Stark State College announced plans to build a campus in downtown Akron.

Stark State College Akron will be a 50-thousand square foot state-of-the-art facility on 11 acres of land, near Route 8 and Perkins Street, with access to the highway and public transportation. The idea is to attract commuter students from throughout Summit to the county’s first community college.

Stark State President Dr. Para Jones says they will continue to partner with the University of Akron, which will be just down the street.

"Currently about 40% of students in our high demand health programs like dental hygiene are from Akron," said Dr. Para Jones. "So, this is another opportunity, in my opinion, to build on those relationships because many of those students seek bachelor’s degrees, after the associates degree, and University of Akron is often a first choice for our students.

The State of Ohio is providing $6.5 million in capital funding and Stark State's Board is setting aside another $5 million for the project.

The college and the City of Akron will enter into a 20 year lease-purchase agreement pending the approval of both city council and the school’s Board of Trustees.

Construction will take two years.