Providence Projects v2.1

[mr2448]

Athletic fields. Neighborhood NIMBYs shot down a plan a few years ago to transform the gym into condos.

Athletic Fields. Amazing how things turn around. The area to the left of the former Marvel Gym (as you're facing it) was the original practice field for all outdoor sports. Football, La Crosse and soccer were played and practiced there. The baseball stadium was also there bordering Elmgrove Ave. There are now homes in that entire area. This was done about 1960. The space in front of the football stadium was a place for hammer, discus and shot put practice. Also, a place where young boys could go and have a pickup baseball or football game. The spot where the JCC is was also a ball field until this new JCC building was built about 1965? The former JCC was a rehab of a Prov. police sub station across from Wayland Ave on Sessions Street.

Mark

[brick]

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*

The RIEDC brokered a pretty sweet deal for Fidelity. If every company got the tax breaks that Fidelity is getting, then a lot of companies would move to RI. So my first problem is that the state should form a better consistent tax structure rather than overtaxing a bunch of people but then selling them out to attract new business. That's the sad things number 1. Number 2. If we are going to go through the trouble of attractive business, why not use that attracted business, especially big clerical work like this, to help spur city development? Number 3. Even if they aren't in Providence, they are basically building a campus about half the size of Bryant College. Do we really need all of that suburbran sprawl? Number 4, because their huge campus is right off of 295 I can guarantee that 90% of their employees will not contribute to the economy of Smithfield in any way other than the occasional lunch at a local pizza joint. this is also the problem with CVS who have their huge campus in Woonsocket, but right off of 99. Everyone I know who works at CVS drives in and out and doesn't set a foot in Woonsocket proper.

Amgen is rightfully suburban. They are a processing facilty. Likewise Hasbro shouldn't move it's manufacturing into the city. But these places that are just big boxes filled with paper pushers should really be consolidated.

More jobs in the city = better public transport = more people living in the city.

I just have a feeling that suburban office boxes don't do as much for the local economy as people want to think they do. And they come at a huge price - just ask Lincoln how happy they are to have accomodated Amica. Because of the deferred and reduced tax rates, some estimates show it taking ten to fifteen years for the town to recoup it's infrastructure improvement costs.

[gregw]

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.

Several years ago Fidelity was going to move into the Foundry complex but apparently got cold feet after dealing with Cianci. Pfizer also looked at Providence but opted not to set up when Cianci made all kinds of public statements when the deal was supposed to be secret. They went to New London instead.

Almond was also to blame: he had it in for Buddy and he steered some of the big development projects outside of Providence.

[CtownMikey]

I don't remember where I read it, but I recall recently reading a quote from the governor stating that we've been losing companies just as fast as we attract them. He then said that a few companies (not specifying the size of the company) are interested in moving to R.I. and couple of comanies are "sniffing" out the area.

P.S. Do we have a thread for the R.I. minimum wage yet?

[Cotuit]

P.S. Do we have a thread for the R.I. minimum wage yet?

No, that topic would fit in the Economic Competetiveness thread.

couple of companies are "sniffing" out the area.

Apparently there's a tenant lined up for the Dyer Street office building proposal (I *think* that's the one that I heard had a tenant lined up).

[Johnzo]

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

Poor wording on my part Mikey, sorry about that. What I meant was that I'd just like to see some more of these companies locate in the city.

Several years ago Fidelity was going to move into the Foundry complex but apparently got cold feet after dealing with Cianci. Pfizer also looked at Providence but opted not to set up when Cianci made all kinds of public statements when the deal was supposed to be secret. They went to New London instead.

Almond was also to blame: he had it in for Buddy and he steered some of the big development projects outside of Providence.

I remember that, Pfizer looking at Providence. Damn, that would have been nice. Good point about Almond. Maybe I'm in the minority here, but I think this area is far better off without those two. Buddy only cared about himself, and Almond only cared about how to screw Buddy.

Edited January 19, 2006 by Johnzo

[CtownMikey]

^^ That is true.. we have to be grateful (or is it greatful?) for who we have in office right now. Lets just hope it continues for years to come.

On another note..

Pfizer has many Reasearch and Development campuses. 2 of which are in Cambridge Mass. and New London CT. I bet they will expand again sometime in the next 10-20 years... and R.I. may be perfectly suited for them by that time. Geographically Close to corporate and 2 of its R&D centers. And a much better local economy suited for businesses.

Corporate Headquarters:

New York, NY (USA)

Research & Development:

Groton and New London, Connecticut

Sandwich, England

Nagoya and Tokyo, Japan

Amboise, France

La Jolla, California

Cambridge, Massachusetts

Ann Arbor, Michigan

Consumer Health Care:

Morris Plains, New Jersey

I'd love them to move out of their Corporate HQ! Nice 50 story building from the looks of it!

