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COMPLETE: St. Francis Chapel (Hampton Inn)

Garris

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KRC Hamlet

KRC

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Doesn't Granoff own the Arcade? Letting it go empty, running businesses out?

I know, I know. It breaks my heart to walk through the place. Yes. Yes they own it. I have no idea what they plan to do with it in the end, but I'm willing to bet it's future on whatever 110 turns out to be. While sad to watch it slowly close up, you can't help but wonder why they would do that unless it had something to do with 110 in the grand plan of things. They practically own that whole block. They are in a very unique position of controlling a substantial (connected) piece of prime downtown real estate. I'm positive that they aren't purposefully neglecting the Arcade for the sake of giving themselves a black eye. Something's up there!

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Dan Hamlet

Dan

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A La Quinta would not be bad. They have a renovated historic building in Manhattan as one, very nice lobby and such...

LaQuinta recently acquired 8 former Marriott properties in the Northeast, one of which was the former Fairfield Inn by Marriott - Warwick. That's their Providence, RI property and they are investing $1 million into capital improvements there. So this one may not be Hampton, but I don't think its an LQ either.

Ch. 10 morning show just announced this project. Frank Coletta said something like this:

A Fall River development company announced plans to convert downtown Temple, the old Franciscan Temple on Weybosset Street, into a hotel. It would be a national brand hotel.

Frank is the man.

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Lone Ranger Burg

Lone Ranger

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I know, I know. It breaks my heart to walk through the place. Yes. Yes they own it. I have no idea what they plan to do with it in the end, but I'm willing to bet it's future on whatever 110 turns out to be. While sad to watch it slowly close up, you can't help but wonder why they would do that unless it had something to do with 110 in the grand plan of things. They practically own that whole block. They are in a very unique position of controlling a substantial (connected) piece of prime downtown real estate. I'm positive that they aren't purposefully neglecting the Arcade for the sake of giving themselves a black eye. Something's up there!

Apparently the Granoffs have plans to turn Weybosset into their own mini lifestyle center.

I had no idea their holdings in that area were so extensive.

All of which makes me more optimistic about 110's prospects.

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RLucas83 Whistle-Stop

RLucas83

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Apparently the Granoffs have plans to turn Weybosset into their own mini lifestyle center.

I had no idea their holdings in that area were so extensive.

All of which makes me more optimistic about 110's prospects.

A "battle of the power blocks" can only mean good things for Providence development!

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runawayjim Metropolis

runawayjim

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In the picture it looks like a 3-4 story addition and not 10 stories as in prior posts.

i would say 4 or 5 (not that it makes a difference). the big on on the bottom (which is the equivalent to 2 of the upper ones) and the 3 above that. the building itself doesn't look to be more than 10 stories, unless the addition was going to be the same height.

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Baines Hamlet

Baines

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Apparently the Granoffs have plans to turn Weybosset into their own mini lifestyle center.

I had no idea their holdings in that area were so extensive.

All of which makes me more optimistic about 110's prospects.

I was told a while ago (I thnik BlueChip may have actually announced it somewhere also) that the "W" will be connected to the Arcade as a vital upscale retail element of the project. I am certain that this is when it will be rehabilitated and rented/leased to appropriate tenants. That's why the lack of extended leases for now. In late 2009/early 2010 the Arcade will change dramatically.

The chapel development and another building is slated to be developed all as part of ths Granoff vison for that 1-2 block area. We need to be patient until 2010 but we will see action from July 2007 on.

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Mothra Whistle-Stop

Mothra

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What is unfortunate is that people remember the Arcade and how it was even just a few years ago, and they know now that it isn't any place to go, and in two years when this all reopens and folks are all excited, even people who were new to the city then will remember that the Arcade was nothing interesting--that it was basically empty.

A lot of folks on this board have no problem dissing the lifers, or even the semi-lifers for knowing what they know about the city and sometimes holding on to old feelings about the city, but the truth is that you have to sometimes appease the people who live here too, not just the ones who are passing thru or the new people.

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Garris Town

Garris

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Great news!

I really like that render. The overall effect of the renovation and new building is something of a taller, slimmer Masonic Temple. Again, I think this is a huge net overall positive for that area of the city.

One thing I love about the Hampton Inn/W location (as I do the Hotel Providence and Masonic Temple locations) is that people who stay in those buildings can step outside their doors and immediately have things to do and see. In that area, they'll have the Arcade eventually, shops, galleries (RISD by Design, Picture This), and restaurants within steps of the front door, to say nothing of the River, Waterfire, and future 195 park. Similarly, people can step out from the Hotel Providence to the Westminster Shops and PPAC (and hopefully something of worth in the Grant's Block space in the future). At the Masonic, you have the Mall, future Waterplace restaurants, GTech restaurants, VMA, and the amazing view of the city from there.

