AKRON OHIO — New renderings of one of Akron's most notable properties show what it could look like after renovation.
The future of Quaker Square could potentially feature a new hotel, about 75 apartments, retail and — sitting on top of those iconic former grain silos— an upscale 10,000 square foot glass restaurant overlooking Downtown Akron.
A Summit County resident, David Muntean, feels like the plan has a lot of potential.
"I think it has to be a destination type thing, something that has a wow factor to it," Muntean said.
The now-empty property on Broadway Street has quite a rich history.
In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Quaker Oats Company was Akron's largest employer. It shut down in the 70's, but more memories were created.
After its closing, Quaker Square became home to restaurants and retail for decades. The rounded rooms constructed in the silos were first used for a hotel, and then, dorms for the University of Akron.
The property has sat vacant for the last several years, but developers have found a new vision to revitalize Quaker Square.
Ideas were first shared with News 5 last May.
RELATED: Remember the pies, trains, and shopping?! News 5 takes you on a walk through vacant Quaker Square
"We definitely want to bring back restaurants, retails. Hopefully more than just one restaurant, we get a couple in here. This space is really unique in how it was laid out," Kyle Craven of Quaker Square Redevelopment Group said last year.
Executive Director of the Akron Downtown Development Corporation Christopher Hardesty remembered going to the district and sitting in train cars as a child. But now, he's looking into the future.
"We're in Akron. We want everybody to know that we're in Akron, but we want to give you a different experience, and I think that rooftop amenity is going to do that," Hardesty said.
He said if the renderings become reality, work on a re-imagined Quaker Square could start as early as this year.
"I think that the ability to preserve these structures and not tear them down is critical to the fabric of Downtown and our history," Hardesty said.
The ideas are exciting to Muntean, but he said he is taking a wait-and-see approach.
"It'd be great, but you know, the devil is in the details. It'll have to happen," Muntean said.
You can see more renderings below:
Bob Jones is the Summit, Stark and Tuscarawas counties reporter at News 5 Cleveland. Follow him on X @BobjonesTV, or email him at BJones@wews.com.
