A VISION FOR PROVIDENCE

[CtownMikey]

acrosse the street was also where gillete stadium had once considered being built at.. or was it another stadium?? It was a while ago, but i do remmeber a huge proposal being set there.

[Frankie811]

acrosse the street was also where gillete stadium had once considered being built at.. or was it another stadium?? It was a while ago, but i do remmeber a huge proposal being set there.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

No, the patriots NEVER considered moving there. A man, one single man gave the Cranston Herald the ridicious idea that the area was being cleared out for a stadium and they bought it, hook, line and sinker. And I know the guy because I work with him. He was obsessed with the idea of the Pats moving there.

[TheAnk]

No offense.. But what was so special about that gas station? It was an eyesore.. Just because something is old (and in this case octagonal), doesn't mean it is of historic value.. It was out of place, poorly planned, and ruined the flow, or what is left of it after Rt 95, from Fed Hill to Downtown..

There is a fine line between historic and eyesore.. And in my opinion, if the building cannot be used currently, or adapitevly reuseable (if that is a word), then tear it down, and move on.. With a new landmark..

[Frankie811]

No offense.. But what was so special about that gas station? It was an eyesore.. Just because something is old (and in this case octagonal), doesn't mean it is of historic value.. It was out of place, poorly planned, and ruined the flow, or what is left of it after Rt 95, from Fed Hill to Downtown..

There is a fine line between historic and eyesore.. And in my opinion, if the building cannot be used currently, or adapitevly reuseable (if that is a word), then tear it down, and move on.. With a new landmark..

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I totally agree with you on this. But try and get people around here to agree to it. People here, especially old people, like to be able to drive by and point to places where they use to do this and they use to do that. Yeah, that's where I use to go for ice cream! Yeah that's where I went on my 1st date. Ya can't save every old building. Nobody said boo when they tore down the old cold storage building to make way for the Jefferson Apts. I say either rehab the old farmer's market or tear it down. It's an eyesore! It's been set on fire 3 times now and poses a threat to firefighters.

[TheAnk]

I think I said this here before, but I think a Fanuiel Hall type place @ the farmer's market using the current building would be ideal.. It would stretch down city to the Promenade, and the use works perfectly and historically with the building..

I actually emailed Carpionato with the idea.. Like an Epcot Center of Prov representing all the cultures' cuisine...

No response.. I bet they just steal the idea...

Regarding historic buildings.. Old people can say the same stuff, just using "There 'used to' be a building there" etc, etc..

I never understood the outrage over teardowns.. It is almost ALWAYS more economically feasible to keep the building.. The only reason teardowns happen is cause they are no longer feasible.. But people come out of the wood work to save these places.. Never got that.. You know a historic building when you see one... a 1950s era gas station, is DECIDEDLY not historical..

[Frankie811]

Well, I love the masonic temple building that's now being converted to a hotel, but if you notice they've completely gutted the inside and totally removed the roof and back side of the building. What's left? Just 3 sides. This will be an almost completely new building at a cost of over $ 80 million. What would a new hotel have cost? Probably $65 million. But it is/was a beautiful building which should have been saved.

[TheAnk]

Well, I love the masonic temple building that's now being converted to a hotel, but if you notice they've completely gutted the inside and totally removed the roof and back side of the building. What's left? Just 3 sides. This will be an almost completely new building at a cost of over $ 80 million. What would a new hotel have cost? Probably $65 million. But it is/was a beautiful building which should have been saved.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Pretty sure the tax break generously even that disparity out.. Or it would have never happened.. Yeah I park at the mall every day and commute to Boston..

A lot of progress.. A lot of work to preserve those three walls..

[Recchia]

Pretty sure the tax break generously even that disparity out.. Or it would have never happened.. Yeah I park at the mall every day and commute to Boston..

A lot of progress.. A lot of work to preserve those three walls..

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Don't pay to park at the mall, park on Capitol Hill, the lot behind DOH has the gate up all day for "visitors."