And I had no clue that Amgen was HQ'd in California

Edited January 19, 2006 by CtownMikey

[markOne]

Frankie811, et alia,

In the future, if you need to work with MS Office doccuments. You might want to check out Open Office. It is a free office suite with fairly good compability with Microsoft Office doccuments.

[CtownMikey]

We had a great render of our 3 condo projects along with gtech about 8 months ago, i forgot who did it.

Could we possibly get a new full city render to include the new 110 and Waterplace render, Westin II, the Hilton (w/tower), and maybe a mock-up of what Grants block could possibly be?

[damus]

More jobs in the city = better public transport = more people living in the city.

not neccessarily ... look at Hartford, it's loaded with suits and they mostly live in the affluent suburbs just outside the city. I agree that more jobs need to be in the city and I hate sprawl, but the sprawl problem is a bit more complex than where the jobs are located. In my opinion, we need Euro-Canadien style gas taxes nationwide with the money going straight towards public transport, but even if we do that the economy would suffer at least for a little while.

[Garris]

We had a great render of our 3 condo projects along with gtech about 8 months ago, i forgot who did it.

Could we possibly get a new full city render to include the new 110 and Waterplace render, Westin II, the Hilton (w/tower), and maybe a mock-up of what Grants block could possibly be?

I don't know where that render went, but it won't change that much, if at all. That render had OTW, Westin II, GTech, and the Waterplace towers. There's been no Grants block render yet (and it wouldn't fall on that map anyway and if not a tower, won't alter the skyline) and the Hilton Tower was formally cancelled pending a market re-evaluation later (and that too would be off the map).

That future render represented Providence as it'll look for quite some time!

- Garris

[MikeR]

At Tiverton's Budget Committee last night we were reviewing the budget request for DPW and Landfill operations (Tiverton is the only community left in RI that has its' own landfill). We learned last night that 9,000 cubic yards of soil/fill that were taken from various Providence projects recently were used as landfill cover at the town dump.

Providence comes to Tiverton...

Edited March 24, 2006 by MikeR

[Cotuit]

Toll Brothers are the firm that is developing East Side Commons off Gano Street. Check out what they are up to in Manhattan.

[Cotuit]

Capital Center growing up [ProJo.com]

During the "Tomorrow in the Journal" report on Channel 12 last night they mentioned this report, but also mentioned something about a new project. Anyone seen anything about the new project???

[brick]

Capital Center growing up [ProJo.com]

During the "Tomorrow in the Journal" report on Channel 12 last night they mentioned this report, but also mentioned something about a new project. Anyone seen anything about the new project???

Maybe there is a follow-up coming? that didn't seem like much of a report to me. although I guess being here I am a little more informed than Joe average projo reader.

[CtownMikey]

I just checked the paper again.. I didnt see anything...

[billypc99]

Thats the third hint Ive gotten toward another big project in the past couple of weeks. Somewhere on this board it was mentioned that there would be another "major" anouncement soon.

[Cotuit]

Thats the third hint Ive gotten toward another big project in the past couple of weeks. Somewhere on this board it was mentioned that there would be another "major" anouncement soon.

When I heard the update last night, I assumed it would either be the secret project, or parcel 12, but I haven't seen mention of anything new on ProJo today.

[CtownMikey]

Cotuit you cant hold out forever.!.!. we have bribing methods... food with a nice massage!

Edited April 18, 2006 by CtownMikey

[CtownMikey]

This is the Broadway Bridge dressed up to become a gateway for the city and more friendly to pedestrians. The building at the right is a random rendering Duany's people did for what could be at the circular gas station site. Since then Proc. Group has released their plans.

this bridge should be in the works

[RLucas83]

this bridge should be in the works

I had never seen that picture... too bad that building had changed, thats a good looking building for that location, good height and visibility for those passing through on I-95!

Well i guess there is still hope for something like that there

As for the bridge, do you think it'd look cool of we had a common design for the pedestran bridges in the city? (like the one form the westin to the mall?)

[mental757]

what plans have been released regarding the old gas station site?? I thought nothing was imminent yet. Leaks of a Hilton expansion and parking garage have been heard lately but that's not the same lot is it???

[Cotuit]

what plans have been released regarding the old gas station site?? I thought nothing was imminent yet. Leaks of a Hilton expansion and parking garage have been heard lately but that's not the same lot is it???

TPG was going to build condos at that site (called 55 Broadway), but that has been put on hold indefinately.

[mental757]

thats what I thought - differant than the Hilton stuff...

[CtownMikey]

http://www.projo.com/extra/2005/revitalization/

just posting this for newer members or anyone who hasn't been to this part of the projo site.