Among all of the other renovations done over the summer, Ashland University was actively in communications with the former KDs Pizza on purchasing their property.

KDs Pizza was an amenity students had for years in the past, right in the middle of campus. From a property standpoint, Ashland University owned everything on all sides of KDs Pizza.

Vice President of Operations and Planning, Rick Ewing stated, “Over the years we had various conversations that never really went anywhere. It wasn’t until we started having conversations with Dwight Schar, and in the beautification, we identified the need for a welcome center parking lot and improved the commuter parking lot that KDs Pizza was kind of in the middle of.”

After these discussions, AU was able to work with the owner of KDs Pizza, agree to the price of $450,000 and make the purchase.

With these renovations AU hopes to create a welcoming experience for someone visiting campus. The Gill Welcome Center parking lot is currently in the back of the center.

These renovation plans include “pushing the parking lot up against The Gill Welcome Center, so that it will be convenient and visible, there will be handicapped accessibility, and you will be able to walk in through the front door,” Ewing said.

They will also be developing the rest of the commuter lot, making it paved. Renovations will also include improving the walkways along Claremont Avenue, moving the sidewalks off the street and adding a tree-line and signage to achieve a nice, welcoming and attractive campus.

AU hopes to finish this renovation by the end of this calendar year. Delays have occurred this summer with a combination of construction being slow due to the rest of the work being done on campus, limitations on materials and the sticking point being the city alleyway that goes through that whole area of parking.

Ashland has had to go through a process of working with the adjacent property owners, making sure they agree to this process.

In this process Ewing states “because it is technically city property, we’ve requested the city to grant that alleyway to the university.”

This process is currently put on hold until the city deems that alleyway university property.