Providence Development News

[BostonSkyGuy]

There wasn't anything on Providence here and people were curious as to what is going on so I figured I'd post a little of what I know. I'm no expert on the city but I thought Providence should be represented. If anyone wants to add, it would be appreciated.

Most of credit goes to Smuttynose26 from the ArchBoston forums for his intial posting of most of this stuff there.

One Ten Westminster

A 35 story, 520 foot new skyscraper under construction in the city's financial district. Once completed this will be the tallest building in Rhode Island. The building will house luxury condominiums.One interesting feature is the historic brick facade on one side of the building. The city is making the developers preserve the facade and 20 feet back of two historic brick buildings that currently stand on the site (notice in the first picture). The developers are incorporating this into the building, and placing an outdoor garden on the roof of them. Another side of the building will open into the Arcade, the nation's oldest indoor mall. It's being labeled "At 520-ft., the tallest building in the smallest state"








Waterplace Towers

Two towers, one 19 stories and the other 17 stories, this project is under construction and will mainly house condos, with retail and restaurants on the ground level. This project is located directly on the waterfront.





Westin Hotel and Condo Tower

This new 30 story building will dwarf the current Westin Hotel. Located near the mall and convention center and attached to the current Westin, the structure will feature retail, additional Westin hotel rooms, and condominiums on the upper 15 floors. It is already under construction.





New GTECH Headquarters

Located directly on the river, across from the mall, this nearly complete structure will house the new world headquarters of GTECH, as well as restaurants and retail on the ground levels. It's almost finished.





Belmonte Castello

A 10 story, 43 unit building planned for Providence's Federal Hill/Italian District. Demolition work has already been completed, no new constuction yet. This project has caused particular controversy in Prov because it is significantly taller than any other building in this intimate neighborhood.

[bayviews]

Great pictures. Providence has really become a national model of how a relatively small, compact city can make a comeback!

[ROCguy]

You took the words out of my mouth (or rather off of my fingertips). Providence should give all other cities hope. Great to see it's renessaince is still going strong.

[blangjr21]

I would enjoy a trip to providence, maybe catch a game at the Dunkin Dougnuts Center, or take a trip to that fire on water type thing. A very good model on downtown rebirth that many cities in this country will try to copy...as well they should.

[BostonSkyGuy]

A Baltimore-based developer unveiled plans today for an enormous multi structure mixed-use development - essentially a new neighborhood- out of an old industrial area along the Woonasquatucket River in Providence. The development, which includes extensive residential, office, and retail space as well as a hotel, is the largest of its kind planned for Providence since the Providence Place Mall was built 9 years ago.

Cost: $333 Million
Size: 2.3 million square feet
26 Historic buildings, mostly mills Renovated, 1.2 million square feet of New Construction



From the Providence Journal

Reveloping Providence: 'New neighborhood' unveiled
Developer Struever Bros., Eccles & Rouse plans to refurbish 26 historic buildings along the Woonasquatucket River -- a $333-million project that will feature condos, townhouses and retail and office space.

09:14 AM EST on Wednesday, March 8, 2006
BY CATHLEEN F. CROWLEY
Journal Staff Writer

PROVIDENCE -- A Baltimore-based developer plans to transform a string of mill buildings along the Woonasquatucket River into a $333-million neighborhood. Dubbed the American Locomotive Works, it is the largest single investment in Providence since the Providence Place mall.

With today's announcement, developers Struever Bros., Eccles & Rouse continue their march down Valley Street and increase their stake in Rhode Island.

Struever's first Valley Street project, the Rising Sun Mills, is marked by a glitzy sign with 9-foot high illuminated letters. The company also is developing The Plant on Valley Street and Royal Mills at Riverpoint in West Warwick. The firm's total investment in Rhode Island is a half-billion dollars, not including its proposed $138-million project to develop the Heritage Harbor Museum at the former Narragansett Electric Co. power plant in Providence.

At a news conference today with Governor Carcieri and Mayor David N. Cicilline, the company plans to announce its intentions to refurbish 26 historic buildings on the former U.S. Rubber, American Locomotive Works and Nicholson File sites. The project also includes 380,000 square feet of new construction.

Struever has partnered with Rhode Island's prominent Licht family, which controls most of the land for the project. The developers plan to use historic tax credits and seek $41 million in public subsidies for infrastructure improvements.

The sprawling campus encompasses 22.5 acres -- possibly 7 more acres if Struever successfully negotiates deals with several holdout property owners. The project covers roughly the area of 17 football fields.

The proposed American Locomotive Works would include 600 condominiums, townhouses and apartments, as well as office, retail space and a hotel. The developer hopes to build two parking garages and a river walk along the Woonasquatucket with public assistance.

"We want to create a place where people feel comfortable driving through and we want to reconnect people to Olneyville." said Bernd Brandle, senior development director of Struever Bros. "Essentially, we are building an entirely new neighborhood."

"This is no longer the backyard where they just unload trains," said John Sinnott, also a senior development director at Struever.

Cicilline said the project fits squarely with his vision for the city.

"We are connecting neighborhoods to downtown, restoring our beautiful rivers and making the city more livable and a model of cities everywhere," Cicilline said.

Struever plans to fill the first floors of the Valley Street buildings with retail, and wrap the parking garages within a shell of condominiums to hide the parking structures. An estimated 2,000 parking spaces will be created.

In all, the ALCO development will consist of 2 million square feet of space, of which 1.2 million is new construction; 350,000 square feet will be dedicated to office space (more than the new GTECH headquarters and the American Express building combined) and 100,000 square feet will be retail space.

About half the residential units will be rental. Struever is aiming for midmarket prices, Brandle said.

Struever expects to use $30 million in state historic tax credits and $29 million in federal credits to help finance the project.

The developers are also seeking $41 million in a tax increment financing bond to pay for the parking garages, internal roads, a river walk and bridge work over the Woonasquatucket. A TIF would use the anticipated tax revenue from the project to pay for the infrastructure improvements.

Cicilline has said that he won't consider a TIF for the ALCO project until the city moves forward with the proposed TIF for the downtown area.

ALCO IS LOCATED a few blocks from the Eagle Square Commons, a $36-million, 13.5-acre development completed in 2004 that includes a Shaw's Supermarket, fast-food restaurants, offices and a Staples store. It was developed by Gene Beaudoin and Barry Feldman.

Struever's Rising Sun Mills, a $69-million project with 135 residential units and 138,000 square feet of office space is down the road at 166 Valley St. Rising Sun's apartments are 95 percent occupied and only 20,000 square feet of commercial space remains unused.

The bulk of Struever's ALCO initiative is boxed in by Valley, Eagle, and Hemlock streets and the river. A later phase will jump across the river to the Nicholson File site on Kinsley Avenue.

The former manufacturing sites are on the National Register of Historic Places. Disheveled brick buildings dot the project area as well as a few metal shed-style structures. Steel beams owned by Capco Steel litter the site. Capco rents space there for storage.

The metal buildings will be torn down, but the brick ones will remain.

The buildings are occupied by a medley of small businesses and craftspeople. Over the past several days, more than 30 tenants at the U.S. Rubber site received notice that they must vacate. Some have leases that give them a year, while others have been renting on a month-to-month basis.

Struever and Licht Properties have created a relocation-assistance plan that includes some financial help and referrals to real-estate brokers and contractors.

Struever has pledged to put 2 percent of its construction costs toward affordable housing, small-business development, local schools and supporting local artists.

The project represents the largest single investment in the capital city since the Providence Place mall was built for $450 million, opening in 1999.

THE OLDEST BUILDING on the ALCO site was built in 1885 for the Rhode Island Locomotive Works, which eventually was purchased by American Locomotive Works. At one point, the company contracted with a French firm to build the luxury Berliet automobile. Struever hopes to resurrect a test track that circled the building and create a pedestrian path.

