IN PROGRESS: Meeting Street School

[DaveRPI]

lol, no one wants to drive down there to actually see where it is! c'mon, its not that bad....

[Recchia]

lol, no one wants to drive down there to actually see where it is! c'mon, its not that bad....

I went by it so many times this summer, but now I can't remember if its just north of Thurbers/Eddy intersection, or a few more blocks up.

[Cotuit]

lol, no one wants to drive down there to actually see where it is! c'mon, its not that bad....

I don' have a car.

[gregw]

I drove by there yesterday. It's a block north of Thurbers on Eddy (east side of street). The steel's already going up.

[chaz200]

I don't really need an exact address, I found an old Projo article that said it was at Eddy and Thurbers. On this map there's what looks like a warehouse between Thurbers and Haswell, is this their 7-acre site? Did they tear down this warehouse?

Yes they tore down the the warehouse. The lot is bordered by I believe Hassell, 95S, Thurbers, and Eddy. The sturctures in the lower left corner still remain. They are a moving company and a house on the corner. Reeder Street doesn't exist right now, I think it is gone because their lot covers it.

[chaz200]

Yes they tore down the the warehouse. The lot is bordered by I believe Hassell, 95S, Thurbers, and Eddy. The sturctures in the lower left corner still remain. They are a moving company and a house on the corner. Reeder Street doesn't exist right now, I think it is gone because their lot covers it.

Just an update the site extends over Hassell street and abuts the parking lot of the building that is on the corner of Briggs and Eddy. I don't know if it goes behind it or not, I probably should check it out.

[Jerry2]

This project is almost complete and I can't say it's that attractive. The sprawling complex with TONS of parking makes the entire area from RI Hospital all the way to Thurbers look like one massive parking lot. I wonder where this area stands in relation to the comprehensive plan for Pvd.

[jencoleslaw]

it was in compliance otherwise it would not have passed CPC.

[Garris]

This project is almost complete and I can't say it's that attractive. The sprawling complex with TONS of parking makes the entire area from RI Hospital all the way to Thurbers look like one massive parking lot...

I can't say I love this either. It's not bad, it's just not great.

On the plus size, it doesn't look like a typical school, and it's certainly nicer than 99% of the other structures in the area. It has a clean, post-industrial look to it.

On the downside, it does have a real sprawling feel about it, seemingly intentional from the architecture. Also likely intentional is the fact this building has zero relationship with Eddy St. It also, as was mentioned, does have a ginormous parking lot.

Count this as thumbs sideways...

- Garris

[dgreco]

I can't say I love this either. It's not bad, it's just not great.

On the plus size, it doesn't look like a typical school, and it's certainly nicer than 99% of the other structures in the area. It has a clean, post-industrial look to it.

On the downside, it does have a real sprawling feel about it, seemingly intentional from the architecture. Also likely intentional is the fact this building has zero relationship with Eddy St. It also, as was mentioned, does have a ginormous parking lot.

Count this as thumbs sideways...

- Garris

Any pictures anywhere of the new school? Architects or anything?

[Jerry2]

it was in compliance otherwise it would not have passed CPC.

But are the standards for "South Providence" or whatever you call it these days the same as other areas of the city? If this colossal monstrosity was proposed for the "up-and-coming" Valley area, it would have been shot down with a .45 caliber. Without trying to re-create a class, ethnic, or gentrification squabble, can you honestly say that this design was passed because of excellent urban design or rather because "Eddy St. NIMBY's" didn't come out to object to the design?

You could put a bunny ranch on Eddy and residents will somehow find a way to tout it as "economic development."The fact of the matter is that the Eddy St/ Allens Avenue area is a ripe area for industrial/commercial development that could combine biotechnology( Pfizer's formerly proposed headquarters), medical( RI Hospital),and tourist themed( Pvd Piers) development into an area that has plenty of unused land , potential and mountains of surface lots. The entire area has excellent highway access and Allens Avenue is wide enough to accomodate mass transportation all the way to Pawtuxet Village in Warwick.(The trolley lines are still visible on the street grid!) This project ....coupled with the new Pvd. Medical Center( one story )building with surface parking on Allens , reminds me of the hypocrisy that exists within city agencies. Available land abutting one of the busiest thoroughfares in the entire country that is located in one of the "comeback" cities of the NE being used for a one story block w/ surface parking....all the while hands are thrown in the air because a 280' highrise is planned at the corner of Westminster and the Service Road that could potentially ruin the character ...or better yet...the views from people that live over a 1/2 mile away in the Armory....

Look....I apologize @ the negative connotations....but there is definitely a double standard when it comes to development, class , and progressive thinking....esp. with the relation of how they should all intertwine together....While great strides have been met, RI still has a long way to go.

[Cotuit]

I do believe there is a double standard. But I think a non-profit school is perhaps the wrong target. Meeting Street School needs the parking it needs. I doubt they have the funds for a garage. But I also don't doubt that the set back from the road was intentional because of the current character of the road and the surrounding neighborhood.

[Jerry2]

I do believe there is a double standard. But I think a non-profit school is perhaps the wrong target. Meeting Street School needs the parking it needs. I doubt they have the funds for a garage. But I also don't doubt that the set back from the road was intentional because of the current character of the road and the surrounding neighborhood.

There is an underlying reason that non-profits are being co-erced to move to South Providence...but that is an entirely different story altogether.The point is that within the city limits, there are many spaces that the Meeting Street School could have relocated to with ample parking and handicap accessible features. They didn't have to take prime real estate along the 95 corridor and construct a sprawling suburban "campus" that will NEVER incorporate into a true urban landscape.