These "what I did within a few blocks of my hotel" experiences are often all people who visit a city get of its "character," and I bet positive word of mouths about Providence will spread dramatically more than they even do now because people will be staying in these establishments, and not in Warwick, Seekonk, or a Radisson squeezed between 195 and an off-ramp on the East Side. (This is actually a problem, I think, for the Biltmore. You step outside to Burnside and Kennedy Plaza right now, or the Projo garage in the other direction... In the future, Washington will be a bigger draw, but still...).

After that part of Westminster comes to life, all that's left to give that street a huge boost is opening up Cathedral Square to the West Side and filling in some of the holes in the Western Westminster streetscape that are now parking lots and empty retail frontage.

Also, driving by "RISD by Design" today, I've got to think that business and all of the establishments getting in "on the ground floor" there near the 110/W/Hampton Inn site must be thrilled.

...but the truth is that you have to sometimes appease the people who live here too, not just the ones who are passing thru or the new people...

:offtopic:

I frankly have no idea what this means, or, even more importantly, why it's necessary.

My understanding of the Arcade is that, from the time the first brick was set onward, that it's never been a consistent financial success and has continued to survive as much as, if not more than, because of its beauty than its ultimate monitary worth.

Because the 1840's, or the 1930's, or the 1980's, or 2007 might have been bad years for the arcade, do we need to "appease" the people of all those time periods and the "people who live here" today (which I guess doesn't include, what, people who have recently moved here or may be studying here?) and say, "Stop, Blue Chips folks! Look at this history, don't bother doing anything... And if you do bother, people of Providence, don't give it your business because, well, look at this history!"

Should people treat the Masonic Temple hotel or Hotel Providence the same way? If your answer is "no," then what was the point? If your answer is "yes," then why should you, or anyone, care? Learn from history surely, but I don't like using it as a bludgeon to prevent anything optimistic or aspirational from happening.

[Off-topic rant mode off]

- Garris

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runawayjim Metropolis

runawayjim

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6-10 are the gray facade. look again

interesting... i thought that was a different building.

What is unfortunate is that people remember the Arcade and how it was even just a few years ago, and they know now that it isn't any place to go, and in two years when this all reopens and folks are all excited, even people who were new to the city then will remember that the Arcade was nothing interesting--that it was basically empty.

A lot of folks on this board have no problem dissing the lifers, or even the semi-lifers for knowing what they know about the city and sometimes holding on to old feelings about the city, but the truth is that you have to sometimes appease the people who live here too, not just the ones who are passing thru or the new people.

i'm not sure what you're talking about. many of us newcomers to the city may not remember what the arcade used to be but have hope for what it can become because we're now lifers. i have no intentions of leaving providence. the lifers we tend to diss are those who talk trash about the city for the sake of talking trash. they're generally people who don't care about the city or don't want to think of providence as a great place and don't want to see the changes.

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CtownMikey Burg

CtownMikey

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http://www.projo.com/ri/providence/content...CH.3435d89.html

hamptontd2.jpg

Joining in late 04' and hearing about how 05' was a real surprise in the number of announcements and how it was pretty rare.. its refreshing to see 2007 have more proposals come along with BCBS, Hampton Inn, and have reassurance that W hotel, Sierra Suites, and The Dynamo house will all start soon.

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KRC Hamlet

KRC

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A lot of folks on this board have no problem dissing the lifers, or even the semi-lifers for knowing what they know about the city and sometimes holding on to old feelings about the city, but the truth is that you have to sometimes appease the people who live here too, not just the ones who are passing thru or the new people.

I'd agree with you on that except for one big thing, it was "lifers" who abandond the city and it is "lifers" who tend to twist the past and glorify things that weren't all that great...such as Cianci for example. I'm not trying to be argumentative here, but how many "lifers" even went to the Arcade on a regular basis anyway? Not many. Just like I'm sure all those posters on the ProJo you guys speak of haven't stepped foot in Providence in years and won't. Sorry if dissing lifers seems harsh, but it's well deserved. Lord knows they certainly take pride in dissing anyone who thinks positively about Providence.

The truth is the city does not need to appeal to lifers at all. Those who want to come on board (and there are many natives who have) great. If not, who cares? They weren't here when the city started to turn around, they aren't here today and they certainly won't be here tomorrow. I'd like to think otherwise, but it's just not going to happen. Let Lazy Lucy and Cranky Harry sit in Linclon and diss on the city all they like on ProJo. It won't change a thing. It's folks like us (you included) that make the difference. Things are changing. You can see it here when you have someone like CtownMikey posting here and visitng downtown yet his parents don't. Forget the past. Move forward. It's the only way.

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