Quaker Square
Quaker Square is a historic former Quaker Oats factory complex in downtown Akron, Ohio, later redeveloped as a shopping, dining, hotel, student-housing, and office destination.
Last updated August 24, 2026
AI crawler reads
No AI crawler has read this profile since Oct 28, 2026.
Overview
Quaker Square is a historic mixed-use complex in downtown Akron, Ohio, occupying the former Akron factory of Quaker Oats. The site developed from an oatmeal and cereal manufacturing operation whose industrial history dates to the German Mills American Oatmeal Company facility established by Ferdinand Schumacher in 1872. After an 1886 fire, the plant was rebuilt and later became part of the Quaker Oats production network. Its industrial buildings included manufacturing areas, warehouses, rail-side structures, and a prominent group of grain silos. In 1932, Quaker Oats added 36 large silos, each approximately 120 feet high and 24 feet in diameter; together they could hold about 1.5 million U.S. bushels of grain. The plant was historically significant to Akron because Quaker Oats had been one of the city’s largest employers. Quaker Oats ended cereal production at the Akron site in 1970. Rather than being demolished, the complex was preserved and adapted for a new commercial use. It was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1972, and developers began repurposing the property in the early 1970s. The redevelopment opened in stages, with the commercial complex reopening in 1975 after an initial 1973 conversion effort. Quaker Square contained small shops, restaurants, an ice-cream parlor, historic displays, offices, and attractions interpreting local Quaker industry and Akron’s radio history. The property also became associated with works by sculptor Don Drumm. The most distinctive element of the redevelopment was the conversion of the grain silos into a hotel. The hotel opened in 1980 under the Hilton name and later operated as a Crowne Plaza. Its 196 circular guest rooms were built within the former silos, making the property an unusual example of adaptive reuse and a recognizable Akron landmark. Other attractions included a railroad-themed restaurant, the Quaker Square General Store, and additional retail and dining establishments. For several decades, the complex functioned as a downtown visitor destination as well as a historic preservation project. The University of Akron purchased Quaker Square in June 2007 for $22.679 million. The university intended to convert the hotel and other portions of the complex into student housing and offices. Upper hotel floors began operating as university residence space in January 2008, while an arrangement allowed a management company to operate 95 hotel rooms on the lower silo floors for approximately two years so that the public could continue to access downtown lodging. The hotel closed permanently in June 2013 and was converted entirely to student housing. Public access then narrowed further. The final shops closed around 2016, apart from a student-oriented convenience store that later relocated into Quaker Hall in 2018. The residence hall was subsequently closed after substantial deterioration was found in the rooms. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the former dormitory was used temporarily to quarantine students who could not leave campus after infection. By 2022, the university had fully vacated the remaining rooms, leaving the complex unused. The University of Akron announced in March 2025 that it would sell the property. In May 2025, a prospective redevelopment group, including former Akron mayor Don Plusquellic and local construction manager and internet personality Kyle Craven, announced plans to renovate and reopen the complex. The group acquired the property in June 2025. Reference material indicates that, by 2026, the site was being converted toward retail use again. Quaker Square is therefore best understood as a historic place-based destination and adaptive-reuse complex rather than a conventional hotel-chain or consumer-goods brand.