[EPBOY]

I totally agree with you on this. But try and get people around here to agree to it. People here, especially old people, like to be able to drive by and point to places where they use to do this and they use to do that. Yeah, that's where I use to go for ice cream! Yeah that's where I went on my 1st date. Ya can't save every old building. Nobody said boo when they tore down the old cold storage building to make way for the Jefferson Apts. I say either rehab the old farmer's market or tear it down. It's an eyesore! It's been set on fire 3 times now and poses a threat to firefighters.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I totally agree about the gas station, and always thought of it as an eyesore. I never mentioned it for fear of having my head handed to me! My only issue with the gas station was the speed and secrecy with which it was done.

Anyway... now that it's out in the open, I'm glad the gas station is gone b/c it will benefit the whole area with the addition to the Hiliday Inn/Hiltion.

Frankie... you make an excellent point about Rhode Islanders. When a stranger asks for directions they get something like, go down to where the Almacs use to be and take a left... etc etc...

[Cotuit]

Talk about short notice:

Date: June 14th, 2005

For Immediate Release

Contact: Karen Southern, Press Secretary

(401) 421-2489 x 752

[email protected]

MEDIA ADVISORY

SASAKI ASSOCIATES TO PRESENT REVISED "VISION FOR PROVIDENCE 2020" AT COMMUNITY FORUMS

Revisions to framework for future economic development based on community feedback

Providence - Mayor David N. Cicilline announced today that the architectural and urban design firm Sasaki Associates is returning to Providence to present changes to the "Vision for Providence 2020" based on further analysis and feedback from the community forums held in May.

Sasaki Associates will present revisions to the public at two community forums:

Wednesday, June 15th

6:00 p.m.

Bridgham Middle School cafeteria

1655 Westminster Street

Thursday, June 16th

6:00 p.m.

West Broadway Elementary School cafeteria

29 Bainbridge Ave.

ProvidenceRI.com

I have another meeting to go to tomorrow, but I'll be at the Thursday meeting.

[glassandsteel]

Damn! That is short notice. I can't make it to these. Take notes and pictures!

[TheAnk]

Don't pay to park at the mall, park on Capitol Hill, the lot behind DOH has the gate up all day for "visitors."

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Get out of here.. Any chance of getting towed??

[Recchia]

Get out of here.. Any chance of getting towed??

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I haven't had a problem yet..not sure about weekends though, but its probly fine then too.

[provid]

Nor can I make it. I'll be interested to see what you guys post ( who can attend )

[EPBOY]

Don't pay to park at the mall, park on Capitol Hill, the lot behind DOH has the gate up all day for "visitors."

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

It doesn't bug me to pay $1 for 3 hours. What bugs me is that the garage REALLY needs to do something to upgrade the ventilation system. It literally stinks while your sitting in line waiting to get out. The exhaust fumes are aweful at times.

[TheAnk]

It doesn't bug me to pay $1 for 3 hours.  What bugs me is that  the garage REALLY needs to do something to upgrade the ventilation system.  It literally stinks while your sitting in line waiting to get out.  The exhaust fumes are aweful at times.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I commute to Boston everyday.. So you can buy a monthly pass for $115.. Paying to park 1.5 miles from my home kills me..

Maybe if there was a better RIPTA route from RIC...

[Frankie811]

http://www.projo.com/metro/content/projo_2...16.239ca47.html

[Garris]

"The changes include reduced building heights along the waterfront..."

- Garris

[Frankie811]

http://www.projo.com/metro/content/projo_2...17.2467469.html

[Recchia]

http://www.projo.com/metro/content/projo_2...17.2467469.html

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

'"There's just not enough green," said Virginia L. Branch, who lives on the West Side. "Maybe I'm just delusional. When I heard the highway was going away, I envisioned more green space."'

Then why don't you move to Foster. There's a huge string of connected parks proposed right? That isn't enough???

"Janet Keller, who lives on Willow Street in the West End, said the highway already cuts off the western neighborhoods, and tall buildings would make it worse."

What is she talking about?? A tall building would conceal the highway, not make the view worse.

"Redesign Dean Street so it does not feel like a highway."----good to see they're thinkin about that.

[scdavies1]

I was at the meeting last night, and I think you may be taking the comments people made a little out of context ...

