Providence Projects v2.1

[Cotuit]

Has this been posted already? Not a lot that I haven't heard of through UP, but a lot of renderings that I haven't seen before.

http://www.providenceri.com/vision/A%20Vis...0Providence.pdf

I'm actually reading through this now, and came across this nugget:

included in the statewide Transportation Improvement Program: downtown sidewalk improvements, additional funding for Downtown circulation improvements, traffic signal coordination on Broad Street and Broadway and study of the reuse of the I-195 piers to support a bicycle and pedestrian bridge.

Especially interesting is the proposal to reuse the Providence River Bridge piers. I've heard unofficial proposals for this, but this is the first time I've heard that it is being officially considered. Seems if they are in good enough shape below the water line, they should be reused, it would probably be cheaper than constructing a new bridge.

[Cotuit]

I was in Inman Square this past weekend, and really, it's no nicer than Federal Hill or many of Providence's neighborhoods.

I spent a lot of time in Inman Square in my past life, and I find it to be a really good and often forgotten area of Cambridge. It's not much of a destination, but is a really good place to live. I see it as kind of a model for areas of South Providence. South Providence should (and will) become a strong residential area for the city with just the right retail and services to support it's residents, but never really a place where visitors to the city go (maybe a few restaurants and speciality shops will draw people the way some people are drawn to Inman Square).

Another nugget:

In 2006, the Parks Department will commence work on a new parks master plan to guide future investment.

I liked Alix Ogden's wish for better soccer facilities she put forth at the last forum meet.

[basachs]

I dont have a problem with soccer facilities if it is added after making sure there is enough budget to clean the parks, maintain the lights and plant grass where the current grass has become scraggly. Soccer facilities should seriously be one of the last things the parks department invests in. How about maintaining what you have already!

[brick]

I dont have a problem with soccer facilities if it is added after making sure there is enough budget to clean the parks, maintain the lights and plant grass where the current grass has become scraggly. Soccer facilities should seriously be one of the last things the parks department invests in. How about maintaining what you have already!

this may be true, but I bet if you actually surveryed the residents of the city and especially those that actually use the parks, soccer would be pretty highon their priority list. If you look around the city at the various fields, they are basically in use on the weekends from April through October.

[Cotuit]

She brought up the soccer after Garris asked what she would do with a magical extra x million dollars. Though I do think it is a valid priority. Part of the parks issue is getting people to use them. They won't become (continue to be) so trashed and decrepit if there are actually people who care about them in the parks using them.

[gregw]

She brought up the soccer after Garris asked what she would do with a magical extra x million dollars. Though I do think it is a valid priority. Part of the parks issue is getting people to use them. They won't become (continue to be) so trashed and decrepit if there are actually people who care about them in the parks using them.

Totally agree. Soccer is a great way for people to use their local parks and feel a sense of ownership about them. One of the good things about India Point are the soccer games that bring big crowds. Soccer and other community uses helps to keep parks from becoming havens for drug dealers and prostitutes.

[basachs]

Hmm. I do actually use a park. I use the park four or five times day walking my dog. Now I can only speak for Dexter Park as that is the park I use.

But, a lot of people actually use the park in this way too. I pick up after my dog, and a lot of other people. In fact I bought a pair of gloves expressly for this purpose. I am a one main chain gang, picking up litter.

Obviously I feel a sense of ownership for the park. My dog loves it and so do I. And I dont need soccer fields to feel this way. A lot of people walk their dog in Dexter Park and almost all of them pick up after themselves and pick up other people's litter.

Soccer is also played in the park during the warm months with makeshifts goals made by the players. They almost never pick up after themselves. T-shirts, gatorade bottles and other stuff is routinely left. Plus, the area where they play is totally worn down to the dirt. I highly doubt that making a real field is going to magically change they way a lot of the soccer player's treat their park. Trash will just be left on nicer fields.

Dexter park also has a nice playground, used everyday by neighborhood kids. The kids and their parents pick up better than the soccer player's. They care about their playground.

