COMPLETE: GTECH Center

[Cotuit]

GTECHs front door:

Architect's Project Sheet [pdf].

[Garris]

Wow, such a modest company!! :-)

- Garris

[Soren]

No street level retail, huh? Too bad, given the high pedestrian traffic from Waterplace Park and the mall.

[Cotuit]

No street level retail, huh?  Too bad, given the high pedestrian traffic from Waterplace Park and the mall.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Off to the left along Francis Street, that will be retail. On the Waterplace Park side is to be a restaurant, rumoured to be Legal Seafoods. I think the Memorial Blvd. side will be nothing.

[Soren]

Off to the left along Francis Street, that will be retail. On the Waterplace Park side is to be a restaurant, rumoured to be Legal Seafoods. I think the Memorial Blvd. side will be nothing.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

That's actually pretty good, though Memorial Boulevard is becoming a wasteland on that end.

[Garris]

On the Waterplace Park side is to be a restaurant, rumoured to be Legal Seafoods.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

While I'm not a big fan of chains, that one is probably a really good fit for the site (and near the mall in general). It probably is also a nightmare for the McCormick and Schmicks folks, who I've heard aren't doing that well in the Biltmore (despite the fact it always seems packed when I go by there)...

- Garris

[Lova]

What will they do to fix the pedestrian crossing of Francis or Memorial? Leave it as it is? I cant imagine all those suits dodging across the Memorial Highway. Be nice to reclaim it for city pedestrians.

[Cotuit]

What will they do to fix the pedestrian crossing of Francis or Memorial? Leave it as it is? I cant imagine all those suits dodging across the Memorial Highway. Be nice to reclaim it for city pedestrians.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I don't know, but I think just having a larger number of pedestrians on that corner will serve as a traffic calming measure. I always love crossing the street in Harvard Square, there's this critical mass of pedestrians that suddenly decides subconciously to all step off the curb at once, traffic be damned. I don't think we'll have that many people at this corner, but there will be enough to force cars to stop and not try to swerve around the pedestrians as they do now.

From the renderings of the new Westin tower, it looks like their main entrance will also face this intersection. I think they are going to have to allow for pedestrians to cross at the corner that is closest to Route 95, where there is no crosswalk now.

There's also the underpass at Union Station Plaza, people coming in on RIPTA will likely us that to get to GTECH.

[provid]

Dont forget you have a island to cross towards the Marrot that makes things easy. Crossing infront of the mall can be a pain becasue traffic really never stops ( both lanes )

90% of the time I take the skybridge but that wont help getting to Gtech

[Cotuit]

I'm wondering what is going to happen at the entrance to GTECHs parking garage. It should line up with the mall's garage on Francis Street. A new light?

[provid]

Mall side a new light would be hard since you alreay have a 2nd light apeak the incline. It will make three lights in a short row.

Good question though. Im really not sure. ( both places would be hard to pull out w/o a traffic light or something.

[Cotuit]

Maybe a traffic island blocking left turns. People exiting the GTECH garage would have to go round the block, Finance Way to Exchange to Memorial to get to 95, but it's probably easier than making a left would be. That area is jammed at rush hour.

[Garris]

Maybe a traffic island blocking left turns. People exiting the GTECH garage would have to go round the block, Finance Way to Exchange to Memorial to get to 95, but it's probably easier than making a left would be. That area is jammed at rush hour.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I was about to say the same thing... Can you imagine making a left out of G-Tech during rush hour? Wow... That area is already dangerous enough with all the teen drivers around the mall and everyone dropping and picking up from the train station... A traffic island blocking left turns is likely the best solution.

- Garris

[CtownMikey]

hey!!! dont stereotype teenagers as bad drivers!! not cool. So I guess you can say that i'm sticking up for teens...and now I gotta say something about Gtech and most of these topic/threads.. I just feel that everyone seems to find the smallest potential for a mistake to be made by these city planners and the projects that they have announced..and then they turn it into a big deal. It kind of discouraging all of that negative talk. I think that we should sit back, enjoy the proposed additions to the city, and TRUST each and every project...because more than anyone, the success of these buildings that have been argued to possibly ""over stock us with condo space, be an ugly glass building and ruin our cities historic feeling, present prices that are too high for current residents, blah blah"" are all going to represent their project managers and the city of providence. I'm sure they spend these hours analayzing every aspect that the new additions to the city will make, just like we do here, and they see these projects to be fit enough to become a part of our city. So i KNOW that this is obviously an opionated website.. and I respect that. But having a more positive outlook will naturally put us in the right state of mind to be ready for these changes and optimize their existance. SORRY if that is too deep I just want everyone to try and view things differently for a sec I back ALL of these projects 200% and I love the city!

[Cotuit]

I think we're all thrilled to death with the projects we have coming down the pike here in Providence. But it doesn't hurt to have some constructive criticism of things.

[pdxstreetcar]

I cant stand Memorial Barrier... I mean Boulevard. I would really like to see that entire street traffic calmed (while still being a main street). This will be an issue when RISD's 15 West opens later this year and all the students will be crossing Memorial on the way to the main part of campus.

I thought I remember seeing a rendering of the GTech building when it was first proposed and I recall it was a brick building much like the ProvPlace Mall. Was this the case or am I confusing it with another building?

[glassandsteel]

(Assuming that you're talking about the same thing I am)

It was actually closer to the materials used on Citizen's except they were planning on more of a beige. To be honest (contrary to how I felt for quite some time), I like the new design much more than I would have liked the other.

Here are some watercolors that I have of them.

As a special treat, here's the last proposal for the same spot before Gtech.

[Soren]

As much as I'm excited about the GTECH building, I think that both designs really missed the boat. Stepped terraces backing off of (and mirroring) the Basin would have provided a beautiful, flexible base for the next 100 years, regardless of GTECH's plans, as well as extending the visual impact of the Basin. It probably would have provided a higher value for GTECH in the long run too. I'm surprised that both designs have such a blocky face towards Waterplace park. The lot is certainly big enough that maximizing square footage is not an issue. I have to think it is a combination of lack of imagination and controlling construction costs.

But I TRUST that the project managers will get it right and not cut costs at the expense of an integrated urban experience

[Cotuit]

I thought I remember seeing a rendering of the GTech building when it was first proposed and I recall it was a brick building much like the ProvPlace Mall.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

There have been quite a few proposals for this site. GTECH went through many different designs, and there were things proposed even before GTECH. There was a proposal at the site (which you may have seen if you went to last year's Unbuilt Providence show at Brown), that was basically a mini-Providence Place.

[provid]

I like it.... But did anyone notice those strange lights on the bridge supports?

[Cotuit]

But did anyone notice those strange lights on the bridge supports?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Those look to actually be in the photo. A Convergence piece maybe? Anyone remember anything like that?

[provid]

They arent there now I can tell you that. This new render of G-Tech makes me worry some; if the current render of Capital Centre Parcel 2 is correct I dont think its going to match downtown much at all...even 10 Westmin is using materials found elsewhere in the city.

G-Tech is what I though made the Centre Parcel 2 work but now with the new render I feel otherwise.

[Cotuit]

G-Tech is what I though made the Centre Parcel 2 work but now with the new render I feel otherwise.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

That one that glassandsteel posted above is not the current GTECH, it's a previous proposal they submitted to the Design Review Committee.

[provid]

I'll try and get my hands on the current render. I have seen the building's blueprints and they surly did not match that past render ( you had confused / thrown off)

[Cotuit]

This is the current design from Waterplace: