With a facelift and a few nips and tucks, the Grand Old Lady of Main Street is ready for a new life under a new identity.
There probably arenāt many Ńż¼§Ö±²„ State University alumni who havenāt passed through the Franklin Hotel doors during its many reincarnations since first opening in 1920. Many today can probably recall nights out at The Deck in the basement, the Townhouse or more recently, Screwy Louieās and Y2K.
Now, after more than 10 years of standing empty and gutted with its future uncertain, the Franklin Hotelās recent renovation and rebirth has reaffirmed its place in Ńż¼§Ö±²„ history as āthe Grand Old Lady of Main Street.ā
By the late 1980s, the once-lively venue fell into disrepair brought on by financial troubles of the buildingās owners. The city of Ńż¼§Ö±²„ condemned the building by 2000, and it would sit empty for more than a decade.
When developer Ron Burbick embarked on downtown Ńż¼§Ö±²„ās transformation in the mid 2000s, part of his renovation plans included the Franklin Hotel, which he purchased in 2012, to the delight of the city officials, historians and locals alike.
āAmong all the good things going on downtown, it was extremely important that this building be saved,ā says architect Doug
Fuller, ā73, whose Ńż¼§Ö±²„-based Fuller Design Group Architects firm redesigned not only the Franklin Hotel, but also Ńż¼§Ö±²„ās Acorn Alley I and II redevelopment. āTo lose it was to lose a piece of Ńż¼§Ö±²„ State history. The only reason that building was built there was because of the growth of the university. Itās part of Ńż¼§Ö±²„ history and part of studentsā history ā itās very important.ā
Indeed, the five-story Franklin Hotel was the hub of downtown activity when it was first built, with 50 guest rooms, a formal lobby, a ballroom and cafeteria, as well as a billiard parlor and barbershop. Many conventions were held there, as were civic association gatherings, university happenings and elite social events.
Nicknamed āThe Grand Old Lady of Main Street,ā the hotel was the tallest building in the city and a preferred place to stay due to its location away from the boarding houses, smoke and noise of the Water Street rail station.
According to Ńż¼§Ö±²„ lore, celebrities who stayed at the hotel over the years included federal agent Eliott Ness and bandleaders Guy Lombardo and Harry James. Amelia Earhart was rumored to have stayed there, as well, but local historians say they canāt verify that.
Flash forward to April 2013, when a grand opening was held to herald the renovation and the buildingās new tenants ā Buffalo Wild Wings restaurant, the Ńż¼§Ö±²„ Area Chamber of Commerce, a financial services firm and apartments on the top two floors. A jazz and wine bar is planned for the basement level later in 2013.
Not bad for a building that many feared would be felled by a wrecking ball. And so it seems the āGrand Old Ladyā has found the secret to a long life. She stared down the odds, she refused to crumble during tough times and found a way to stay vibrant and alive as the years roll on. Long may she live!