History
Quaker Square occupies the former Akron, Ohio, factory complex associated with the Quaker Oats company. Its industrial predecessor was the German Mills American Oatmeal Company, founded in Akron by Ferdinand Schumacher. A plant was established at the site in 1872, destroyed by fire in 1886, and rebuilt. Following the formation and expansion of Quaker Oats, the rebuilt structures became part of the company’s Akron cereal factory. The site included production buildings, warehouses, rail-siding sheds, and other infrastructure supporting grain processing and cereal manufacture. Quaker Oats added 36 grain silos in 1932. The silos were approximately 120 feet high and 24 feet in diameter, and collectively held about 1.5 million U.S. bushels of grain. They later became the architectural centerpiece of Quaker Square. The factory represented an important part of Akron’s industrial economy and remained the only prominent physical reminder of a facility that had once been among the city’s largest employers. Quaker Oats ended production in Akron in 1970. The complex was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1972, helping establish a preservation framework for the site. Developers bought the buildings in the early 1970s with the goal of creating a commercially useful destination rather than abandoning the factory. The first conversion work began in 1973, and the redeveloped complex reopened to the public on April 1, 1975, initially with four shops and an ice-cream parlor. The project expanded into a shopping and dining complex with dozens of small stores and restaurants. It also incorporated historic displays focused on the local Quaker industry and Akron’s radio history, along with offices on upper floors. The property included the Quaker Square General Store, a railroad-themed restaurant, and works by Don Drumm. Its most notable adaptive-reuse project was the conversion of the grain silos into a hotel. The hotel opened in 1980 as a Hilton and later operated under the Crowne Plaza brand. It contained 196 circular rooms constructed within the silo structures, making it a widely recognized example of industrial architecture reused for hospitality. The University of Akron bought the complex in June 2007 for $22.679 million. Its stated plans centered on student housing and university office space. Beginning in January 2008, the upper floors of the hotel were used as a residence hall. Under a university arrangement, RDA Management operated 95 hotel rooms on the lower four floors for roughly two years, preserving some public lodging while Akron considered how to maintain downtown hotel capacity. The hotel closed on June 30, 2013, after which the remaining accommodation space was converted to student housing. The commercial component then contracted. The final shops and Trackside closed in 2016, leaving a Zee’s convenience store serving students. Zee’s moved into the lobby of Quaker Hall in August 2018, and the retail portion of Quaker Square became vacant. The complex also contained university offices on the second through fourth floors. After the 2018 spring semester, the dormitory was closed when the rooms were found to be in significant disrepair. During the COVID-19 outbreak, the former residence facility was temporarily used to quarantine students who could not leave campus after becoming infected. By the end of the pandemic period in 2022, the remaining rooms were no longer being used and the university had effectively vacated the site. The University of Akron announced a sale in March 2025. A redevelopment group including former Akron mayor Don Plusquellic and local construction manager and internet personality Kyle Craven announced plans in May to renovate and reopen the complex. The group acquired the property in June 2025. Reference material states that the university’s lease lapsed on July 1, 2026, and that the property was being converted toward renewed retail use in 2026. The long-term operating concept and final ownership structure remain unclear.
- 2026
Retail-oriented conversion reported
[1]Reference material indicates that the complex was being converted into a retail complex again.
- 2025
Property sale and redevelopment announced
[1]The University of Akron announced the sale in March; a redevelopment group announced plans in May and acquired the property in June.
- 2022
University vacates the facility
[1]The remaining rooms stopped being used and the facility became vacant.
- 2020
Former dormitory used for quarantine
[1]The university temporarily used the former student-housing space to quarantine infected students during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- 2018
Residence hall and retail use contract
[1]The dormitory was closed after disrepair was discovered, while Zee’s moved away from the retail section into Quaker Hall.
- 2016
Most retail closes
[1]The final shops and Trackside operation closed, leaving only a student convenience store for a period.
- 2013
Hotel closes permanently
[1]The hotel ceased operations on June 30 and was converted entirely into student housing.
- 2008
Upper hotel floors become student housing
[1]The university began using the upper levels of the former hotel as a residence hall.
- 2007
University of Akron acquires the complex
[1]The university purchased Quaker Square for $22.679 million and announced plans for housing and offices.
- 1980
Silo hotel opens
[1]A Hilton hotel opened inside the converted silos; it later operated as a Crowne Plaza.
Products and positioning
A distinctive Akron heritage destination built around the adaptive reuse of a former Quaker Oats factory, combining industrial history, retail, dining, lodging, and later university uses.
Retail and dining destination · 1975
Quaker Square shopping and dining complex
The principal public-facing offering after the factory conversion was a mixed-use destination containing numerous small shops, restaurants, an ice-cream parlor, historic exhibits, and offices. Its identity rested on the preservation of the former cereal factory and on the novelty of shopping and dining within an industrial landmark.
