenue are.

 

The houses, owned by Andrew Lombardo and his California-based real estate development firm Right Dimensions, stand boarded up and abandoned under the order of Kent Health Commissioner John Ferlito.

 

http://www.stateronline.com/media/storage/paper867/news/2006/09/07/News/Abandoned.Homes-2260524.shtml?norewrite200609071954&sourcedomain=www.stateronline.com

 

EDIT: switched threads -- didn't see the other one.