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PROPOSED: Hotel Sierra (aka Sierra Suites)


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This project seemed to come out of nowhere and hit many of us like a ton of bricks. I'm curious as to how this all came about. Suddenly, without any media announcement, we have knowledge of a hotel proposal for downcity, with renderings no doubt. :ph34r:

That's an excellent point. How come this has never been announced? Makes you wonder if the developer knew this would cause a furor. Kinda like a stealth project.

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This project seemed to come out of nowhere and hit many of us like a ton of bricks. I'm curious as to how this all came about. Suddenly, without any media announcement, we have knowledge of a hotel proposal for downcity, with renderings no doubt.

Well, I recieved an email from one of our members on it. It seems someone at AS220 caught wind of it through their involvement on Washington Street with the Dreyfus Hotel.

That's an excellent point. How come this has never been announced? Makes you wonder if the developer knew this would cause a furor. Kinda like a stealth project.

There's not really a mechanism within the city for announcing things (well there is probably but you have to work a little to get the info). I think what we think of as announcements are things we read in the press. We only read these things if members of the press go out and get the information, or someone involved with the development or someone in city government reaches out to the press. The reason we didn't see a OneTen or Waterplace style announcement from City hall on this is probably pretty obvious, they aren't proud of it.

are we allowed to attend this meeting for the design?!?

Yes, but no Cranston people allowed! :lol:

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eek that is one ugly design, although i'm glad to see that there would be few historic building sacrifices with it. getting a new hotel downtown (and in a rather run down part of downtown) should be a really promising and exciting thing but if it turns out anything like that rendering it will do much more harm than good.

its unfortunate they cant tie the parking into the existing garage next door and use that existing garage entrance (and also put a facade over that garage while theyre at it)

we dont necessarily need an award winning design (although it would be nice) but just a design with a reasonable amount of concern for the historic environment and urban design. This building looks like it would be made of styrofoam

the design looks like the developer is not confident with making the investment and is trying to build it as cheaply as possible. most of the development proposed in the last year or so looks to me like the developers and investors have confidence in downtown providence and are building tall buildings of quality construction and materials, this looks like a building that would appear in a city that is desperate for investment downtown and willing to approve anything, a city that providence is not.

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Somewhere in this forum are postings of a plan that the owner of the Majectic garage next door had to expand his property to where this hotel is now being proposed, but the owner of the small lot didn't want to sell and held up the project. Or something like that. If I remember coreectly, the printing shop owns that lot. Could be wrong though. I'm off to look for that thread.

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Even though it is not popular would it 1) be better suited next to the Fruit & Produce warehouse... or 2) Be passed on to the guy from the Projo's metro section thats everyone rags on for his written assanation

Yes, it would be suitable for the produce warehouse (though not this design), and there was an article linked to not too long ago that mentioned the possibility of a Holiday Inn at the produce warehouse site. That however wouldn't solve our need for an extended stay hotel downtown.

I would be more than happy to read a Brussat column on this proposal (so long as he doesn't make it about GTECH.

we dont necessarily need an award winning design (although it would be nice) but just a design with a reasonable amount of concern for the historic environment and urban design. This building looks like it would be made of styrofoam

And speaking of GTECH, I walked by the lot this morning (on the Fountain side) and I think a glass box would be a fine alternative for this site. If the tower were pushed back like I suggested, built on the set back vacant lot, and the McDonald's lot, with a shorter liner building on Washington, we could see the hotel situated toward Fountain. If the garage entrance were put at the end of the lot closest to the Sportsman's Inn, it would leave a big enough gap between it and the Civic Center Garage entrance. A glass box would be less assaulting to the senses then what is proposed, and hopefully they could build something more in keeping with the street on the Washington side (the Napa rendering leads me to believe they can do this).

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Yes, it would be suitable for the produce warehouse (though not this design), and there was an article linked to not too long ago that mentioned the possibility of a Holiday Inn at the produce warehouse site.

But isn't the Produce Warehouse going to be rehabbed as a kind of Quincy Market food place?

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Been too busy to check the page of late and have been interested in catching up with the discussion on this project. Couple of points, how did this project stay under the radar-the developers are the type of people who do all of their due diligence before they submit plans and when they submit their plans they just file them, no announcements. This site was picked because it allows for the expansion of the parking garage while getting development to help pay for the parking garage expansion. The developer eats every week in New Japan and Cuban and wants to relocate them downtown, possible the Cogen's building. If you think the design you have seen is lousy, you should have seem the first three renderings. There are lots of reasons for the design as presented and since we (the city) don't own the land we are hard pressed to force the developers to design the project in a different way.

Corporate developers will do what you force them to do within the framework of their basic package. Projects like this are always the hardest ones to review. The first question you have to ask is - are you willing to let the development walk. If the answer is yes, then you push as hard as you can to get what you want. If the answer is no, then you have to figure out how far you push before you stop asking. We haven't answered that question yet. The approval process for this development will take time and I don't think that the first DRC meeting will be conclusive - the drc will basically state that the design needs improvement (i'm sure there will be lots of people there to reinforce this opinion) and the developer will come back at the next drc meeting with what we all hope is a better design. I will accept average development if the pedestrian experience is good.

