Three downtown Akron projects received nearly $10 million in historic tax credits Wednesday, as plans to turn the Huntington Tower into apartments and to remake Quaker Square and Quaker Station got big boosts from the state.

The Huntington Tower, the tallest building in downtown Akron, will get $4.55 million to help pay for the $68.8 million project to convert the office building into a mixed-use development. The state announcement says the project will convert the 28-floor, 1931 building into 200 apartments with office, commercial and retail space.

Huntington’s sale of the building to a local developer was announced in November of 2024. In April, Crain’s Cleveland Business reported that Gino Faciana, the co-CEO of NAI Pleasant Valley, a commercial real estate brokerage and property management company, was the buyer. 

The Quaker Oats factory in Akron
The Quaker Oats factory in Akron — at far left is the Summit County Courthouse. At right is the (now) Huntington Tower Building on Cascade Plaza. (Photo courtesy of the University of Akron Archives)

Faciana did not return phone calls seeking comment on the tax credits after 5 p.m. Wednesday.

In the announcement, Huntington Bank’s market president for Akron and Canton, Ron Paydo, said he expected the project “to be a great step for the livability of downtown Akron and the surrounding area.”

The building, at 106 S. Main St., is one of several downtown Akron buildings that are in the early stages of redevelopment for housing.

The new entry for the apartments that will be built inside the Quaker Square complex is visible at the center right of the silos.
The new entryway for the apartments that will be built inside the Quaker Square complex is visible at the center right of the silos. (Drawing courtesy of Kyle Craven)

Additionally, the state gave $5 million to help fund the $40.7 million project to remake Quaker Square into a hotel and residences. Kyle Craven, one of the developers of the project, said previously that the project wouldn’t be feasible without the tax credits.

In its announcement, the state said the redevelopment of the cereal factory’s silos would “preserve the silos’ distinctive concrete form while addressing deteriorated materials and modernizing building systems.”

“The redevelopment will reactivate a long-vacant landmark while helping meet Akron’s housing and hospitality needs,” the announcement said.

Lastly, the state gave $400,000 to help update the restrooms, kitchen facilities and roof of Quaker Station at 120 E. Mill St., which Craven is also rehabbing. The work “will maintain the building’s historic character while improving functionality,” the release said.

Craven said Quaker Station will continue to operate as a conference center and banquet venue.

Editor-in-Chief (she/her)
Zake has deep roots in Northeast Ohio journalism. She was the managing editor for multimedia and special projects at the Akron Beacon Journal, where she began work as a staff photographer in 1986. Over a 20-year career, Zake worked in a variety of roles across departments that all help inform her current role as Signal Akron's editor in chief. Most recently, she was a journalism professor and student media adviser at Kent State University, where she worked with the next generation of journalists to understand public policy, environmental reporting, data and solutions reporting. Among her accomplishments was the launch of the Kent State NewsLab, an experiential and collaborative news commons that connects student reporters with outside professional partners.