Nothing in the park is maintained properly by the city. Yet there are groups of users who care enough to maintain it for themselves and others. There are also a group of users who do not. Rewarding them with better fields is fine, maybe they will care more. But the people who do use the park and care about it should be rewarded with a better maintained playground and a nice dog park once the legalities are worked out before putting up soccer fields.

Alright, rant over.

[Cotuit]

Just as there are soccer players who may not clean up after themselves, there are also dog owners who are guilty of the same, I've seen the proof.

[basachs]

Just as there are soccer players who may not clean up after themselves, there are also dog owners who are guilty of the same, I've seen the proof.

Thats why I said almost all. I still stand by my opinion. Just as you have seen the proof of dog walkers who do not pick up after their dogs, I have never seen the proof that soccer player's pick up after themselves.

It would be typical of providence to install something low on the list while the rest of the infrastructure is crumbling around it. I am glad that Alix Ogden's remark about soccer fields was in response to a "sky's the limit" question. That indicates that she understands that she needs to fix the existing, before moving on to the easy win of creating soccer fields.

[Jenkins]

Part of the parks issue is getting people to use them. They won't become (continue to be) so trashed and decrepit if there are actually people who care about them in the parks using them.

Lippitt park on the corner of Hope and Blackstone was improved dramatically with the addition of new lighting (old style gas lamp looking lights). Made a big difference. Plus they seemed to mow the lawn a bit more this past summer. You get a nice mix of people using that park.

[MikeR]

Lippitt park on the corner of Hope and Blackstone was improved dramatically with the addition of new lighting (old style gas lamp looking lights). Made a big difference. Plus they seemed to mow the lawn a bit more this past summer. You get a nice mix of people using that park.

We love that park! We used to take our kids to the playground there. Great place - is that ice cream shop still over on Hope St.?

[brick]

We love that park! We used to take our kids to the playground there. Great place - is that ice cream shop still over on Hope St.?

Maximillian's is still there and going strong.

[Recchia]

Projo has a whole listing of projects around the state today, along with there statuses. I can't find it online though. Frankie?.....

[Frankie811]

Projo has a whole listing of projects around the state today, along with there statuses. I can't find it online though. Frankie?.....

he he he

[Frankie811]

Projo has a whole listing of projects around the state today, along with there statuses. I can't find it online though. Frankie?.....

Sorry, I had no luck either!

[MikeR]

It's not online - I searched all over the site. That's too bad because the list was very comprehensive. Someone may have to scan and post...?

Edited January 17, 2006 by MikeR

[CtownMikey]

http://www.riedc.com/riedc/blue_sky/

go there.. then scroll down and on the right

look for---->

Major Development Projects

The current listing of major development

projects in R.I. is available here as a

Microsoft Excel spreadsheet.

Download the report

[Frankie811]

As far as I can tell you need Office 2003 to run Excel, which costs $ 399. Or do I have this wrong.

[brick]

The two most disturbing projects, IMO are the Fidelity HQ in Smithfield and the Brooks HQ in East Greenwich.

Between the two, they are almost 500K sq. ft. for reference, the GTech building houses 210K. I wonder if the city tried to appeal to these companies. Of course, the big difference is that at the suburban sites they can put in multiple acres of surface parking, whereas in the city they'd have to build a garage.

I would like to have seen Brooks move downtown because then maybe CVS would also since they are always fighting each other. As far as I am concerned, each of these companies "owes" us a decent urban structure since they put up so many of their crappy little boxes everywhere.

[Baines]

The two most disturbing projects, IMO are the Fidelity HQ in Smithfield and the Brooks HQ in East Greenwich.

Between the two, they are almost 500K sq. ft. for reference, the GTech building houses 210K. I wonder if the city tried to appeal to these companies. Of course, the big difference is that at the suburban sites they can put in multiple acres of surface parking, whereas in the city they'd have to build a garage.

I would like to have seen Brooks move downtown because then maybe CVS would also since they are always fighting each other. As far as I am concerned, each of these companies "owes" us a decent urban structure since they put up so many of their crappy little boxes everywhere.