The complex was sold to a rubber manufacturer in 1896 and eventually became U.S. Rubber Co., which made military balloons during World War I and golf balls, bath caps and tires. During World War II, the company employed 3,200 people. Licht Properties bought it in 1975.

Licht bought the Nicholson File Co. mill complex in 1960. The first building on that site was built in 1865 and grew as the company became the most successful maker of machine-made files, at one point employing 1,200 people in 1916. It closed in 1958.

According to documents that Struever filed with the Rhode Island Economic Development Corp., the cost to acquire the properties is $21.7 million. Most of the land is owned by the Licht family. Struever is still negotiating for several parcels including Precision Instruments and a Capital Records warehouse on the U.S. Rubber site, and a portion of the Nicholson File complex that is owned by Capco Steel.

[Cotuit]

OneTen Westminster has switched from a steel to a concrete construction method which will allow the building to be 39 floors (40-stories minus 13). It will still be 520 feet to the spire.

Here's a demolition photo:


At Waterplace the tower cranes are being erected:


Work is well underway at the Westin:

[MasonsInquiries]

Wonderful tower I must say. You guys should've had a "Providence Development Thread" LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONG time ago. jmancuso needs to put a sticky on this thread ASAP. It's been long overdue. Beautiful city indeed.

[ROCguy]

in-deed^

[wada_guy]

Originally Posted by BostonSkyGuy

A Baltimore-based developer unveiled plans today for an enormous multi structure mixed-use development - essentially a new neighborhood- out of an old industrial area along the Woonasquatucket River in Providence. The development, which includes extensive residential, office, and retail space as well as a hotel, is the largest of its kind planned for Providence since the Providence Place Mall was built 9 years ago.

This is great news for you guys. This company builds what they say they will. Here is a link to their web site which shows many of the projects they have completed around the country.

http://www.sber.com/developing/default.asp

They were awarded a huge project in Baltimore today which will consist of 1.2 Million square feet of offices, 575,000 sq. feet of retail, and 3,200 residences at a total cost of $800,000,000!

http://www.baltimoresun.com/business...ness-headlines

They have done a tremendous amount of development down here and I am not aware of any project that they have started that has not been completed. The project they do in Providence will do wonders for your all ready nice city. You are lucky to have them as a partner.

(P.S. I don't work for or have any ties to them) LOL!

[TampaMike]

I didn't even notice how Providence was growing. Never came to thought that Providence could have a good skyline, but prove me wrong. And nice projects by the way. I like the 1 one and that new neighborhood thing, I like the little river going trough. Great thread thread starter and thanks jmancuso for making this a sticky

[BostonSkyGuy]

Thanks to Smuttynose26 for posting this on the Arch Boston Forum


Rhode Island is undertaking an interesting Big Dig-esque kind of project in Providence, relocating Interstate 195 as it moves through the city. This segment of the highway will be completely reconstructed so that it links up with I-95 further South past the Hurricane Barrier opening up more of the downtown and linking the Jewelry Dist. with Downcity. The old 195 and all its onramps will be demolished opening up a 'new neighborhood' to redevelopment. A new I-195 over the Providence River is kind of the signature component of the project. It's already well under construction and should be completed in 2012.

Map - the arrow (and light brown and blue) shows the current route of the highway - and the red shows the new route.




The orange shows all the property that will become available for redevelopment once the old highway is demolished.



New I-195 bridge



This link is a video by the Rhode Island Dept. of Transportation that show the new highway and show how the area will change once the project is complete.

http://www.dot.state.ri.us/projects/...ction/195relo/

[Cotuit]

Originally Posted by wada_guy

They have done a tremendous amount of development down here and I am not aware of any project that they have started that has not been completed. The project they do in Providence will do wonders for your all ready nice city. You are lucky to have them as a partner.

