Construction on Stark State College’s Akron campus is expected to begin by the end of the month following the Ohio Controlling Board’s approval of the project on Monday.
The board approved the project with a unanimous vote Monday afternoon. The vote was delayed last month after board member State Sen. Tom Sawyer, D-Akron, expressed concern that Stark State might poach students from the already-declining enrollment at the University of Akron.
The $12 million Stark State College Akron campus will be built along Perkins and North Union streets near state Route 8, just northeast of downtown Akron. The satellite branch will occupy 11 acres that the Jackson Township-based college will lease to purchase for just shy of $1 million.
Stark State College offers two-year associate degrees and certification programs. Its students have an average age of 29 and often work while attending school. About a fourth of its students are Summit County residents.
The college will begin holding classes in Akron in January at a temporary location at 755 White Pond Drive, now the home of Brown Mackie College.
Para Jones, president of Stark State, said the college convinced Sawyer to vote in approval after showing that researchers examined many locations for the campus and no other site matched the college’s criteria.
“There was nothing that matched our criteria to the same extent as Perkins,” she said. “I think Sen. Sawyer had questions he wanted us to answer, and we were able to answer them pretty thoroughly. He wanted to make absolutely sure that we had exhausted all options and opportunities.”
Sawyer could not be reached Monday for comment.
Jones said the college plans to open the Perkins Street location for the fall 2018 semester. A groundbreaking is planned for 1 p.m. Oct. 31. City and county officials as well as representatives of UA and the local business community will be invited to attend.
The college anticipates it could cater to 5,000 students at the Akron branch within five years. If enrollment reaches 5,500, it would employ about 157 full-time workers.
Nick Glunt can be reached at 330-996-3565 or nglunt@thebeaconjournal.com. Follow him on Twitter @NickGluntABJ and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ngfalcon.