Wow, that is disturbing when viewed together.

I once mentioned a crazy thought of a venture capitalist who would propose a major "Corporate HQ Center" in Downcity to house the major RI national and state companies...CVS, Hasbro, Amica, and Brooks. My vision was a 40 floor class A building with corporate/valet parking, corporate park/campus amenities, ease of access, etc.

But this requires and economic force, a confident business culture, and bold government.

I also ask, was the city asleep???

[brick]

Wow, that is disturbing when viewed together.

I once mentioned a crazy thought of a venture capitalist who would propose a major "Corporate HQ Center" in Downcity to house the major RI national and state companies...CVS, Hasbro, Amica, and Brooks. My vision was a 40 floor class A building with corporate/valet parking, corporate park/campus amenities, ease of access, etc.

But this requires and economic force, a confident business culture, and bold government.

I also ask, was the city asleep???

And now I'm realizing that the spreadsheet is out of date. Fidelity has since expanded their Smithfield plan to almost 500,000 sq. ft by themselves. 500,000 sq. ft. of buildings plus, what, 20 acres of parking? Blegh. As I've said many times, I wish the RIEDC would focus on keeping corporate stuff inside of I-295. But part of this goes back to our problem with local funding of public programs which makes these small towns hungry for tax dollars.

Hopefully we'll read soon that Citizen's and CVS have scooped up parcels from the IWay. Although there is plenty of other avaiable space. Imagine a 30 story Fidelity building on the Public Safety site. Their corporate campus in Smithfield will run between $90 and 100 MM I would think (There was a $65 MM estimate for the original 275K s.f.). Again, for point of reference, 110 is estimated at $105 MM and Westin II at $100 MM.

On top of having the business downtown, Fidelity brokered a nice deal with the state on employee income taxes specifically so that they could bring high salaried employees to the Smithfield location. I have to imagine that a bunch of these high salaried types would be great potential customers for the condo projects in DownCity.

The more I think about it, the more the Fidelity deal makes me sad.

Edited January 18, 2006 by brick

[Johnzo]

A lot of these major suburban developments make me sad, and that's coming from a guy who lives in the suburbs. We have a lot of major companies in the area, they ought to be in the city. Instead, we have the possibility of Brooks bringing even more traffic to route 2, and Fidelity destroying beautiful countryside.

Another development that irks me is Cambio's Centre of New England project in Coventry. They're clearing out all those acres just to replicate everything that's already on route 2.

Oh, and we still have Quonset sitting there largely undeveloped, and a Warwick Station district where nothing is happening. Isn't it funny how the two spots where large-scale suburban projects should be taking place are being ignored by developers (or at least seem to be)?

[gregw]

As far as I can tell you need Office 2003 to run Excel, which costs $ 399. Or do I have this wrong.

Try this. HTML version.

http://64.233.161.104/search?q=cache:1F_xv...lient=firefox-a

I agree that it's too bad that some of these big projects are suburban oriented but it could be much much worse. Thanks in part to the historic tax credits there is a lot of redevelopment going on in urban areas as well. Five years ago it would have been like 100% suburban.

Edited January 18, 2006 by gregw

[Frankie811]

Thanks gregw!

[CtownMikey]

I dont understand how any economic development can make a guy sad?

We should welcome any business to our state. But how would it be if Fidelity, CVS, Brooks, and Amgen all moved to PVD? What kind of affect would it have on the city that it left? *not that fidelity was already here*

I welcome any kind of development really. And I'd rather have a company move out of R.I. to Massachusetts.. as compared to a much cheaper southern alternative.

1. That way they can just as easily move back here in 10-15 years when our business climate is better.

2. I'd say it would make our region much more attractive if, as a whole, we had a business climate that didn't make any companies think twice about leaving. *not to say that business climate is the ONLY reason*

One thing I am going to find out is how much of R.I.'s untapped land is unprotected. That kind of worries me, but I'm sure there must be some type of natural preservation brew-ha-ha law that i'll find somewhere.