While I happen to feel that taller buildings along the highway could be a good thing -- making the distance over the highway feel smaller, etc. -- I think Janet Keller explained that she lived in Providence when they destroyed neighborhoods by ramming 95 through the center of the city. And she expressed her concern that the tall builsings could exacerbate that. Many West Side people feel that way because we are so sensitive to the impact of 95. Again, I happen to feel that the taller buildings could be a good thing, but there is a context here.

Also, with regards to green space, Virginia Branch's comments really arose out of the fact that the park size was actually reduced. A 5 acre park is pretty damn small, when you're talking about a focus point along the waterfront, and the plans last round had a bigger one. She was shocked that someone would have actually asked for a smaller park (as am I). But Sasaki did a good job explaining that the part of the park that was reduced was reduced because it is under private ownership and aparently the owner sounds ready to develop sooner rather than later, so they did not want to stymie that.

I was disappointed that they postponed the extension of Westminster Street until the third "phase" of the project (13 to 20 years out). That seems like such an important part of the downtown development, not just the west side neighborhood development.

[provid]

Yeah these people are just plain numb.

[Cotuit]

'"There's just not enough green," said Virginia L. Branch, who lives on the West Side. "Maybe I'm just delusional. When I heard the highway was going away, I envisioned more green space."'

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

She wasn't quite as nutters as the quote makes her sound. She wasn't calling for the entirety of the 195 land to be parks (as was suggested at the last sessions). Rather she and several other people were hoping that Providence would get a large downtown civic space (think Millenium Park in Chicago or a much much much smaller Central Park or Boston Common). The Fox Pointers were trying to point out that India Point served that purpose (and they were really excited about having more parking down there ). Ms. Branch and others were contending (rightly in my opinion) that India Point is too far away from Downcity to serve as the main civic gathering area for the city, and that the proposed 5 acres at Ship Street Landing would not be enough.

What I got out of this meeting is a burning desire to build a litteral wall of 80 story towers along the entire India Point Waterfront. I hate these Fox Pointers so much. They don't have a brain in their heads. India Point is a neighbourhood park, it's a large and wonderful public place, but it's not an ammenity for the entire city. It's off in a far corner of the city, separated by the highway, and cut off from Downcity by the river. There's a big city out there that is far removed from India Point. The entire city (and much of the state) is within one bus ride of Kennedy Plaza, and Ship Street Landing is well within the 10-minute walk zone from Kennedy Plaza. India Point is well outside that 10-minute walk zone, forcing people onto another bus to get there. There's also a huge number of residents within Downcity and ringing Downcity who are in a 10-15-minute walk zone of Ship Street Landing. It's only the selfish Fox Pointers who can walk to India Point. They're all excited about parking lots and parking structures at India Point. What happens when we try to have an event that attracts 20,000 people, do they want us all parking down there?

The Fox Pointers said events could take place there. But when was the last time that someone proposed an event at India Point that the Fox Pointers didn't come out in force to vehemently oppose? They want the city to create this vast open space for them, then they lobby to keep the rest of us out.

And the fact is, INDIA/FOX'S POINT WILL BE BETTER WITH MODERATELY TALL BUILDINGS SHEILDING IT FROM THE HIGHWAY!!!!!!!!!!

[scdavies1]

Thank you for explaining the Ship Street park discussion much better than I did! And yeah, those Fox Point people need to keep quiet for a change. I was thinking I would just write to Sasaki and let them know that they don't speak for all of us ...

[Cotuit]

I was disappointed that they postponed the extension of Westminster Street until the third "phase" of the project (13 to 20 years out).  That seems like such an important part of the downtown development, not just the west side neighborhood development.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

They really dropped the ball on that. That is the single most important thing we can do to fix Downcity and reconnect the West Side. When Duany was here he said it was very much doable, and could and should be done ASAP. The archdiosese apparently was eager to unload the auditorium, and there seemed to be a way for them to do a land swap with the city so that they could build a new auditorium. Tearing the auditorium down and re-opening the street can and should be done RIGHT NOW!

As for Duany's other far reaching visions for the area, such as filling in the arcades along the Cathedral Square buildings with store fronts and building the structure on the Westminster Bridge. That all is more expensive and perhaps will take more years to realize. But at the very least, we can be working on getting the street reopened now. On the bridge we can get rid of the superfluous lane and widen the sidewalks and do minimal landscaping and lighting improvements ahead of building the structure on it.