So, we will continue the review process and will continue to tell the developers that they need to do better. Let's hope that the KC architect can figure out the difference between Providence and the mid west and design something that fits into what we want to achieve in this city and on Washington Street.

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Thanks for the update Thom. I think if the developers come to the table with a plan to relocate Cuban and New Japan on Washington Street, and a better design, they'll get a better reception.

Is it at all possible that they could tie their garage into the Civic Center Garage and has the city given them Beverly Street yet, or is that still a carrot that can be used?

Any idea what they plan for the Fountain Street side? I can see them wanting to be on the Washington side as it's a two-way street, but orienting toward Fountain would put them closer to the Convention Center. With the redevlopment of LaSalle Square and OneEleven Fountain, Fountain Street may actually become a pretty good street.

I don't know what to say about pushing them. I understand our muscle over developers is tenuous, we're certainly in a better position than we were 5 years ago, or even 2 years ago, but there are plenty of other cities out there. It seems we have no lack of proposals for hotels though.

Are the owners tied to Sierra Suites themselves, or someone independent bringing in Sierra Suites?

Having those two garage entrances side by side, with a drive-thru bank across the street is really bad. It'd all be harder to swallow if there was someone with a plan to tear down Washington Trust and build something urban on that lot and the neighbouring surface lot.

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Wow, a lot of great discussion here. A few things:

GregW: I started the rumor that the Fruit Warehouse would make a great Quincy Market style place on my page about the bldg on ArtInRuins... as far as I know, the Procassanti Group has no plan to do that, and demolition may even be a possibility, though they have been showing renderings of a redevelopment of the current building, with a glass box thing off the back of it.

I'm glad the concensus seems to be that yeah, we want the development, but no, we dont have to stand by and let a developer walk all over us and erect a cheap and non-contributing building to our downtown.

Also, this morning on NPR I heard that Cicilline doesn't think we need to extend tax breaks to new developers anymore, as Providence is "hot enough"

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GregW: I started the rumor that the Fruit Warehouse would make a great Quincy Market style place on my page about the bldg on ArtInRuins... as far as I know, the Procassanti Group has no plan to do that, and demolition may even be a possibility, though they have been showing renderings of a redevelopment of the current building, with a glass box thing off the back of it.

Oh well. I thought that was the plan for the Produce Warehouse. Hope the Proctology Group does something like that, as it would be a great use for the space.

As for the tax breaks, I agree that the new stuff shouldn't qualify anymore but think it's probably still smart to extend them in the case of older rundown bldgs or in really depressed neighborhoods as an economic catalyst.

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This proposal breathes unimaginativeness and runs counter to everything we cherish in Providence.

The "Sierra Suites" would seriously jeopardize the architectural and historic integrity of Washington Street.

It would provide more visual emphasis to the horribly blank facade of the existing parking garage structure, would eliminate a city street, and would adversely affect the smaller scale of this street.

As was noted an earlier, this type of structure is usually seen at airports, not in the one the USA's most historic, hip and vibrant communities. I don't think any "improvements" in the design will really accomplish much here. It's too tall, too wide and totally disrespects its neighbors.

j.

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This proposal breathes unimaginativeness and runs counter to everything we cherish in Providence.

The "Sierra Suites" would seriously jeopardize the architectural and historic integrity of Washington Street.

It would provide more visual emphasis to the horribly blank facade of the existing parking garage structure, would eliminate a city street, and would adversely affect the smaller scale of this street.

As was noted an earlier, this type of structure is usually seen at airports, not in the one the USA's most historic, hip and vibrant communities. I don't think any "improvements" in the design will really accomplish much here. It's too tall, too wide and totally disrespects its neighbors.

j.

I agree with everything except " It's too tall.."

If the design could be altered to be less wide and several floors taller and have a facade that respects the architectural and historic integrity of Washington Street, then it is a winner and a plus.

Procaccianti Group does not own the old farmer's market. Carpionato does.

Speaking of Carpionato, what ever happened to the 15-17 floor hotel/condo proposal off Kennedy Plaza?

Nothing but an old rendering on the website.

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I interpreted this as owning the garage next to the Trinity Rep... Did I misunderstand?

That's what I'm trying to figure out. If they own that garage, than why not utilize it's existing entrances as a way into the hotel's garage?

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I'm planning on showing up to the public hearing tonight on this project, but I probably won't be able to get there until about 5:30. Do they still allow people who arrive that late into the meeting? I wasn't about the rules having not attended many public meetings.

Anyone who can should show up, regardless of when you get there. This proposal may not be first on the agenda. The meeting starts at 4:30, so anyone who can make it should try. I have been told that members of PPS will be there to express their concerns.

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