After half a century of ideas and plans that never got off the ground, the renovation of a historic block in the heart of downtown Akron is getting underway
Groundbreaking for the Bowery Project came just hours after final details were worked out for financing it. The ceremony was in the long-empty Landmark Building. It was constructed in 1923 as the headquarters of Akron Savings & Loan.
It’ll now be a mixed use property with 90-residential units and will anchor the revitalization of a whole block. Don Taylor is CEO of Welty Construction, a lead partner in the $42-million project. “We’re going to start on this building, the Landmark Building, creating the apartments. But on the other five buildings we’ve got to structurally put them back together.”
Renovation of the Bowery block has been discussed since as early as 1968. The Landmark building will anchor the project’s north end, with the Akron Civic Theater anchoring the south.