SBER have already completed a mill conversion project in Providence called Rising Sun, it's not far from the new ALCO project. They are also partnering in a mill conversion called The Plant. They also have a proposal to refurbish an old electrical station in the Jewelry District.

We have at least 4 mid-to-high rise projects ready to be announced in the next few months, and likely more.

Here's another crane photo from Waterplace:



And a close up of GTECH:

[BostonSkyGuy]

There's a new website for the One Ten Providence tower. You can see the views it offers as well as some renderings of all sites of it, etc. It's a pretty good site.

www.onetenprov.com

[Cotuit]

Steel is rising at the Waterplace towers:



Official groundbreaking for OneTen Westminster is set at the end of this month or early August, though prep work has already begun.

[MasonsInquiries]

Originally Posted by BostonSkyGuy

There wasn't anything on Providence here and people were curious as to what is going on so I figured I'd post a little of what I know. I'm no expert on the city but I thought Providence should be represented. If anyone wants to add, it would be appreciated.

Most of credit goes to Smuttynose26 from the ArchBoston forums for his intial posting of most of this stuff there.

One Ten Westminster

A 35 story, 520 foot new skyscraper under construction in the city's financial district. Once completed this will be the tallest building in Rhode Island. The building will house luxury condominiums.One interesting feature is the historic brick facade on one side of the building. The city is making the developers preserve the facade and 20 feet back of two historic brick buildings that currently stand on the site (notice in the first picture). The developers are incorporating this into the building, and placing an outdoor garden on the roof of them. Another side of the building will open into the Arcade, the nation's oldest indoor mall. It's being labeled "At 520-ft., the tallest building in the smallest state"

i really can't wait to see this project once it's finished. the city of providence is really in for a MAJOR treat.

[Cotuit]

Empire at Broadway was announced a couple weeks ago. 340 foot office tower with municipal parking garage and ground floor retail in LaSalle Square to be completed by 2010.

Early rendering:


Location now:


This is the old public safety building and will come down to make way for the new tower.

[sargeantcm]

WaterFire brings magic to Providence rivers

Thursday, July 20, 2006; Posted: 10:46 a.m. EDT (14:46 GMT)

PROVIDENCE, Rhode Island (AP) -- A shirtless man spinning flaming chains stands on a long, narrow platform in the middle of the Providence River.

He reaches up to ignite a stack of wood in a brazier above his head, and as the flames catch, he walks along the platform. Then he swings himself deftly around a concrete pillar, somehow avoiding a plunge into the water below, and repeats the process until a line of braziers sends sparks into the air.

So begins WaterFire, the free public arts event held several times a month between May and October, drawing 40,000 to 60,000 people each time. Its marriage of fire, water, music and performance has become one of the most popular arts events in New England since the first fire was lit more than 10 years ago.

The fires are built in braziers, metal pans that hold the burning logs, and set up along three rivers in downtown Providence for two-thirds of a mile. The event starts at sunset with the lighting of the fires and runs until after midnight, giving this New England city a Venice-style feel.

As the fires burn, music plays from speakers mounted on walls along the river, giving the sense that, like the fire, it emanates from the water. The eclectic selection of songs sometimes sounds dreamlike, other times tribal. A song by Malian guitarist and singer Ali Farka Toure segues into Bach. Traditional Cuban and Norwegian folk songs mix with Leonard Cohen.

Maria Barnes, 70, and Ralph Sopkin, 80, of Palm Beach, Florida, happened upon WaterFire while they were in town to visit friends. They heard the music and were drawn to the river, Barnes said.

"We're very much taken by the whole thing," she said.

Volunteer fire stokers dressed in black feed the flames all night from boats bearing names like "Prometheus" -- the mythological Greek god who gave fire to humans.

Josh Greenberg and Kim Walter, both 32, of Providence, sat watching the fires on a granite stoop next to the river.

"It's an amazingly peaceful thing," Greenberg said.

