Letter to the editor: Is there a future for Kent’s historic places?

When Roger Di Paolo and I presented a proposal to Kent City Council six years ago to codify the section of Kent’s South End as a local historic neighborhood, and later during the street sign installation, we were proud of the city. It appeared that maybe finally the city recognized the value of this 180 area year old “multicultural rail road community”  often tagged as the “flats” which was the industrial section of Kent where European immigrants and African Americans were permitted to live a century ago. Most worked at the Atlantic & Great Western Rail Yard founded by Marvin Kent.

The Historic South End community has made great contributions to the city, and its residents have risen above marginalization and stigmas from over a century ago to achieve exceptional accomplishments. However, we continued to get resistance to substantial development and investment in the area. 

In a recent Kent City Council hearing over a rezoning variance petition for the land where the Atlantic & Great Western rail yards are located a painful reminder occurred to me… stigmas don’t go away. If unchecked, they just morph into the next generation. What was the “flats” a hundred years ago is now identified as the “Industrial Corridor.”

So what will happen to the Atlantic & Great Western building and rail yard? 

The community has always pooled our resources and tried to make things happen for the neighborhood, but it is embarrassing that our Kent City Council apparently has shown little vision for assisting in preserving the 180-year-old building that stands as originator of Kent’s prosperity during the industrial revolution and was founded by Kent’s namesake Marvin Kent. Contamination and continued deterioration will probably be its demise. 

I applaud Hometown Bank, Board Chairman Howard Boyle and staff for their continued efforts to seek all types of developers to invest in the area given the current industrial zoning restrictions. The complex has been idle for decades.

So where are all of the industrial investors interested in the A&GW property? The area continues to be zoned industrial and even has a new identifier, the “Industrial Corridor” as mentioned by a recent business.

Doria Daniels, Chairwoman 
Historic South End Kent