Hotel · 1980
Quaker Square silo hotel
The former grain silos were adapted into a hotel that opened as a Hilton in 1980 and later became a Crowne Plaza. The property contained 196 circular rooms built into the silo structures, making it the complex’s signature hospitality feature. Hotel operations ended in 2013 when the space was converted to university housing.
Retail store
Quaker Square General Store
The General Store was one of the named retail attractions within the commercial complex. It formed part of the destination’s heritage-oriented shopping offer alongside restaurants, smaller specialty shops, and the historic factory setting.
University accommodation · 2008
Student housing
After the University of Akron acquired the property, the former hotel was progressively repurposed as student housing. Upper floors began hosting students in 2008, and the remaining hotel rooms were converted after the hotel closed in 2013. The residence use ended after the rooms deteriorated and the facility was ultimately vacated.
Brand decisions
2025
Sell the university-owned complexM&ABackground
The facility had become vacant after the end of student-housing use and was no longer central to university operations.
Action taken
The University of Akron announced a sale in March, and a redevelopment group acquired the property in June.
Aftermath
The new ownership announced plans to renovate the site and restore retail activity, although the final operating model remains unclear.
2013
End public hotel operationsStrategyBackground
The university’s planned campus use increasingly took precedence over the property’s role as a public lodging destination.
Action taken
The hotel closed on June 30 and the entire silo hotel area was converted into student housing.
Aftermath
Quaker Square ceased to operate as a public hotel, and its commercial identity continued to narrow.
2007
University acquisition and institutional conversionM&ABackground
The University of Akron acquired the mixed-use complex while seeking additional campus housing and office capacity.
Action taken
The university purchased the property for $22.679 million and began converting its hotel and other spaces for university use.
Aftermath
Public hotel and retail functions were progressively reduced, while student housing and offices became the primary uses.
Purchase price. 22679000 USD (June 2007)
1980
Launch of the silo hotelProduct launchBackground
The preserved grain silos offered a distinctive structure for expanding the complex into hospitality.
Action taken
A 196-room hotel was built inside the silos and opened under the Hilton name.
Aftermath
The hotel became the best-known component of Quaker Square and later operated as a Crowne Plaza before closing in 2013.
1973
Convert the former factory into a public destinationStrategyBackground
After Quaker Oats ended Akron production, developers sought to preserve and reuse the industrial complex rather than leave it vacant or demolish it.
Action taken
The buildings were adapted for shops, restaurants, exhibits, offices, and later a hotel.
Aftermath
The project reopened in 1975 and created a long-running downtown attraction centered on the factory’s industrial character.
Recent events
- 2025
University of Akron announces sale of Quaker Square[1]
M&A
The university announced on March 12 that it intended to sell the entire complex after the property had ceased serving as active student housing and had become largely vacant.
- 2025
Redevelopment group proposes reopening Quaker Square[1]
M&A
A group of investors announced plans in May to renovate and reopen the complex. The group acquired the property in June, with later plans focused on restoring retail use.
- 2020
Quaker Square used for student quarantine during the pandemic[1]
Regulation · Other
The former dormitory temporarily housed students who were unable to leave campus while infected during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- 2018
Former residence hall is closed after deterioration[1]
Other
Following the spring semester, the university stopped using the dormitory after finding that the rooms had fallen into significant disrepair.
- 2016
Retail operations at Quaker Square wind down[1]
Other
The remaining shops and the Trackside operation closed, leaving only a student-oriented convenience store before it later moved to Quaker Hall.
- 2013
Quaker Square hotel closes and becomes student housing[1]
Other
After a transitional period in which some rooms remained available to the public, the hotel closed on June 30 and the silo accommodation space was converted entirely into university housing.
- 2007
University of Akron purchases Quaker Square complex[1]
M&A
The University of Akron acquired the former factory, retail, hotel, and office complex for $22.679 million and announced plans to convert substantial portions of it into student housing and university offices.
Sources1 sources
Cite this profile: Cite the canonical profile. /brand-wiki/quaker-square · Editorial policy · How profiles are compiled