It was Walter's first time at WaterFire, and both she and Greenberg were struck that in the middle of tens of thousands of people, an air of calm prevailed. The frenzied pace of commerce is also missing, they said.

"There's a corporate sponsor, but it's not in your face," Greenberg said.

You will not see street vendors hawking their wares at WaterFire, and the handful of food and drink vendors are a bit different than what you might find at a typical summer festival. Many of the food stands feature regional specialties such as grilled pizza, littleneck clams on the half shell or Rhode Island-style clam chowder, which is made with a clear broth rather than cream like New England clam chowder.

Affordable fun

WaterFire is family friendly, and there's plenty to do for children, but that doesn't mean the adults can't enjoy a glass of wine or beer while strolling the cobblestone pathways along the river. The low-key nature of WaterFire means it never seems like there's a danger of the crowd getting too rowdy.

The prices are also a bit lower than you'll find at other summer events. A can of soda from one of the food vendors costs a reasonable $1. With free admission, it adds up to a relatively inexpensive night on the town.

"This is the cheapest way of getting all kinds of people together," said Khalil Zadeh, 53, a microbiologist from Shelton, Connecticut, who came with his family and friends.

If you're willing to spend a bit more, it's possible to book a seat on a boat, or even a gondola, to glide past the fires at closer distance. Thirty-minute boat rides cost $10, while gondolas cost more.

WaterFire is often credited with being part of a renaissance in Providence, a once down-and-out city that's seen a resurgence in recent years. The rivers, once covered up by roadways, were opened up several years ago, and WaterFire has become a sign of the city's full reclaiming of the waterways.

WaterFire was started as a single night in 1994 by artist Barnaby Evans, who says the event is a way to slow down and enjoy the details of life. It soon expanded to several times a year, mostly in summer. It was scheduled 17 times in the 2006 season, although some have been rained out.

Dotted along the banks of the rivers are performers and artists. One man silently folds origami and hands paper cranes out to children. People dressed as gargoyles and oracles stand watch over the proceedings. A sad, green mermaid looks out of sorts.

Watching the depressed mermaid are Faith and Steve Powers, and their son, Sean, 13, of Union, Connecticut. They have been to WaterFire three times and said they loved the music and the laid-back feeling of the crowd.

"It's really relaxed. They're enjoying themselves. We're not spending a lot of money," Steve Powers said.

Bands also perform live in stages set up near the rivers. The evening often features an outdoor jazz stage, and performances are also held in the auditorium of the Rhode Island School of Design, which sits in the middle of the WaterFire route. Some WaterFire nights feature dancing, and dance lessons if you want to brush up on your Tango or Swing dancing.

Lisa and Ohad Ziv walked to WaterFire from their home in a nearby neighborhood in Providence with their 4-month-old baby Taye. The couple, who is originally from New York, often come to WaterFire, and say it has a "big city feel with that small town flavor."

"In New York City," Lisa Ziv said, "You'd get lost in something like this."

IF YOU GO ...
Waterfire: Providence, R.I.; http://www.waterfire.org. Held several times a month, May-October. Remaining scheduled events this year are July 29; Aug. 12 and 26; Sept. 2, 9, 16, 23, 26; and Oct. 7 and 21. The event is free, although some splurge on a gondola ride, which costs $79 for two people and can be booked ahead at http://www.gondolari.com. Boat rides, which cost $10 per person, can also be booked ahead through the Providence River Boat Company, 401-580-2628.

Getting there: Take I-95 to downtown Providence, exit 22A, Memorial Boulevard. WaterFire runs on the rivers to the left of Memorial Boulevard. Parking can be tricky on the street, but there are plenty of garages, including a large one at the Providence Place Mall. Providence is 40 miles south of Boston and 150 miles east of New York City.

[JAB323]

Some great projects, but

[wheelingman]

The amount of development in Providence is amazing.

[gregrc75]

Go to
http://www.procgroup.com/webcam.html
for a live webcam view