Painting the Town Blu
The corner of Market and Main streets is getting a little more blue. Across the street from Blu Jazz club and Blu Plate restaurant, developer Tony Troppe is creating a trifecta of the cool color with Blu-tique. The 72-room boutique hotel is set to open this August in the 1920s United Building that originally housed a cigar company. He sees the project as more than just uniting similar businesses — it’s strengthening the entire surrounding Historic Arts District.
“It’s not just building redevelopment; it’s district redevelopment,” he says.
Planned amenities include a rooftop deck, a piano and tapas lounge, and aesthetics that evoke a midcentury modern vibe.
“You might feel like you’re walking onto a ‘Mad Men’ set,” he says. A big part of that is artwork from a collection that Rick Rogers — founder of the Curated Storefront public arts project — has been amassing since he was 12 years old.
The point of the $10 million project, which received historic preservation tax credits, is to accommodate visitors looking to enjoy great jazz musicians, as well as other hip spots like the Akron Art Museum, Musica, Uncorked Wine Bar and more.
“This is not your grandmother’s Akron. This is a city of the future,” Troppe says. “People from around the country are starting to discover Akron’s cool.”
1 S. Main St., 330-252-1190,