Work also began on a complete $6.5 million renovation and restoration of the building, which included construction of a new elevator shaft.

[1] The first mortgage was bonded in August 1919 and the following month, the architect was chosen, and the Barnett property at the southwest corner of East Main and South DePeyster Streets was selected as the site.

[1] Despite good opening reviews, the Franklin Hotel struggled financially for most of its existence, changing owners and managers every few years.

Notable guests who stayed at the hotel during this period included Guy Lombardo, Amelia Earhart, and Glenn Miller.

Eliot Ness frequented the hotel's bar in the 1940s and Kent native Martin L. Davey, who served as Governor of Ohio in the 1930s, had an office in the building.

It featured endorsement from AAA and other modern amenities like ample parking and air conditioning, which the Hotel Kent lacked.

Other factors such as the decline in railroad travel and the emergence of the automobile led to a decrease in the need for regional hotels.

Damage from a number of fires in the 1970s and the deteriorated state of the building led the city to condemn the upper floors in January 1979.

City inspectors also found a number of health, fire, and building codes and filed for an injunction to close the entire structure.

Vilk had sued previous owner Joseph Bujack for breach of his lease agreement and took ownership of it as part of the settlement.

During the interior work, however, concerns were raised over whether the renovation would jeopardize efforts to obtain any federal or state preservation grants.

As a result, no further renovation work was carried out, and while it was reported a development group was interested in buying the building, no changes in ownership occurred.

[15] Acorn Alley quickly became a popular destination after opening in late 2009 and the office and retail space in the rest of the development was in high demand.

[21] The renovation and restoration of the old hotel to become Acorn Corner was hailed by the local Record-Courier as a "Kent miracle" that brought the building "back from the dead.

Buffalo Wild Wings serves as the anchor and occupies the first and second floors, having previously been located two blocks east.

The restaurant chain, which mentions Kent in its corporate history, contributed $1.5 million to the renovation and occupies the original hotel lobby.

[23] In the basement level is the Franklin Hotel Bar, announced in May 2016 and opened that December, which features handcrafted cocktails, small plates, fine wines, and craft beer.

[23] As part of the building being eligible for preservation grants, certain elements had to be restored, and several requirements were given for items such as new windows, signage, and interior work.

Among the restoration work required by the Ohio Historic Preservation Office was a large painted sign on the western facade of the building, which overlooks downtown Kent.

It was painted in the same location as the previous versions of the sign, which had been visible, though no longer maintained, up until the bricks were cleaned during the building's renovation in 2012.

Additionally, one of the original entrance doors facing East Main Street had to be restored but unusable due to a ramp for the building to comply with the Americans With Disabilities Act.

[36] The Franklin Hotel was nominated for the National Register of Historic Places due to its local significance in the history of Kent under criteria A and B.