Proposed: Mechanical Vertical Parking, Inc parking facility: 81-97 Weybosset Street




DRC: http://www2.sec.state.ri.us/omfiling/pdffi.../2007/36244.pdf
Possibly the developer: http://www.g7mvp.com/

Can't say I'd oppose a garage there, seems to be a good location. I would not however want to see Orange Street closed down in this location if the garage is planning to span Orange. Also the garage needs to look good and have ground floor retail.

The name sounds like one of those automated lift jobs. We were just looking and joking about a brochure advertising a system like that the other day here at work.

Of course if you listen to people on the East Side parking garages are impossibly expensive to build, no one would ever be able to afford one and make it profitable. (IMG:http://www.urbanplanet.org/forums/style_emoticons/default/rolleyes.gif)

Is that one of the Paolino lots?

Just by the sound of it I don't have high hopes - but I would agree that retail is a MUST. The street already has one parking garage and with two you can forget about having life on the side of downtown. I would much rather see a building in that spot or a mix parking, office, retail.

It was a Paolino lot but I don't know if it was sold etc.

I'll second that. If it meets these conditions, I'd be all for a garage here. If nothing else, it would make development on all those surface lots more desirable.

It's way too early to speculate on what this might look like, but a mechanical lift garage wouldn't need acres of ramps. that would probably give the facade design more flexibility.

Ari do you know if Paolino sold this lot?

Let's walk before we run... ok? (IMG:http://www.urbanplanet.org/forums/style_emoticons/default/shades.gif)

Interesting... especially since there is the Arcade Garage across the street.

No he does not.

The current plan has no retail however the DRC indicated they wanted retail. The current "tower" is 150 feet, 200 or so car spots and if it DID haver retail it would be would be taller. No real design was shown but they hinted they wanted to try to blend in.

Obviously the project manager was pushing for no retail and no matter what retail they design into the parking tower (if they come back with a proposal) the way this lift system works it wont be full ground floor retail but rather spots that are 25 feet deep.

If the city down the road allows for no retail I think you can forget about that street ever having life/ foot traffic.

Popular Mechanics video of automated parking garage

That is really awesome, and I'd totally like that kind of uniqueness (at least for New England/USA) in this city.

But, I have to ask, doesn't it get really inefficient during peak hours when everyone is entering and/or leaving?

Not to mention scenarios where you might want to run back to your car and drop off some shopping bags.

I'll say it again--Providence seems obsessed with turning everything into a parking lot. It's hard to believe that a high tech parking contraption like this would ever be worth the investment here. NYC is one thing but Weybossett St.?

mechanical lift garages may add high costs over the years because its dependent upon maintainence of the lift to run through all weather conditions, wages and benefits for workers to run an advanced facility of its nature, and also insurance to cover liability of its use, etc etc... if the economy swings in any number of ways the business running the facility may choose to abandon it due to these changes. the bldg would then have a much more limited market for resale.

Is it too late to propose less use of cars downcity? I'd rather see fancy garages at the outskirts of the city and a downcity, predictably timed, transit loop.

AMEN! We've got to get out of the suburban mindset that assumes all parking must be within 50 ft. of one's destination and cost nothing.

Strong second to the AMEN. Perhaps this will be addressed when the Mayor's Transit 2020 Working Group releases their report on March 12th.

This is back before DRC: