Page 566 - Sustainable Cities and Communities Design Handbook

The Power of Sustainability: The Story of Kent, Ohio Chapter j 26 535

downtown Franklin Hotel, saving it from further deterioration and imminent
demolition. Now known as Acorn Corner, this former hotel contains offices, a
restaurant, and loft apartments.

Reuse of existing and historic structures
in downtown Acorn Corner (former Franklin Hotel)

Thanks to the efforts of local investors, along with the City of Kent administration
and City Council, key players at Kent State University, Portage Area Regional
Transportation Authority, and other community business leaders and stakeholders,
there is a renaissance in downtown Kent. Their shared vision for a sense of
community has infused more vitality and investment than the downtown has seen in
a long time, restoring the pride and tradition of a vibrant downtown. Downtown
Kent now boasts many points of interest uniting the old with the new by preserving
the historical integrity of the past while creating a destination city of today.
About Acorn Alley, from http://acornalleykent.com/about/.

CONCLUSION
The Kent experience is a story of a community and its partners breaking down
barriers and coalescing around a widely shared vision of the future, as artic-
ulated and implemented through a plan based on principles of sustainability.