Delay at Acorn Corner Due in Part to Historic Windows, Elevator

The reopening of Acorn Corner, after decades of vacancy, may not happen before the end of the year as its developer had hoped.

Ron Burbick, the developer restoring what has been known as the old Kent hotel for almost 40 years, said Friday the new businesses and offices coming into the building may not open until some time between January and April of 2013.

"We hope to have some things open prior to that," Burbick said. "(The) date is being worked on."

In , Burbick told Kent Patch he hoped to open much of the building as early as possible, and that included possibly having some tenants operating by this fall.

But there's been a delay in getting historic windows for the building and in building the new elevator, which will be located in a new elevator shaft built on the south end of the structure.

The five-story building will be occupied by:

• Basement - and storage for
• First floor - Buffalo Wild Wings kitchen and bar
• Second floor and mezzanine - Buffalo Wild Wings family dining tables
• Third floor - , and a community conference room
• Fourth floor - , Inc. will administer five transitional apartments about 600 square feet each for veterans
• Fifth floor- two 1,500 square feet or three 1,000 square feet luxury rental apartments.

Burbick said some of the tenants could open between January and April.

"Depending on how everything falls into place and how cooperative everyone is," he said.

Thursday, Kent Economic Development Director Dan Smith told members of the at a luncheon that the building wouldn't reopen until March.

That was tentative, Burbick said. He added that he didn't make a public announcement about any delays because the reopening dates of individual tenants are so fluid.

"Things are in flux," Burbick said.