I find it quite ironic that people are quick to criticize Wal-Mart in their drive to enter the urban arena with their surface lots and signature stores, but are quite compelled to allow monstrosity developments like this 7 ACRE campus to fly thru the CDC.......

Hypocrisy 101

[Jerry2]

But I also don't doubt that the set back from the road was intentional because of the current character of the road and the surrounding neighborhood.

There IS no character of the road or the surrounding neighborhood. There is only a PERCEPTION that it is a poor crumbling neighborhood that needs any sort of development that it could possibly attain. I just wish that some of the ridiculous scrutiny that some neighborhoods undergo for the littlest of economic development would roll over into some of the neighborhoods that have the biggest potential for NEW economic development.......

[dgreco]

There IS no character of the road or the surrounding neighborhood. There is only a PERCEPTION that it is a poor crumbling neighborhood that needs any sort of development that it could possibly attain. I just wish that some of the ridiculous scrutiny that some neighborhoods undergo for the littlest of economic development would roll over into some of the neighborhoods that have the biggest potential for NEW economic development.......

Is this school along the lines of School One?

[jencoleslaw]

Is this school along the lines of School One?

no, it is a school for developmentally disabled and delayed and handicapped children.

and Jerry, you are talking out your a** regarding different standards, honestly. The comp plan is the comp plan across the city. Projects get scrutiny when people come out and comment on them no matter where they are.

You are more than welcome to show up at any of these meetings and voice your concerns about your perceived inequity. The CPC takes comments from everyone very seriously, not just abutters. All the CPC meetings are public and the agenda is posted in advance of the meeting. You can even go to planning and see renders before the meeting if you want to. The staff is quite accomodating.

oh, and i think one business owner spoke out against walmart, btw. That was it. And as much as i would like to think that we're as important as folks who are working to stop the spread of disease, we're actually called the CPC, not the CDC.

[Garris]

Available land abutting one of the busiest thoroughfares in the entire country that is located in one of the "comeback" cities of the NE being used for a one story block w/ surface parking....all the while hands are thrown in the air because a 280' highrise is planned at the corner of Westminster and the Service Road that could potentially ruin the character ...or better yet...the views from people that live over a 1/2 mile away in the Armory....

While I continue to believe that your arguments would be more effective if you couched them in different language, I have to agree wholeheartedly with your sentiment above (if you are saying what I think you're saying...).

- Garris

PS: If anyone is interested in a render of the Meeting Street School building, here it is.

Some photos of construction (through May) can be found here.

PS2: Jen, is the John Kelly (Meeting Street CEO) pictured on their website one of the members of the zoning board? If not, the resemblance is uncanny...

[Cotuit]

I just don't see attacking a non-profit school in the same company as the world's largest retailer (WalMart) or a large for-profit development (ALCO) as very fair. Meeting Street School could have fit in better, but they don't have the resources to play 'come back later with a better plan' with the CPC and other agencies. As for being forced to locate in South Providence. I doubt there were many other areas of the city where Meeting Street School could have afforded the land they needed. I don't think anyone forced them to go to South Providence, I'm sure if they could have afforded it, they would have rather gone to the East Side, where they began many years ago.

I haven't been onsite yet to see how this turned out, but I'm sure it will be worlds better than WalMart's treeless sea of surface parking. I'm sure Meeting Street School will be a good neighbor for the residents of South Providence.

[gregw]

I actually like the new Meeting St. building. Big improvement over the weedy mess that was there before.

I also think there's a lot to be said for them being located within the city so people without cars can take the Eddy Street bus there and for people with cars who drive their children there it's totally understandable that there needs to be plenty of parking to accommodate them.

[Jerry2]

I haven't been onsite yet to see how this turned out, but I'm sure it will be worlds better than WalMart's treeless sea of surface parking.

No............... It's a treeless sea of surface parking .

[Jerry2]

no, it is a school for developmentally disabled and delayed and handicapped children.

and Jerry, you are talking out your a** regarding different standards, honestly. The comp plan is the comp plan across the city. Projects get scrutiny when people come out and comment on them no matter where they are.

.

I'm sorry...but I don't believe that 100%.

[jencoleslaw]

I'm sorry...but I don't believe that 100%.

you don't have to believe it, but it doesn't mean it is not true.

[brick]

You guys do understand that schools are a little different beast than condos or something right?

To me a school should be designed to facilitate learning way way WAY above the satisfying the aesthetes of Urban Planet and their vagaries of taste. I'm not sure if this design accomplishes that, but that would be my concern. Not the fact that it is a 1.5 story building in a sea of other 1-2 story buildings.

Honestly I am aghast at this criticism on this one. You folks need to understand sometimes that at least some buildings in this city need to be functionally efficient, not just architechtural wonders.

I really mean no offense, but sometimes I do think that people forget that buildings have a purpose beyond filling the skyline.

[dgreco]

While I continue to believe that your arguments would be more effective if you couched them in different language, I have to agree wholeheartedly with your sentiment above (if you are saying what I think you're saying...).

- Garris

PS: If anyone is interested in a render of the Meeting Street School building, here it is.

Some photos of construction (through May) can be found here.

PS2: Jen, is the John Kelly (Meeting Street CEO) pictured on their website one of the members of the zoning board? If not, the resemblance is uncanny...

It looks a lot like the Item building on Point St. but on a much larger scale. I love Items building inside and outside, and I think this is a cool look for a school

[jencoleslaw]

and i'd like to remind critics that this is a school for children who are disabled. none of them walk to the school and i would be surprised if any of them took RIPTA.